Customer Reviews

The Town

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

 

 

"The Town" is the final chapter in Conrad Richter's "Awakening Land" triology, and it concludes the saga of Sayward Wheeler and her family as they finish turning the Ohio wilderness into a bustling city. The triumphs and tragedies of the Wheeler family are not any different from those of real families in this or any time. That's what makes this story so special: showing how special ordinary people are. Richter's prose strives for the realistic dialects of the region and time, and that gives this book an additional ring of truth. What I've admired about this book is the character of Sayward Luckett Wheeler, who stands heads and shoulders above any other "strong woman" in American literature, especially including Scarlett O'Hara. Sayward is truly the glue that holds her family and community together and she better than any represents the American pioneer as a person of strength, stoicism and compassion. As the frontier is disappearing around her, Sayward also has the good grace and dignity to accept that. She, like her country, is constantly growing and developing. The first book "The Trees," depicted the struggle to eke out a home in the lonely wilderness, while the "The Fields," followed the development of an isolated pioneer community. "The Town" ties the first two books together while chronicling the next step in a city's development. It's a stunningly simple and beautiful story. I'm not sure if it's possible for anyone to write the "great American novel," but if so, then Mr. Richter has done it three times with this series. You'll want to read this over again just for the poetical simplicty of the language Strongly recommended.

Stunningly well written, Richter does an amazing job of capturing the early American atmosphere in this third book of his Awakening Land trilogy. While the entire book is told from the third person, one thing I really liked was the way he tells different chapters from the perspective of different characters. The way the characters are built, especially Sayward is truly amazing as we get to see their actions from several different perspectives. Make sure to read the review by "A reader from Yokota air base, Japan."

Being intimately familiar with the original publication of this trilogy, I can say with utmost disdain that whoever was responsible for taking the liberties of rewriting what was very nearly perfection must have a great fondness for soap operas and should stick with romance novels instead. Not only are there additional passages inserted that were never written by Conrad Richter, there are also altered meanings of existing passages that totally change the flavor and the original intent. There are so many instances in all three volumes that I don't even know where to begin with examples. This is by far the most appalling reprint of an award-winning piece of historical fiction I have ever witnessed. You would do better to find a used copy from the original publisher, Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.

This is part of a trilogy called "The Awakening Land". Oh it is one of the most wonderful stories I have ever read. Richter does a wonderful job writing. His words are rich with the time period of the story. You can feel the life of Sayward, the happiness the struggles. It's just a wonderful, wonderful story.

The last in the trilogy. I loved this series. What a gifted writer.

Sayward is starting to realize that everything is changing in her life as she grows older. The town was thriving and she was having trouble adjusting. She wanted everything to be traditional, but even the name of the town changed from Moonshine Church to Americus. The Town by Conrad Richter is a slow moving story about Sayward and her children. The book is well written, but hard to get into. Although there are some relatable parts, a majority of the story is dry. In contrast, Sayward is an inspiring character because she is strong and stands up for what she believes in. As a woman living in the wilderness many years ago, Sayward doesn't have all the same rights as men, but she still insists on going to town meetings and stating her points. I was able to connect my own life to Sayward's life in the story. Richter does a good job describing the Ohio frontier and the struggles people went through in those days. I would not recommend this book to most college-aged students. It's slow pace makes it hard to stay interested.

In Conrad Richter's The Town he keeps his story focused on Sayward and the rest of the Wheeler family. He really starts to focus on Chancey and the change that takes place within him. The Town is a very dry and boring book that does not really interest me. The book does not really have a huge climax either that makes you want to keep reading. Overall i would not recommend the book for college students.

The Town is a story of a family trying to mend with the new world that is slowly thriving around them. The main idea is Sayward's adjustment to the new and improving town.She's finding it hard because she doesn't find the new world as great as the rest of her fellow townsmen do. Although her kids and husband are adjusting, she just isn't. I look for a book with a certain indulgence of action, this makes me want to read and never put it down. This book did the exact opposite of that, it could have been better if there were a better climax so you would want to keep reading.