Customer Reviews

The Other Side: A Novel of the Civil War

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I found this book to be dark, gritty and provocative. It accurately depicts the western front during the Civil War. McColley does a stupendous job in creating believable, if not disturbing, characters that make you question the darker side of human nature. One of the best books I have read in a long time!

This fictional tale of the civil war never pretends to be other than what it is. It is a story, a tale, a fable about the civil war. Although it has its share of real life characters, right from the beginning the reader is acutely aware that this book is not going to take you on a journey that places you in the tent along with your favorite general.

That being said, the book does offer a unique perspective on the guerrilla warfare that took place in the areas of Missouri and Kansas, and is historically accurate. The story's main theme centers on the insanity of war. Looking through the eyes and mind of the main character, the reader gets to decide for him/herself that which is real and that which is true madness, the result of a simple human being facing complex, inhuman experiences.

This book has more than its share of gore and violence. But when has war been anything else? Tempering it all are the young calvaryman's interactions with others trapped in the same asylum. Surprisingly, these relationships sometimes breed kindness, compassion and even love. This book is not for the faint of heart. It is the story of a journey into hell and maybe, just maybe, back.

Kevin McColley is an extremely gifted writer. The beauty in this novel is that finishing to read this book is not the same as finishing the story. I found myself, rather, seeing the civil war and those Americans who lived it, in an entirely different way. Each one a hero, each a villain, too, each one undeniably human, and very, very real.

Mr. McColley has written an interesting story about the Civil War. A much different point of view then most books on this subject. At times it becomes tedious but he always brings you back to a good solid story.

McColley succeeds in making us like some pretty unloveable characters by most standards, and creates a really cool ghost. The problem that I had with this story of a young man who joins Quantrill's Raiders is that I found the characters' reactions to be mostly unrealistic. Jacob, the main character, acts and feels in ways that makes no sense. Also, the end of the book was unnecessarily depressing -- I don't always object to sad endings but this was just sort of... flat. The Other Side certainly has its good points but I can't wholeheartedly recommend it.

The Other Side is a stunning indictment of the immorality of war and the ways it can affect the human psyche. Mr. McColley has obviously done a great deal of research to place this novel in the historical context of the civil war West, resulting in a novel that sheds light on some of the more despicable actions in an already gruesome period of American history. I highly reccomend it, but it's not for the squeamish.