20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Absolutely terrific!, July 20, 2006
"Three Day Road" is one of the best novels I've read in years. Author Joseph Boyden has created some of the more memorable characters of recent fiction. In particular the main protagonist, Xavier is so clearly drawn as to seem someone I know.
The story switches back and forth from the wilds of Canada to the horrors of the Western Front in World War I. In Canada are the old ways, living off the land as so many ancestors before, recognizing rituals and beliefs of generations past. In Europe conversely is the new world, with all the modern weapons of death and destruction -- machine guns, tanks, poison gas airplanes and more.
Through Xavier's aunt Niska we learn of Cree life and how the encroachment of whites and their culture was brining it to end and about Xavier's troubled but ultimately happy upbringing with his friend Elijah.
Xavier also reflects on his youth but primarily details the life of a soldier and all the consequent miseries brought about by everything from lice and fleas to night raids and incessant bombings.
Boyden writes as good a battle scene as you will ever read and I must add writes some of the best sex scenes on paper.
"Three Day Road" is a story with many layers covering a number of themes, among them the true natures friendship, loyalty, spirituality and loss. No mean feat in a single novel.
Xavier and especially Elijah gain fame as snipers racking up seemingly countless kills. The killings come to consume Elijah and claim his soul. Xavier is more detached and as the war progresses longs to return home. Their exploits and how it effects each and their relationship is central to the book. As is Niska's lonely but fruitful life and her profound influence on Xavier.
I highly recommend "Three Day Road" to anyone with even a passing interest in the first world war, the culture of the Cree but most especially to anyone looking for a compelling novel that will inspire them to think.
Through Xavier's aunt Niska we learn of Cree life and how the encroachment of whites and their culture was brining it to end and about Xavier's troubled but ultimately happy upbrining.
Xavier also refelcts on his youth but primarly details the life of a soldier and all the consquents miseries brought about by everything from lice and fleas to night raids and incessant bombings.
Boyden writes as good a battle scence as you will ever read and I must add writes some of the best sex scenes on paper.
"Three Day Road" is a story with many layers covering a number of themes among them the true natures freindship, loyalty and spirituality and loss. No mean feat in a single novel.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Close and personal, August 6, 2006
Linking Cree hunting stories with World War I frontline accounts would seem an odd undertaking, to say the least. The wild Canadian North with its harsh yet beautiful landscape and tough living conditions for those surviving off the land is a far cry - physically and spiritually - from the trenches and the killing fields of Ypres and the Somme. Yet, Boyden has successfully merged these seemingly disparate themes through his telling of the life stories of the three protagonists: Xavier, Elijah and Niska. The two young friends, looking for adventure, joined the war effort while Niska carries on her life as the last Oji-Cree medicine woman. The story is told from different perspectives, moving backwards and forwards in time. The outcome is an engrossing narrative that interweaves the disturbing description of WWI horrors in the trenches with the rich and multifaceted recollections of the protagonists' lives and their emotions and experiences of the past.
"Taking the Three Day Road", the traditional Cree reference to dying, takes on new meaning here, both literally and spiritually. The journey home in Niska's canoe through the lush forests and on the winding river provides the backdrop to her efforts to bring one of the friends home, physically and mentally deeply wounded. Her personal recollections and stories of their past lives are set against the nightmarish dreaming of the returning soldier. Will Niska be able to soothe the mind, will the medicine be strong enough to heal him from the agony of war?
The two young Cree started out with eagerness to fight in the war, having honed their tracking and shooting skills in the bush killing animals for food and ceremony. Their very different characters emerge clearly as they leave the familiar territory. As they began their journey, their friendship helped them to complement each others strength to get through numerous challenges, such as the language barrier, their inexperience in urban and barrack life, the discrimination facing them. As their talent as trackers and snipers are increasingly recognized by their superiors, despite their prejudice against Indians, the two are sent on increasingly daring missions. Their reputation grows as they take out more enemy snipers than anybody else. Xavier and Elijah respond very differently to the pressure and violence. One hates his role on the killing fields and is retreating into himself, the other is thriving on the experience and the attention he garners. Their friendship is seriously tested and the tension between them reaches breaking point. How can they salvage the friendship that they had? How can they survive in the hell of the trenches? How do they cope with loosing their comrades and being wounded themselves? Will they be able to reconcile the upbringing on the land, guided by Niska, with the brutality of their war experiences?
Boyden is an outstanding story teller and his skill of creating realistic and lively personalities is admirable. This not only applies to the three protagonists, but also to several of their comrades and their superiors. Boyden establishes a wide-ranging portrait of the people and the extreme conditions they were exposed to during this war. It is evident that that author undertook extensive research into the intricate details of WWI war fare. It can easily stand among the best of its kind. The author adds additional depth through Niska's story, connecting the reader intimately to Cree culture and mythology. Niska's voice stays with you for a long time. Despite the topic, this is a beautifully written, memorable book. [Friederike Knabe]
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Where is Home?, June 11, 2005
This review is from: Three Day Road (Hardcover)
I've heard it said that you shouldn't let the facts get in the way of a great story. One reviewer thought there were better WW1 stories and I'm sure that's true but this is the story of two native soldiers who weren't always soldiers. They had a home on the outskirts of someone else's - occupying strangers with equally strange ways.You weren't good enough unless you were white and no matter how hard you try you can't do it. People only see your skin colour and draw their own pictures. Xavier and Elijah stood out from the other soldiers - being Canadian helped and being true shots (snipers) made them legends, but like a drop of ink in clear water something invades the picture.We get a clear picture of trench life and the walking ghosts it created. The Aunt has her own ghosts to deal with and the power she got from her father. So are you curious yet? I wanted to take all three characters the aunt and Xavier and Elijah home and make them soup and listen to their stories. I miss them now that the book is done.The ending has hope that home was found where it usually starts in the heart. This book maybe hyped but so what? Read and believe the next Canada Reads Book selection. I've got to read it again.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
