1919

By: John Dos Passos

Narrated by: David Drummond

With 1919, the second volume of his U.S.A. trilogy, John Dos Passos continues his "vigorous and sweeping panorama of 20th-century America" (Forum), lauded on publication of the first volume not only for its scope but also for its groundbreaking style. Again employing a host of experimental devices that would inspire a whole new generation of writers to follow, Dos Passos captures the many textures, flavors, and background noises of modern life with a cinematic touch and unparalleled nerve.

The novel opens to find America and the world at war, and Dos Passos's characters, many of whom we met in the first volume, are thrown into the snarl. We follow the daughter of a Chicago minister, a wide-eyed Texas girl, a young poet, and a radical Jew, and we glimpse Woodrow Wilson, Theodore Roosevelt, and the Unknown Soldier.

©1932, 1959 John Dos Passos (P)2010 Tantor

Fantastic narrator!

I cannot recommend this highly enough, it is an epic work read epically by David Drummond

Not a thing in this world Paul Bunyan's scared of

Part two of John Dos Passos' U.S.A. Trilogy focuses on the years of World War I and the experiences of different types of Americans confronting this tumultuous period of political, social and geographical change.

While romantically regaled in many of the works of the period by Hemingway and Fitzgerald, Dos Passos captures much of the darkness and ugliness of the time and the cynicism of a war waged to preserve the profits of banks and corporations leveraged by arming both sides of the conflict.

Like the first volume the novel uses four different narrative styles and weaves characters from very different backgrounds into and out of each other's lives.

Volume Three, the Big Money, awaits.

One of the Best

Great novel. Excellent narration. Chronicle of the era. Original style. Listen to the entire trilogy.

Continuing the story of early 20th century America

A look at several lives during WWI. Gives insight into the feeling of the time by reading newspaper headlines from the era.

Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue in story form

This is the second book in a huge trilogy. I read it withought reading the other book first. If you really want to invest a massive allotment of time I'd read them in order. Wiki the author and you might even start with a smaller monograph prior to this writing.
I like this style characters sketches and stories of real people living life up hill. He captures, like the faded sepia photos of the dust bowl farmers , the character and times his actors are living in. The action is believable and the emotions true.
His narrative is punctuated with real news flashes and song and a variety of period headlines which complement the naratives of the protagnists. At a later date I'll explore the other writings of this lesser known contemporary of Hemmingway, and Fitsgerald.
Seriously entertaining, enchanting.