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Cloudsplitter
by Russell Banks | Literature & Fiction
Registered by wingperryfranwing of North Ogden, Utah USA on Friday, July 25, 2008
Average 7 star rating by BookCrossing Members 

status (set by mafarrimond): to be read


8 journalers for this copy...

Journal Entry 1 by wingperryfranwing from North Ogden, Utah USA on Friday, July 25, 2008

This book has not been rated.

Book Description:
A triumph of the imagination and a masterpiece of modern storytelling, Cloudsplitter is narrated by the enigmatic Owen Brown, last surviving son of America's most famous and still controversial political terrorist and martyr, John Brown. Deeply researched, brilliantly plotted, and peopled with a cast of unforgettable characters both historical and wholly invented, Cloudsplitter is dazzling in its re-creation of the political and social landscape of our history during the years before the Civil War, when slavery was tearing the country apart. But within this broader scope, Russell Banks has given us a riveting, suspenseful, heartbreaking narrative filled with intimate scenes of domestic life, of violence and action in battle, of romance and familial life and death that make the reader feel in astonishing ways what it is like to be alive in that time.

This is also No. 82 on the 1001 books you must read before you die list.


From 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die:
Narrated by Owen Brown, the novel retrospectively relates the story of his father, the complex and charismatic John Brown, who from uncertain beginnings becomes a radical abolitionist, a terrorist fighter, and ultimately a martyr for the cause. The reflective, elegiac voice of the son relates the triumphs and failures of the father, detailing his extraordinary plan to free the slaves and increasing radicalism of his politics. Yet in the background is the knowledge of what was inevitably to follow from such divisions--the terrible slaughter and division of the Civil War itself. Denying a recent tendency to airbrush this crucial period in American history, Owen's fragile voice offers the reader an idiosyncratic and truthful vision of events. Banks' great achievement is the way in which he builds and extraordinarily compelling narrative from the interaction of relatively obscure historical characters with recognizably human frailties. This is coupled with an eye for detail and a sense of the profound divisions of the society in which the Brown family live, all animated by a pervasive sense of injustice, individual right, and the intense aura of religious devotion. For Cloudsplitter is no simply a novel about grand ideas; it moves seamlessly between lyrical evocations of rural life and the landscape, domestic intimacy, violent conflict, and familial strife. It shows us modern America in the process of formation.
 

Journal Entry 2 by wingperryfranwing at North Ogden, Utah USA on Sunday, June 12, 2011

This book has not been rated.

Bookray
Starting a bookray for this book. Please PM me if interested in joining. Bookray will remain open until last person has the book.

Participants so far:

. oppem from Oregon, USA (USA only)
. Erishkigal from Utah, USA (USA only)
. sailorarby from Delaware, USA (USA only)<----Skipped
. NancyNova from Pennsylvania, USA (International)
. EmgeeNL from Netherlands (EU only)
. Danielle23 from UK (UK only)
. kingfan30 from UK (UK/EU only)
. mafarrimond from UK (International)<----Book is here 5/27/12

. sfogs from New Zealand (International - near end)
. shnedwards from UK (At End)

Note: Order is subject to change based on shipping preferences and others joining the bookray.

How the bookray works:
* Someone will PM you for your address, PM them back and provide your address
* When you receive the book, please make a journal entry letting everyone know that you received it
* Put the book at the top of your TBR pile (under other rings/rays that arrived first)
* Read the book (take your time and enjoy the book, don't feel rushed to finish it but try to get it out to next reader within a couple of months)
* When the end is in sight, check the book's journal and PM the next person to get their address
* Finish the book, make another journal entry and let everyone know what you thought of the book
* Send the book to the next person on the list (please use the cheapest shipping method available), make release notes (Controlled Release) or journal entry to let everyone know that it's in the mail
* Last person on the ray: Wild release, donate the book to the 1001-library or pass it on to another bookcrosser as a RABCK, etc.

