1919

by John Dos Passos Narrated by David Drummond

Overview

With 1919, the second volume of his U.S.A. trilogy, John Dos Passos continues his "vigorous and sweeping panorama of twentieth-century America" (Forum), lauded on publication of the first volume not only for its scope but also for its groundbreaking style. Again, employing a host of experimental devices that would inspire a whole new generation of writers to follow, Dos Passos captures the many textures, flavors, and background noises of modern life with a cinematic touch and unparalleled nerve.



1919 opens to find America and the world at war, and Dos Passos's characters, many of whom we met in the first volume, are thrown into the snarl. We follow the daughter of a Chicago minister, a wide-eyed Texas girl, a young poet, and a radical Jew, and we glimpse Woodrow Wilson, Theodore Roosevelt, and the Unknown Soldier.

Editorial Reviews

John Chamberlain

1919 is primarily a 'news' novel. It is a satire on expansionist, 'on the make,' raffish and vulgar America. It is also true characterization. It is able to stick close to the headlines of the newspapaers as it does because its characters, after the manner of so many Americans, live in and by the news. . . . Mr. Dos Passos has quintessentialized and distilled, compressed and foreshortened, until he is able to give the overtones of common chatter without resorting to a dreary literalism. -- Books of the Century; New York Times review, March 1932

From the Publisher

"As the narrative shifts from one character to another, Drummond maintains a continuity of style yet alters his voice just enough so that the dialogue is distinctive. Drummond's narration is a benchmark for difficult narrations." ---AudioFile

MAY 2011 - AudioFile

[EDITOR'S NOTE: The following is a combined review of 1919 and THE BIG MONEY.]--Dos Passos’s U.S.A. trilogy, written in the 1930s, looks at the differences between the rich and the non-rich, showing the contrasts in their lives. The author’s montage style of writing blends narrative, bits and pieces from newspapers, songs, and more. Narrator David Drummond provides a unique delivery that manages to combine these disparate elements into a coherent reading. As the narrative shifts from one character to another, Drummond maintains a continuity of style yet alters his voice just enough so that the dialogue is distinctive. Drummond’s narration is a benchmark for difficult narrations. K.M. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940170929009
Publisher:	Tantor Audio
Publication date:	11/24/2010
Series:	U.S.A. , #2
Edition description:	Unabridged

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