1948 - Guard of Honor by James Gould Cozzens

When Jesse suggested we split the full Pulitzer Prize-winning list, I thought what a great idea, this will really force me to read some good literature which I might never read otherwise. (You see, I'm a sucker for spy novels and most currently, sci-fi/fantasy, e.g. George RR Martin.)

But after the first book on my half of the list, Guard of Honor, I'm less convinced that I'll be fulfilled after a year of reading all this good literature.

When I ordered my copy of Guard of Honor, I had to get it shipped from a second hand book shop in Watkinsville, Georgia (no relation to my friend Kyle Watkins). You see, the book's level of popularity means that it has been out of print for some years now.

When it finally arrived, I couldn't help but read the 'in-your-face' endorsement quote on the front cover: "Every major war... has produced at least one masterpiece. For the Civil War, it's The Red Badge of Courage. For WWI, A Farewell to Arms. As for WWII, there are numerous candidates ... The Naked and the Dead, Catch-22, The Caine Mutiny, maybe a James Jones -- and then there is a book that I think will one day be recognized as better than any of these: James Gould Cozzen's GUARD OF HONOR." - Noel Perrin, Washington Post Book World

That day hasn't arrived yet.

Guard of Honor is a commentary of life on a military base in Florida during WWII. It highlights the idiotic bureaucracy the soldiers on the base faced, and more importantly highlighted that life of the military base was more concerned with celebrating the General's birthday and saving face in the civil rights debate, than the war.

Other than that, the book and all its 631 pages didn't do much more for me.

There was no driving plot. Nothing ever actually happened. I found myself at each turn of the page, wondering if anything was ever going to happen. And then on page 631... nothing happened.

Maybe I'm just too used to the action-packed spy novels and fantasy books. Or maybe Guard of Honor is just never one day going to be recognised as the literary masterpiece from WWII.

Either way, I can't recommend a book that just felt like it was never going to end... ever.


*Jesse and I haven't figured out our scoring system yet, but I'll repost with a score for this novel once we do.

Slight delay to kick off

My first two books - Guard of Honor by Cozzens and The Town by Richer - arrived on Monday, the Cozzens' novel ready to be opened and read on Tues, 1 March.

It still hasn't been opened though and it's Thursday, 3 March.

I got some bad news on Tues morning about my dad back in New York and am currently in Heathrow waiting to board my flight back to NY.
I may try to start reading on the plane but I surely haven't begun w the pace and gusto I originally planned.

I need to speak to Jesse but we may postpone the start date a bit.

K

So here is what is boils down to.

1918 was the first year the award was given for a novel, but we are reading all the winners from when the category was changed to fiction: 1948.

Awards not given in: 1954, 57 64 71 74 77 (-6)

Have previously read:  2008,2007,2001,1998,1975,1961,1953 (-7)

Years award was given: 63
Years of no award:         6

Previously read:            - 7
 total books yet to read: 50


25 books per person.  (Kurt and Jesse)
Slightly over 2 books a month. 

I had this idea, (pulitizerphilia) to attempt to read all the fiction winners when I realized a large majority of the best books I have read in the past year coincidentally, shared the same distinction.  
And I know, technically, to read all of the pulitzer winners for a novel we would be reading works from 1918, but I think nearly 50 books per-person is definitely too ambitious.  So we are reading all of the "Fiction" winners.  When I say we, I mean me, (Jesse) currently located in NY, and current Londonite (?) Kurt.  So this will function as a form of pen-pality through (hopefully) great literature.


That is all. 


Blog Launch 9.20.11




-j

Why would you do that?

That's the first reaction most people have after I tell them the plan Jesse hatched and I agreed to. All Pulitzer fictions in a year?

My response: It's a good way to force myself to read some proper literature. And I won't have to find any books to read... they're all on the list.

Well, I'm looking forward to it, but I think it's going to be tough to read 2.7 (or something) books a month for 12 months straight.

There goes my spare time to watch Glee or Mad Men or Fringe or V or anything for that matter. It's read, read, read once we pull the trigger on the starter gun -- likely 1 March.

K, out.