Please feel free to PM me at any time with questions


 

Journal Entry 3 by wingperryfranwing at North Ogden, Utah USA on Monday, June 13, 2011

8 out of 10

Fascinating look at the life of John Brown, the abolitionist who thought slavery was an abomination and who thought he was God's instrument in trying to eliminate it from the country. The novel is narrated by his last surviving son, Owen Brown (photo left), who escaped from Harper's Ferry, and tells of the beginnings of the Brown clan in Ohio, Massachusetts, and North Elba, New York. The novel is long and detailed and really gives the reader the feel of living in the middle 19th century with its many hardships and struggles including the deaths of many of the Brown children. It includes details of Brown's anti-slavery beliefs, the Underground Railroad, and includes insights on historical personages such as Frederick Douglas, Harriet Tubman, and Ralph Waldo Emerson. It also includes the details of Brown's actions in "Bloody Kansas" and his eventual downfall at Harper's Ferry. The novel works at many levels: it is full of ideas, it is the story of an American family, and it is full of adventure. Although I think the novel could have been shortened somewhat - it is sometimes very wordy - I would still highly recommend this one to anyone interested in American history, the Civil War, and the fight for abolition of slavery. 

Journal Entry 4 by wingperryfranwing at Hermiston, Oregon USA on Wednesday, June 15, 2011

This book has not been rated.

Released 11 mos ago (6/15/2011 UTC) at Hermiston, Oregon USA

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

On its way to Oregon to start this bookray. Enjoy!

USPS DC# 0309 1830 0002 3792 3439 

Journal Entry 5 by wingoppemwing at Hermiston, Oregon USA on Monday, June 20, 2011

This book has not been rated.

Received today in mail - many thanks for sending my way & for the honour of starting this bookray.
I have one 'not to long' book to finish & then will start reading this one... 

Journal Entry 6 by wingoppemwing at Hermiston, Oregon USA on Saturday, July 02, 2011

7 out of 10

Well, I finished it... that is not to imply that didn't enjoy it - just that it is a very long read & as Perryfan already said - it could probably have been shortened !!!. I enjoyed very much learning more about John Brown the abolisionist - it made me realise just how little I had known prior to reading this ("John Brown's body lies amoulding in the grave....")....
I also enjoyed the book when it was in 'storytelling mode'... but, I have to confess to getting really rather bored with large chunks of narrative just expounding on John Brown's religious beliefs with huge chunks of bibilical quotes ....
Overall I came away with a strong dislike for John Brown & in answer to one of the questions raised in the book - I think he must have been somewhat insane...
Larger than life, every character in the book revolves around him - he uses them, controls them and in general shows very little feeling for anyone or anything other than his fiercely held religious beliefs... as you can see, I did not like 'this John Brown'.
He was very much larger than life - he was like the mountains he loved 'Cloudsplitter'. Thank you for sending this my way perrfan.. I will have it start another journey next week sometime... 

Journal Entry 7 by wingoppemwing at Salt Lake City, Utah USA on Tuesday, July 05, 2011

This book has not been rated.

Released 10 mos ago (7/5/2011 UTC) at Salt Lake City, Utah USA

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Sending this book off media mail on the next stage of it's journey.. Enjoy. 

Journal Entry 8 by wingErishkigalwing at Salt Lake City, Utah USA on Monday, July 18, 2011

This book has not been rated.

Cloudsplitter has arrived in Salt Lake. And I'm relieved reading your "rules" that I needn't try to rush through it! I'm currently reading a book to release for Peace Days, but I will start this right after. Thanks! 

Journal Entry 9 by wingErishkigalwing at Salt Lake City, Utah USA on Monday, October 24, 2011

8 out of 10

First, my profuse apologies at having had this book so long. I did at least pm perryfran, and he graciously allowed me extra time.

