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Post by Diane Merkel on Oct 1, 2005 10:19:51 GMT -6
". . . Falconer's second, short, novel is about Frederick Benteen, the officer who saved some of George Custer's 7th US Cavalry from being slaughtered by Indians in Montana's Little Big Horn valley in 1876. "However, this is not a historical narrative. Rather it is the reminiscences and ruminations of the old Benteen, deep in bitter retirement, remembering his troopers. Who, as he recalls them, were men of rare insight into the environment and their own souls, given to elegant aphorisms and elliptical comments on life, nature and, for some not entirely accountable reason, farting. "Falconer writes beautifully, each line is lapidary and while insensitive souls may not find it much of a story, the book is a chronic case of fine writing. " For the rest of the article about Australian novelist Delia Falconer, go to www.theaustralian.news.com.au. Select The Arts from the left menu, scroll down to the bottom, and select the Stephen Matchett piece, "You gotta have friends."
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Post by elisabeth on Oct 2, 2005 6:15:48 GMT -6
Thanks for this news, Diane. Interesting.
I must resist condemning a book before reading it(!) but it does sound a bit of a missed opportunity?
"Falconer writes beautifully, each line is lapidary ... a chronic case of fine writing": not the way you'd describe a book that had caught Benteen's characteristic tone of voice -- robust, colourful, combative and funny ...
Oh dear. One Benteen book on the market almost certainly means we won't get the Benteen book that SHOULD be written: Benteen indeed "deep in bitter retirement", but finally coming clean -- to the reader and, crucially, to himself -- about his part in LBH and the subsequent cover-ups. Don't know about anyone else, but that's the book I'D love to read!
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