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16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A moderately entertaining historical fantasy, March 11, 2008
JOHNNY ONE-EYE is a fantasy overlaid on top of solid and often little-known history of the American Revolution. The protagonist and narrator is John Stocking, a young man of 17 and tantalizingly uncertain parentage at the beginning of the book. Stocking is known to all as Johnny One-Eye, by virtue of the fact that he lost an eye during Benedict Arnold's impetuous raid on Quebec in 1775. The book itself spans the years 1776 to 1783. For most of that time, the action, like Johnny, is located in Manhattan or its immediate environs, although towards the end Johnny accompanies Continental troops to Yorktown and then is briefly diverted to Canada.
During the eight years of the book, Johnny crosses paths with a number of historical figures, most notably the British leaders General Sir William Howe, Admiral Lord Richard Howe, and Henry Clinton; the traitor Benedict Arnold and his two manipulators, John Andre and Peggy Shippen; and among the rebels, Alexander Hamilton and, most important of all, George Washington. The novel's dramatis personae is also populated by a number of fanciful characters, the most important of whom (in addition to Johnny himself) are Gertrude Jennings, the madam of a bordello in Manhattan who occupies a special place in the lives and hearts of both Johnny and George Washington, and Clara, an octoroon from Dominica who was brought up in Gertrude's bordello and also is very important to both Johnny and George Washington.
Johnny, Gertrude, and Clara all are involved in intelligence activities, and it is the "secret service" or spy operations of both sides that drives the rapidly evolving plot. But the heart of the novel, and its true hero, is George Washington (the "farmer-in-chief" to the British). The book is generously sprinkled with encomniums to him. For example: "[In 1780] he was near fifty, and he'd had to cobble together an army for the past five and a half years, provide it with shoes, survive the cabals of congressmen and carping generals under his own command. 'T was Washington who fed the army, clothed it, fought the battles, ran his own stable of spies. Congress was bankrupt. Washington could not pay his soldiers. Some officers had already rebelled. But still he cobbled. His critics could not comprehend this. He was larger than their contradictions, relentless in his desire that the army not melt away, and with it the nation itself."
Indeed, the novel's greatest virtue and most memorable aspect is its portrayal of the character and humanity of George Washington. It also is noteworthy for calling attention to the contributions of African-Americans to the ultimate success of the Revolution. But JOHNNY ONE-EYE is not serious or "high-brow" literature. Nor is it in any way cutting edge. What it is is a moderately entertaining melange of fancy and history. For those who are amateur students of the American Revolution (and maybe even some professionals) distinguishing between what is fact and what is fancy should provide an enjoyable challenge. There is much that is bawdy and ribald, which is true to the times but may nonetheless offend some. I personally found the book a little too long. But on balance I don't regret the time spent reading it.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
More Than Meets the Eye, January 23, 2011
This review is from: Johnny One-Eye: A Tale of the American Revolution (Paperback)
If there's one thing I've learned about Jerome Charyn's historical novels, it's that they are so out of the mainstream for the genre they are easily misunderstood. They even make some people angry. As my grandpa used to say, they must be doing something right.
I think they are doing plenty right, and Johnny One-Eye is no exception. By refusing to yield to popular conception of history's familiar figures, Charyn gives us a much more human (and thereby, likely "truer") account. Moreover, he grabs our conceptions left over from high school history courses by the shoulders and gives them the good shaking they deserve. But unlike the recently-popular spate of history-debunking non-fiction books, Charyn's purpose isn't to tear down, but rather to rebuild in us a picture of historical periods and persons that rings more true, mostly because we are enabled to see through the eyes of people who are fundamentally just like us.
Our schooldays histories of the American Revolution tend to overemphasize the victories and the almost god-like character of heros like George Washington while leaving us with a demonization of "villains" like Benedict Arnold. Johnny One-Eye brings our gaze down to eye-level. Set in one of the bleakest times in the American effort, the occupation and subsequent burning of New York City by the British, the novel forces us to face the harsh--and sometimes farcical--aspects of war, whether that war took place 200 years ago or is going on right now.
The titular character and narrator of the tale is one of the most intriguing characters I've run across in literature. Johnny is the consummate rogue, jester, wise guy, con man: so lovable yet despicable that everyone in his life is one moment hugging him and the next booting him out the door and into the mud. There is something about him that worms its way into peoples' hearts, no matter how disgusted with him they might be. This charm allows him to get near to many of the key figures of his time, including General Washington, Benedict Arnold, Alexander Hamilton, and even a host of British commanders.
The plot centers around Johnny's quest to discover his place in the world. At the heart of his motivation is the uncertainty of his own origins. Raised by the madam of a brothel, he very well might be the illegitimate son of Washington himself. But like the hero of a Dickens novel, Johnny will have a lot of hard knocks and setbacks on his journey to self-discovery. And he also has some unsavory things about himself to confront as well.
What will be of interest to most readers, though, is Johnny's frequent and often tempestuous interactions with the movers and shakers of his day. It is here that Charyn's true genius as a historical novelist shines brightest. His rogue who so intrigues us is equally intriguing to Washington, Hamilton, et al, and thus he is able to draw them out and reveal them as the multidimensional true-humans they certainly were. For example, we encounter Washington as a man of deep character, yet riddled with doubts and indecision; not immune to temptation, but careful about where it takes him.
The larger message of Johnny One-Eye seems to be that wars are not epic stage dramas; they, like everything else in life, are very human endeavors. There are no absolute heros or villains on any side. For the most part, everyone is just trying to survive hell and come out on the other side with something to show for it, or maybe just their skins still intact. Furthemore, it is often the meek and lowly and despised who end up playing the most important roles. More than for insights into a period of history (which it certainly yields in abundance), Johnny One-Eye should be read as a beautiful parable of the human condition. We all endure a bit of hell from time to time, but with enough pluck, life-spirit, curiosity, and good friends, we will survive.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
another winner from Charyn, June 7, 2011
This review is from: Johnny One-Eye: A Tale of the American Revolution (Paperback)
The country is in its infancy, and in the midst of what we would later call the Revolutionary War. Washington is trying to lead his men to victory, loyalists are trying to lead the rebels to gallows, spies abound, and in a section of Manhattan referred to as Holy Ground, the true fate of the country lies in the hands of prostitutes. This is the world in which John Stocking lives, as a double agent, and son of a madam. As battles are waged in the colonies, similar battles are being waged within Stocking himself, as he attempts to learn the truth about his father, and battles his love for a woman who may never love him back.
I love when historic fiction opens the reader up to a whole new aspect of the history it describes, and that is exactly what Charyn has done with this book. This is not the Revolutionary War you learned about in gradeschool. And chances are, this "fictional" book is much closer to the truth than many school textbooks. The characters are those who truly did battle, the scoundrels, the spies, the whores. They are the ones whose stories are never told when history is conveniently sanitized.
I particularly loved the title character, and loved hearing about his journey throughout the war. I loved his interactions with Washington, and have now learned to see Washington in a new (and much more interesting) light. Although I am not much of a student of history, I simply adored this book. The writing was so engaging, I found it hard to stop reading, and read late into the night just to see what Johnny would be dealing with next.
I think many fans of historical fiction will like this book. Similarly, historians who specialize in the Revolutionary War will enjoy this fictional, though most likely accurate account, of the political climate at that time. As I read this, I thought of how much my husband would love it for that very reason, though his interest is more politics than history.
All in all, another wonderful book by a truly masterful storyteller.
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