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Here are my rambling thoughts on the subject. I admit to be initially disappointed by the winner. I really wanted to read the Carlo Levi book. I bought it with a coupon at Kobo anyway and plan to read it someday. Unbroken is going quickly that perhaps I'll have time for the Levi book this month too. This book club is exposing me to many new books just from the nomination process so I am very a very happy reader!
I became much more interested in the book after googling book club questions. There are some interesting topics to explore during the discussion. I think Jon made an important point about the book's perspective on the treatment of Japanese POW's. Also from the book club questions, it also hints at how soldiers coped after the war and post-traumatic stress syndrome which was not the recognized issue then that it is now. Most of the books that I have read about WW2 have been focused on the European front. I read Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet a few months ago which is about the treatment of Japanese Americans and the internment camps in the US. I also recently read The Piano Teacher which is about the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong. I really liked both of these fiction books and recommend them. Unbroken is supplementing those books from another non-fiction perspective and a soldier's experience rather than ordinary civilians.
The book certainly is gripping. I stayed up until 1AM last night reading. Part 1 was certainly hagiographic, and I had a similar thought about the use of adjectives. However, Part 2 where I am now is less flowerly and packed full of details. I'm not sure whether any of the information in the books will be ground-breaking; however, I am certainly learning alot about WW2 that I never knew just from lack of my own exposure to the Asian front other than Pearl Harbor.
This book certainly is no classic, but I think I still consider it literature. It was noted when the book club was formed that the non-fiction month might be difficult. I found it interesting that 3 of the 4 selections this month were twists on a different theme. The John Reed book is the account of a war-time correspondent. The Carlo Levi book is the memoir of a political exile at the outset of the Abyssinian War. Unbroken is about an American bombardier's imprisonment and experiences during and after WW2. One difference that may affect how the books read is that Unbroken is told by third-person narrative rather than directly by Louie.
I consider David McCullough to be the gold-standard of historical non-fiction narratives that captivate readers and thrill them about history (it's not so boring after all!). However, he is getting older. It will be interesting to see what new authors take his place at the top of this field. Another author I like is Erik Larson. I think that Laura Hillenbrand has now written two books that have been huge bestsellers. She obviously did very meticulous research of her subject. I find it impressive that Unbroken has 1407 5-star ratings out of 1630 on Amazon. I look forward to reading her future books, and I hope that her writing capability will grow even stronger.
I also have hopes that the selection of this book will introduce new people to this book club. I certainly hope that the people who voted for it will read it and participate in the discussion.
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