Customer Reviews

985 The Discovery of America

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Common wisdom dictates that "history is written by the victors." If this applies to humorous historical fiction as well, then color Brian Cherry uproariously victorious for his seamless blend of fact and fable.

"This is the history of the first discovery of America, if it had been told by Douglas Adams," Cherry states. He isn't kidding. His fictional protagonist, initially a 12-year-old stowaway on Bjarni Herjolfsson's ill-fated longship bound for Greenland, introduces himself as "Harald, Harald the younger, and I am seasick. . . . The thought of some of the new names I'll get from [the crew], like 'Harald the Messy' or 'Look out below Harald,' make Harald the younger seem very comfortable."

The laughs don't stop there as the reader follows Harald's account of the true if accidental discovery by Herjolfsson of America (or Vinland, as the Vikings later dub it), the eventual colonization under Leif Eiricksson, and other key events recorded in Harald's "journal." Grim reality interjects itself in the form of Harald's experiences as a suspected mutineer, the violent deaths of his erstwhile crewmen and, later, a close friend and mentor. To this tally Cherry adds the even more graphically violent -- and senseless -- deaths of native Vinlanders, whose sole crime was being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

This only makes the humor all the more appreciated, such as the running gag of Harald's falcon, which prefers to perch on Harald's head. (Now we know where medieval European millinery fashions originated, too.) In addition to seafaring excursions and adolescent plots to invade Madam Grunnhilde's establishment of ill repute, Harald chronicles a lifelong spiritual journey presented with a deft balance of sensitivity and pragmatism rarely found in contemporary fiction.

That's the good news.

The passage of time depicted in chapter transitions varies between 15 seconds and 15 years, often without any clear indication of the duration involved. Billed as being "Excerpts from the journal of Harald the Younger," 985: The Discovery of America would have better served readability by using a journalistic format with dated entries.

In addition, copyediting seems all but absent. Never have I seen more typos and "word-os" (such as the use of "gate" rather than "gait" to describe how a horse moves) per square inch than in 985: The Discovery of America. But it's a testament to the book's overall merit that I not only finished, despite the myriad errors, but still enjoyed the story immensely.

Too bad they couldn't make history this entertaining in school. I look forward to reading more from this talented new author. Here's to hoping the wait won't be so long.

And thanks, Brian, for all the herring.

I recommend 985 to ANYONE with a sense of fun and an interest in history! If history were taught like this in school, we'd have a LOT more anthropologists out there. Cherry puts his awesome writing style to perfect use, telling a story that is both accurate and riotously funny! I can't recommend it enough to anyone who likes history and has a snarky sense of humour!

This book is an excellent read. It speaks to people between the ages of 13 and 100. It is historically correct and should have been written years ago! It's about time that someone stood up and wrote the truth about who really discovered America. What seperates this book from all others is the hilarity and its way of allowing the reader to truly connect with the character! Trust me, this is NOT a dry, boring read by any stretch of the imagination, but the reader will be to busy laughing their heads off to notice, anyway. Columbus day my ***!

WOW!! What a great story. Brian Cherry is Brilliant in his , scrupulous, faithfully exhaustive account of Haraold, the Younger. His journey takes us inside the cut throat life of a young Norwegian boy who's only true quest is to become a man and find his way into Madam Grunnhilde's brothel. Cherry's extraordinarily entertaining humor makes this a truly difficult book to put down. I wait with great anticipation for the next great works by Mr.Cherry.

This is the story of a young boy who stows away on the ship of a family friend because he wants to have adventure. The reader is led thru Harald's life by Harald, himself, and one gets to experience vicariously what it was like to colonize a new land in the time of the Vikings.

The writing style is very easy going, and would be enjoyable for any age reader... from adolescent to adult. I found the research to be well done, and the story flowed very well. All in all, I enjoyed the book very much & look forward to seeing new endeavors by the author.

This book is a real turkey. It seemed to me it was written for a 12 year old. Very poor research and no plot. Actually, I did not finish the book but the first two thirds is terrible.

Delightful story. So nice to read about those crazy Norskis.

Thanks for this book, Brian Cherry!

After receiving my copy of 985 I took it home curled up on the couch and started reading. I could not put this book down! Each page reached inside me and pulled me closer to the characters.

Relating to the main character of this book is so easy. You can invision his stunts and actions in your mind. Brian Cherry does a beautiful job weaving together the titillating tales and the infatuation I have with the discovery of America.

His ability to pull the reader into the life of his character is a gift told with vitality and verve. I lived, loved, anguished and triumphed with Harald.

I recomend this book as a good read for anyone, young or old.