Castle Keep (American Literature S.) [Paperback]

William Eastlake (Author)

Book Description

Series: American Literature S. | Publication Date: November 1999

A detachment of American soldiers assigned to a Belgian castle during World War II indulge in their various hobbies, virtually sitting out the war, until a counteroffensive puts them in the path of the German Army.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Published in 1965 when America was in the early throes of another armed conflict, Eastlake's novel follows a unit of American soldiers assigned to guard a Belgium big shot and his family at their monstrous estate. Once inside the castle walls, the men find a haven while the war rages on outside. Their separate peace, however, is shattered when German troops arrive. A gritty, honest war story.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"The challenge to the novelist would seem to be to write fiction which has a real bearing on present-day concepts and values and, ideally, does something about them, while not descending into secret form and language. This is a tall order. But William Eastlake's new book, Castle Keep . . . goes a long way toward filling it. . . . It should, in a crowded field, hold its own with honor. For it deals not with the bewilderment of the usual snafu of war. Its bewilderment is about life, with war but one of the many cosmic snafus in the human condition." -- Hans Konigsberger, New York Times Book Review, 3/28/65

"The strength of Eastlake's design is in the massing of details and moments--bizarre, farcical, obscene, recondite, but always vividly pictured--into a whole that is truly tragic. There are drunk scenes that spin with laughter and nausea. There are battle scenes crackling with the unreality of sudden death. . . . Gothic mystery, savage modern satire, heroic epic--Castle Keep interweaves all three to create a surreal small masterpiece about the horrors and grim humors of war." -- Time, 4/2/65

"William Eastlake is a fast man with a symbol, all right, but he's even faster with a gag line or a knockabout comic situation. . . . His ultimate destination may be classically tragic, but the way to it lies through the twisting corridors of a carnival fun house. . . . He is a superb technician, but there is more here than flashy technique. Eastlake has a gift for creating unforced comic situations and boldly outlined yet subtly shaded comic characters--he ranks here with his finest competitors in the proliferating genre of the comic novel. More important, he does not lose sight of the fact that the classic subject of the novel is human growth and change. . . . One's response to a trip through Eastlake's castle is rather like one's response to a guided tour through one of those imitation castles American millionaires were fond of throwing up at the end of the 19th century. At first you can't believe your eyes. . . . But amazement soon gives way to delight. . . . About Castle Keep there need be no ambiguity. We got the castle and it is well worth keeping!" -- Richard Schickel, Life, 4/2/65

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Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Dalkey Archive Press (November 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1564782085
• ISBN-13: 978-1564782083
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #573,939 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Better than Hell(er), April 5, 2000

By 

wordtron (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Castle Keep (American Literature S.) (Paperback)

If Jim Jarmusch ever decides to do a war film, this is what he should base it on. This is a wonderfully odd, comic and moving account of war as pure absurdity. The writing is tons better than Heller in Catch-22, the most obvious comparison. Set in Belgium, a group of American soldiers are given the assignment of holding a castle against the on-coming German front. Their leader is a one-eyed American Indian who is boffing the niece/daughter/wife of the castle's duke. The rest of the soldiers make-up a classic American cultural cross-section: another Indian, a black, a cowboy, a baker, and an art historian. The story is told in chapters from the POVs of the various characters, like Faulkner's As I Lay Dying. Lot's of hilarious dialogue. Thank god Dalkey Archive re-issued this work in their American Literature Series.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A World War II classic, June 21, 2003

By 

T O'Brien (Chicago, Il United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Castle Keep (Paperback)

Castle Keep is an excellent story set during the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. A detachment of American soldiers is sent to guard a Belgian castle that is owned by a count and his young wife. Led by Major Falconer, a one-eyed Navajo Indian, the men live a life separate from the war as they occupy the castle. The rest of the men include a musician, an art historian, a writer, a baker, an ex-reverend, a cowboy, another Indian, and just a regular old sergeant. There are truly funny scenes in the book that have you laughing out loud, most noticably during the incident with Lt Amberjack and Sergeant Rossi as they try to destroy a Volkswagen. The period of rest the soldiers have is broken by the German attack in the Ardennes. While much of the book is very humorous, the battle scenes are very stirring and emotional.

This book might not be for everyone, but many people will enjoy this kind of off the wall humor. Sometimes it seems that Eastlake just tried to make the oddest thing imaginable work in his story. Also check out the movie of the same name starring Burt Lancaster and Peter Falk. The movie stays very true to the novel and is well worth a watch. Check out Castle Keep for a very enjoyable World War II comedy/adventure!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Refreshingly different, September 21, 2000

By 

Nilanjan Ray (India) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Castle Keep (American Literature S.) (Paperback)

Story about a group of American soldiers charged with the responsibility of guarding a castle overlooking an important crossroad. Must read for people who appreciate the Catch22 type humour.