So, while I agree with oppem that this book didn't need to be 758pages, I did really enjoy reading it. I learned a fair amount about the Underground Railroad when I lived in Marietta, Ohio, but i learned more from this tome. And I too had known little about John Brown aside from a few lines of the song (i'm sure there must have been a paragraph or two sometime in American History classes, but that was a VERY long time ago), and I'm sure the Kansas Wars are totally new to me. I also feel like I gained more knowledge of the reallies of daily life of the time. And while much changes, much remains. Unfortunately, too much of the racism found here still exists. And given the state of our(US) Union today, I couldn't resist marking the following:
"[John Brown] insisted that a politician could never be trusted anyhow, for even if he held a decent conviction, he was ever ready to sacrifice it to advantage himself."

Thank you for sharing this perryfran, and thanks for allowing me time to finish. I've pm'd sailorarby, and will send when I get the address. 

Journal Entry 10 by wingErishkigalwing at Salt Lake City, Utah USA on Wednesday, November 09, 2011

This book has not been rated.

I've pm'd sailorarby twice and have had no response, so I have now pm'd NancyNova. 

Journal Entry 11 by wingNancyNovawing at Lansdale, Pennsylvania USA on Friday, December 09, 2011

This book has not been rated.

Oh my. I have the book now & will say up front that it will take more than the usual month to get through, especially with the holidays. I will PM the next in line after I'm about 1/2 way through the book and can estimate a finish date. 

Journal Entry 12 by wingNancyNovawing at Lansdale, Pennsylvania USA on Sunday, December 11, 2011

This book has not been rated.

An addendum to my last post - The book has been added to the next TBRs to be read - 2 666 books, the January book club epic novel, plus this one - it looks like the stack will topple any minute! Having some time off over the holidays before I start grad school will be a blessing! 

Journal Entry 13 by wingNancyNovawing at Lansdale, Pennsylvania USA on Sunday, December 25, 2011

This book has not been rated.

Just started the book, and am scurrying over to Wikipedia to get a little more factual information about Harper's Ferry (which I confess, I don't remember anything about), which may help with the way the narrator (Owen) wends his way through oodles of description while you're trying to figure out the storyline. 

Journal Entry 14 by wingNancyNovawing at Lansdale, Pennsylvania USA on Thursday, January 12, 2012

This book has not been rated.

This book got bumped by the book club book, as I couldn't keep the story lines straight reading them concurrently. This will be the main read, starting this weekend. PM'd the next in line for address. 

Journal Entry 15 by wingNancyNovawing at Lansdale, Pennsylvania USA on Friday, January 27, 2012

8 out of 10

ray: Written from the viewpoint of Owen Brown, John Brown's surviving son who was not at Harper's Ferry, the book starts many years before Harper's Ferry and attempts to reconcile who and what John Brown was. The book also delves into many abolishionist activities that both Owen and John Sr. participated in. I find John Sr's wife extraordinary, because John Sr would just fix in his head that he needed to go to Ohio, Kansas or whatever to help the slaves - and off he'd go, leaving the management of everything in NY to his wife's hands. John Sr. also had a plan to free the slaves, fully expecting them to join him in the battle for other slave's freedom - but that was so far away from other abolishionist plans, that it never happened. Throughout the book, you wondered if "the old man" was insane, deluded or a little of both.

I have the address for the next reader, so this is being packed for shipping out tomorrow.
 

Journal Entry 16 by wingNancyNovawing at Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland Netherlands on Friday, January 27, 2012

This book has not been rated.

Released 4 mos ago (1/28/2012 UTC) at Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland Netherlands

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

On it's way across the pond to the next reader. Enjoy! 

Journal Entry 17 by EmgeeNL at Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland Netherlands on Sunday, February 05, 2012

This book has not been rated.

The book arrived yesterday and since i've just finished reading a book I'll start on it today. It's a quite a big one with over 700 pages, so it will probably take me a while to finish it. 

Journal Entry 18 by EmgeeNL at Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland Netherlands on Monday, March 05, 2012

7 out of 10

Finished the book last week. Next to a nice book to read it also was a history lesson. Can't remember ever before hearing of Harpers ferry. I agree with the people above that the book was quite lengthy and could have been shortened. But it still managed to keep me interested. 

