Reviews for The American Law Register (1853)

The average rating for The American Law Register (1853) based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2013-06-27 00:00:00 Wayne Downey This novel tells the story of a Civil War veteran and his family. It landed like a cannon shell in the midst of the American literary scene in 1944, but today is generally remembered only by Civil War historians and buffs. And that is a shame. Despite occasional errors of historical fact and interpretation (like repeatedly calling the Union Army of the Tennessee the "Army of Tennessee" and a negative characterization of General U.S. Grant that was in vogue during Pennell's day but is now repudiated by many historians), the writing is usually tight and exudes gritty realism. Pennell's decision to open the story with an intense description of the infamous Battle of Shiloh anticipates Spielberg's direction in "Saving Private Ryan." If Civil War or 1940s American literature interests you, pick this one up and return to poor Joseph Stanley Pennell a small measure of the appreciation that was once his.

Review # 2 was written on 2018-09-06 00:00:00 Joanne Latham When The History of Rome Hank and Kindred Matters was published in 1944, it was being compared to Thomas Wolfe's Look Homeward, Angel and was considered a literary event. Now the novel is largely forgotten, neglected by both the general reading public and the scholar. I wouldn't have heard about it if it weren't for the dedication in Ralph Peter's The Damned of Petersburg, who called it one of the greatest Civil War novels. I'm not sure I would classify The History of Rome Hanks as strictly a Civil War novel. The main character, Lee Harrington is tracing his families history and the stories of his grandfather and great-grandfather encompass the war. But that is just part of the story. The History of Rome Hanks is a story of exploration and self-discovery. While Kerouac used the "road" as the metaphor for that journey, Pennell uses history, for Harrington's journey is through time, through the history of his family. The narrative structure by which Pennell recounts this history is complex mix of 2nd and 3rd person point of view with a sprinkling of omniscient first person stream of consciousness. There are as many shifts of narrative time line as there are shifts of narrators. As a novel where it's protagonist seeks meaning in this world, The History of Rome Hanks is an important bridge between Wolfe's Look Homeward, Angel and the soon to emerge Post Modern literary movement. Essential reading if you are interested in American Literature.