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Alaska
written by James A. Michener
Studio : Random House
by Random House
Release Date : 1988-05-12
Publisher : Random House
Released : 1988-05-12
Availability : Usually ships in 1-2 business days
EAN : 9780394551548
Avg. Customer Rating: (based on 60 reviews)
List Price : $22.50
Our Price : $17.98
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Product Description |
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The high points in the story of Alaska since the American acquisition are brought vividly to life through more than 100 characters, real and fictional. |
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#1 book for #49 State |
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Starting all the way back before Alaska was fully shaped until the BIG earthquake in the past century. WOW!!! I couldn't stop reading because I wanted to know what would happen next. Why is Russia so prominent in Alaska? Where did the eskimos come from? All these questions are answered plus you get love stories, bad guys, good buys, great ladies, and descriptions so descriptive you'll want to get a blanket because you'll feel like you are there. I've recommended this book to several friends who loved it and recommended it to others. |
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Get a taste of settling in the wilderness |
Michner writes about places most of us are curious about yet don't know much about. Alaska is our most remote state and this novel gives you a sense what it was like to brave the harsh conditions and establish settlements. I find Michner's characters a varied bunch in that they range from superficial to more in-depth interesting personalities. In general though they seem exist to portray the land in which they reside.
It isn't a masterpiece and somtimes the story drags. However it is a good way to delve into Alaskan life. |
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Great book - especially if you're going to Alaska |
Another great epic from Michener. You may quibble over whether a wooly Mammoth would have really had those thoughts, but overall it's a highly interesting and informative book.
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A Wonderful and Realistic Portrait |
Perhaps non-Alaskans are more taken with Michener's portrait of the state than those of us who live here, since we experience its grandeur and special essence every day. Nonetheless, for a cheechako, the author does an admirable job of conveying facts and feelings about the 49th state. While there is always the danger with historical novels that readers will not know where facts end and fancy begins, the historical backdrop is well-researched and essentially accurate.
Like other Michener works of this variety, the book weaves the stories of several families over a number of generations, and in doing so illustrates how today's Alaskans often have unusual family trees and complex cultural traditions. Throughout the book he develops some of the same themes that run through the state today, including the struggle to break free from the almost colonial status we once enjoyed at the hands of marginal government officials and outside corporate interests, the pride of being apart and different, and challenge/blessing of a uniquely diverse population.
The reader may think that the characters are "larger than life", but not necessarily so. Alaska has more than its share of vivid, grand, and heroic citizens whose stories could fill many long cold nights. While no substitute for a first-hand Alaska experience, Michener's Alaska-sized novel is a wonderful way to experience the state at a distance, and undoubtedly has whetted many people's appetites to come and see for themselves.
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Michenerholism - Craving a rich tapestry of history and tales |
First, let me announce my bias: I was born and raised in Alaska.
When I saw this novel on the bookshelves when it first came out, I promised myself I'd read it even tho I had never read anything by Michener. Well, some 20 years later, I finally read it. And -- boy! -- do I wish I hadn't waited so long. It's a long book (close to 1,000 pages) and I was so engrossed that I almost lost sight of the real world for the duration.
Of course, being from Alaska helps. I could orient myself geographically with little trouble. I had the broad outlines of the history already. And the historical names were almost all familiar to me if not the details of their lives.
But what Michener did which I most appreciate about his novel is painlessly impart the details of history by interweaving it so tightly with his colorful fiction that it was hard for me during the reading to separate the two. Yet I'm sure I know what is historical and what isn't. It's a contradiction, I know. And a compliment to this man's storytelling skill.
I let out a satisfied "whew!" when I closed the book a final time and returned to reality. Then I suffered withdrawal symptoms for days, maybe weeks. I found myself gazing wistfully at some of his other large works in the bookstores. Did you know there's no Michenerholics Anonymous? I've just begun reading THE SOURCE. I couldn't help myself. |
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