I LOVE reading! When I was a kid I would curl up on this big wingback chair by the front window and read for hours. My younger sister used to make me repeat whatever she said to me because she'd tell me she was going to a friend's house and I'd have no idea where she was when Mom came home and asked after her. Anyway...
Unbroken by Laren Hillenbrand (the chick who wrote Seabiscuit) is one of the very best books I've read, ...like maybe ever. If you like the Olympics, history, cocky guys who get saved, airplanes, Hollywood, love stories, survival stories, war stories, buddy stories, incredibly well written books or if you have grandparents who were alive or fought in WWII, then this book has something for you. I'd seen reviews when it was released around Christmas of last year so I immediately added my name to the request list at my local public library which means that I actually got to read Unbroken 6 months. There was one brief moment where I thought I might win a copy in a raffle at work, but no.
I'd heard it was an interesting read and I have a grandfather who flew planes over the Pacific in WWII so I was excited to get a little glimpse into what his world might have been like (he passed away in 2007 and I so wish I could have asked him the questions I had after reading this book, but Grandma's been great). I was immediately swept away by Hillenbrand's writing style. She's so. stinking. good. As previously mentioned, I've read a lot of books. Some have had great writing and some have been... well, the Twilight series (I read all 4. Seriously. This writing is NOTHING like that writing). This is really some of the best written literature I've read. Hillenbrand is amazing at presenting an intimate and engaging portrait of the subject while at the same time letting you make your own judgments about what's going on. This is very different from the book I picked up after Unbroken which had already beaten me over the head with it's thesis about Cleopatra: not a crazysex pot a la Elizabeth Taylor's portrayal, in case you were wondering. I was so spoiled by Hillenbrand's biographical style that I sent Cleopatra back to the library to save until I had a little more distance from Hillenbrand.
Well, what's the book about? Unbroken follows the path of American hero Louis Zamperini from hooligan to Olympic track star to B-24 bomber to "adrift on the Pacific for a crazy long time" survivor to "held in Japanese POW camps for a crazy long time" survivor to other stuff (that I'll leave a bit of mystery around so as not to blow the ending). The book is gripping and exciting and was especially interesting to me because of the aforementioned pilot grandfather. I learned that my Grandpa actually flew the B-29s that appear later in the book. (I think is was B-29, I remember at least that is a B-not24).
For me, the hardest part of reading this book was my reaction to the Japanese and the prison camps. Admittedly, almost no culture is going to shine when you're looking at how they treat prisoners, especially in a war, and Hillenbrand showed an admirable amount of restraint in never blatantly pegging the jailers as a bunch of sadistic meany-pants en masse, but still...there were some seriously bad dudes there and it made me very, very angry. Angry enough that for a little while (I'll shamefully admit) I wanted to manufacture a reason to call back all the missionaries I assist who work in Japan (that's my job, helping people do missions in Asia, particularly in Japan). But then God reminded me 1) my culture has it's own nasty history (and...um... present) with POWs, 2) Duh! That's exactly why they need the Gospel (and me, too, because honestly I'm no better than them), and 3) of this guy and his message (you should really, really listen to this if you're not familiar with Michael Oh - 12 minutes of your time). So all of that was just a wee bit convicting.
I will say that Hillenbrand also made a point of mentioning the Japanese in the camps who risked their own lives to aid the POWs which is very powerful stuff. Anyway, the whole story is fascinating - as is Hillenbrand herself who writes these books while frequently confined to her bed with chronic fatigue (or something like that). I definitely recommend the author and the book!
Unbroken by Laren Hillenbrand (the chick who wrote Seabiscuit) is one of the very best books I've read, ...like maybe ever. If you like the Olympics, history, cocky guys who get saved, airplanes, Hollywood, love stories, survival stories, war stories, buddy stories, incredibly well written books or if you have grandparents who were alive or fought in WWII, then this book has something for you. I'd seen reviews when it was released around Christmas of last year so I immediately added my name to the request list at my local public library which means that I actually got to read Unbroken 6 months. There was one brief moment where I thought I might win a copy in a raffle at work, but no.
I'd heard it was an interesting read and I have a grandfather who flew planes over the Pacific in WWII so I was excited to get a little glimpse into what his world might have been like (he passed away in 2007 and I so wish I could have asked him the questions I had after reading this book, but Grandma's been great). I was immediately swept away by Hillenbrand's writing style. She's so. stinking. good. As previously mentioned, I've read a lot of books. Some have had great writing and some have been... well, the Twilight series (I read all 4. Seriously. This writing is NOTHING like that writing). This is really some of the best written literature I've read. Hillenbrand is amazing at presenting an intimate and engaging portrait of the subject while at the same time letting you make your own judgments about what's going on. This is very different from the book I picked up after Unbroken which had already beaten me over the head with it's thesis about Cleopatra: not a crazysex pot a la Elizabeth Taylor's portrayal, in case you were wondering. I was so spoiled by Hillenbrand's biographical style that I sent Cleopatra back to the library to save until I had a little more distance from Hillenbrand.
Well, what's the book about? Unbroken follows the path of American hero Louis Zamperini from hooligan to Olympic track star to B-24 bomber to "adrift on the Pacific for a crazy long time" survivor to "held in Japanese POW camps for a crazy long time" survivor to other stuff (that I'll leave a bit of mystery around so as not to blow the ending). The book is gripping and exciting and was especially interesting to me because of the aforementioned pilot grandfather. I learned that my Grandpa actually flew the B-29s that appear later in the book. (I think is was B-29, I remember at least that is a B-not24).
For me, the hardest part of reading this book was my reaction to the Japanese and the prison camps. Admittedly, almost no culture is going to shine when you're looking at how they treat prisoners, especially in a war, and Hillenbrand showed an admirable amount of restraint in never blatantly pegging the jailers as a bunch of sadistic meany-pants en masse, but still...there were some seriously bad dudes there and it made me very, very angry. Angry enough that for a little while (I'll shamefully admit) I wanted to manufacture a reason to call back all the missionaries I assist who work in Japan (that's my job, helping people do missions in Asia, particularly in Japan). But then God reminded me 1) my culture has it's own nasty history (and...um... present) with POWs, 2) Duh! That's exactly why they need the Gospel (and me, too, because honestly I'm no better than them), and 3) of this guy and his message (you should really, really listen to this if you're not familiar with Michael Oh - 12 minutes of your time). So all of that was just a wee bit convicting.
I will say that Hillenbrand also made a point of mentioning the Japanese in the camps who risked their own lives to aid the POWs which is very powerful stuff. Anyway, the whole story is fascinating - as is Hillenbrand herself who writes these books while frequently confined to her bed with chronic fatigue (or something like that). I definitely recommend the author and the book!
I think book reviews should be a regular-ish feature on your blog. Now to get myself waitlisted for Unbroken at the library . . .
ReplyDeleteWas Unbroken really graphic? I've heard there are some tough to read parts, that's why I haven't picked it up yet. (and I bet the Cleopatra book was the Stacy Schiff one - i sent it back to the library unfinished too!)
ReplyDeleteJen - With how much I read, you know it will! :) Rachie - I'm sure there were graphic parts, but I don't remember them too clearly right now. Not graphic like "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" which no one warned me about. And you are dead on about the Stacy Schiff - I sent it back after chapter 1. May try again sometime, but maybe not. :)
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