Journal Entry 19 by EmgeeNL at A bookray, A Bookcrossing member -- Controlled Releases on Monday, March 05, 2012

This book has not been rated.

Released 2 mos ago (3/3/2012 UTC) at A bookray, A Bookcrossing member -- Controlled Releases

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

The book is on it's way to Danielle in the UK 

Journal Entry 20 by Danielle23 at Sunderland, Tyne and Wear United Kingdom on Saturday, March 10, 2012

This book has not been rated.

Just picked this book up from the post office. Perfect timing really as I finished my current read on the way to collect this one. Starting it today and here's hoping it won't take too long. 

Journal Entry 21 by Danielle23 at Sunderland, Tyne and Wear United Kingdom on Tuesday, April 03, 2012

8 out of 10

Wow! I was not sure what to expect from this book having never heard of Harper's Ferry or of John Brown before. The book was a great read; very interesting and informative and, like Emgee said, almost like a hostory lesson.

I had a great deal of sympathy for John Brown for the most part that is until the Pottawatomie Massacre. His denial of any involvement and his basic "Well I didn't kill anyone attitude" really annoyed me and the more I thought about it the more it seemed like he got his sons and sons-in-law to do the killing (at least in the early stages).

I don't feel like he deserved the title of 'the first domestic american terrorist' but felt that he was more of a freedom fighter and abolitionist.

After reading the book I researched a little and read more about Brown and Harper's Ferry, and although some may deem it a bad decision by Brown, it did eventually lead to the abolotion of slavery.

A great read and will be travelling to the next in line sometime this week. Thanks for sharing perryfran and for giving me the chance to read this book I would otherwise not have chosen. 

Journal Entry 22 by Danielle23 at Sunderland, Tyne and Wear United Kingdom on Wednesday, April 11, 2012

This book has not been rated.

Released 1 mo ago (4/11/2012 UTC) at Sunderland, Tyne and Wear United Kingdom

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Travelling to kingfan30, the next in line x 

Journal Entry 23 by kingfan30 at Corby Glen, Lincolnshire United Kingdom on Saturday, April 14, 2012

6 out of 10

Gosh what a big book! I hope your postcard is right Danielle23 :) I have 3 books ahead of this so will get to it as soon as I can

19 May 12 - I started off enjoying this book, the underground rail road helping slaves north to freedom was not something I had read or heard about before and I found it interesting. But about half way through the book describes the family's financial problems and a trip to England with their wool to try and make their fortune. It could have been covered over a few pages not the amount of space it was given, it did not really ad anything to the story and was not that interesting. Also the religious aspects were getting more and more often with passages quoted from the bible, not my sort of thing I'm afraid.

The characters are not particularly likeable, John is quite frankly barking mad, which becomes more and more evident as the book goes on. Owen the son and narrater is quite winy, would this book have been better from johns perspective?

The scenes of domesticated life were at times shocking, so many people on so little room. So many babies lost to child birth or illness. And how the wife felt at being left so often while her husband and eldest sons went off to rescue slaves / fight for the cause, I have no idea.

The book is building up the whole time to a big battle at harpers ferry, so I was surprised that so few pages were dedicated to this in the end. And although it was all in a good cause there seemed to be a lot of unnecessary blood letting.

Worth a read but quite a bit if skimming was done over the religious passages. 

Journal Entry 24 by kingfan30 at Bourne, Lincolnshire United Kingdom on Monday, May 21, 2012

This book has not been rated.

Released 1 wk ago (5/21/2012 UTC) at Bourne, Lincolnshire United Kingdom

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

On its way to the next reader. 

Journal Entry 25 by mafarrimond at Hawarden, Wales United Kingdom on Sunday, May 27, 2012

This book has not been rated.

The book has arrived safely. Thank you. 



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