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Centennial
Written to commemorate the Bicentennial in 1976, James A. Michener’s magnificent saga of the West is an enthralling celebration of the frontier. Brimming with the glory of America’s past, the story of Colorado—the Centennial State—is manifested through its people: Lame Beaver, the Arapaho chieftain and warrior, and his Comanche and Pawnee enemies; Levi Zendt, fleeing with his child bride from the Amish country; the cowboy, Jim Lloyd, who falls in love with a wealthy and cultured Englishwoman, Charlotte Seccombe. In Centennial, trappers, traders, homesteaders, gold seekers, ranchers, and hunters are brought together in the dramatic conflicts that shape the destiny of the legendary West—and the entire country.
1056 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1974
About the author
James A. Michener
480 books3,223 followersJames Albert Michener is best known for his sweeping multi-generation historical fiction sagas, usually focusing on and titled after a particular geographical region. His first novel,
Tales of the South Pacific
, which inspired the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific, won the 1948 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
Toward the end of his life, he created the Journey Prize, awarded annually for the year's best short story published by an emerging Canadian writer; founded an MFA program now, named the Michener Center for Writers, at the University of Texas at Austin; and made substantial contributions to the James A. Michener Art Museum in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, best known for its permanent collection of Pennsylvania Impressionist paintings and a room containing Michener's own typewriter, books, and various memorabilia.
Michener's entry in Who's Who in America says he was born on Feb. 3, 1907. But he said in his 1992 memoirs that the circumstances of his birth remained cloudy and he did not know just when he was born or who his parents were.
Toward the end of his life, he created the Journey Prize, awarded annually for the year's best short story published by an emerging Canadian writer; founded an MFA program now, named the Michener Center for Writers, at the University of Texas at Austin; and made substantial contributions to the James A. Michener Art Museum in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, best known for its permanent collection of Pennsylvania Impressionist paintings and a room containing Michener's own typewriter, books, and various memorabilia.
Michener's entry in Who's Who in America says he was born on Feb. 3, 1907. But he said in his 1992 memoirs that the circumstances of his birth remained cloudy and he did not know just when he was born or who his parents were.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,097 reviews
June 24, 2011
Michener stayed with our family for two weeks when he was writing this book. We had a cattle ranch in southeast Wyoming and he was doing some of his ranching research with us. I was just a teenager then, but I remember him vividly. He asked the sort of question that would allow someone to respond thoughtfully and in great length. He would smile and listen and never write anything down, but I could see him filing away every word that was spoken. He read at least 200 books for every book he wrote. He would spend a couple years researching, asking questions, and getting to know peoples' stories for every book he wrote. Many of the ranching stories in Centennial came from historical events that happened on our ranch. He was a remarkable man. I miss looking forward to his next book.
December 28, 2021
Woohoo! I DID it! The longest book I've read this year, even longer than Lonesome Dove! I finally finished it on Christmas Eve Day!
Why I chose to read this book:
1. my sister highly recommended it;
2. I reached my Reading Challenge goal already;
3. since I read Lonesome Dove around this time last year, I wanted to see how the two compared; and,
4. why not? 😜
Positives:
1. author James A. Michener, inspired by true events in Colorado's history, used an interesting writing format. In short, a fictional history professor, Dr. Lewis Vernor, is commissioned by US magazine in 1973 to research the history of the fictional town of Centennial, Colorado (according to my Goodreads friend, https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2..., Centennial has been officially incorporated as a city in 2000 - it's a suburb of Denver!) Each chapter begins with a map pertinent to a specific time period (which I would frequently refer to) and ends with Vernor adding interesting notes to the US editors. Each chapter reads like a short story, tying in past characters and events to those newly introduced;
2. speaking of characters, there's a HUGE cast, but amazingly, I could remember them all! Some were extremely despicable (as they were meant to be) and some really stole my heart. Michener doesn't hold back - just when I grew to love a character, BAM! He hits you in the gut by killing them off!; and,
3. the plot of each chapter focused on: the land formation and prehistoric life (I know! Why would this be in a western? Trust me - it all ties together!), early Indigenous peoples, the fur traders, the settlers (with a strong focus on the Dutch Mennonites from Pennsylvania - one of my favorite chapters!), the broken treaties and horrific massacres to purposely exterminate the Native Americans, the cowboys who drove cattle from Texas to Colorado - another favorite chapter which reminded me of Lonesome Dove), the land acclimation through railways, cattle ranching, sheepherding, irrigation of major rivers, decimation of the bison (also to starve the natives into submission), the range wars between cattlemen and sheepherders, the need for migrant workers (and the hatred towards Mexicans), dryland farming and the effects of the Dust Bowl time period - all ending with the concern of the environmental damage to the area and the wish for the return of simpler times.
Points of Interest:
1. Chalk Cliff reminded me of Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump in southwest Alberta;
2. I was listening to the audiobook The Children's Blizzard by David Laskin while reading this book, so I was gratified to learn from both books about the Winter of 1886-87 when the open-range cattle industry was decimated. The blizzards and extreme cold led to millions of cattle dying from freezing to death or from starvation since ranchers at that time never put up hay for the winter;
3. the term "two bits" came from trading times when Spanish silver dollars were sawed into eight parts, or bits, so that two of those bits = 25 cents;
4. I was reminded of the cowboy song "Old Paint" from an album by Linda Ronstadt that I owned as a teen; and,
5. two quotes that really made an impression on me were:
- young Philip was impressed by Sheriff Dumire's handling of a criminal (even though he didn't draw out his revolvers from his holster) by saying, "You can handle those guns!" to which the sheriff replied, "It wasn't the guns. It's known' what to say so you don't need them."
- "They were needed, but they weren't wanted" was the typical reason given for injustices made towards Mexican migrant workers.
Niggles:
1. bulls and steers DO NOT lead herds of cattle! It's bossy cows who do that job!; and,
2. although it was impressive reading about the bison and their lifestyle, a bull with a lame rear leg would never become "Champion" over the other bulls. When breeding, he would not have the strength to mount a cow; therefore, he would be easily defeated by the other bulls.
Overall, this was a fascinating read about the history of the American West, specifically of Colorado. I highly recommend this book to fans of this genre who don't mind a long read!
Why I chose to read this book:
1. my sister highly recommended it;
2. I reached my Reading Challenge goal already;
3. since I read Lonesome Dove around this time last year, I wanted to see how the two compared; and,
4. why not? 😜
Positives:
1. author James A. Michener, inspired by true events in Colorado's history, used an interesting writing format. In short, a fictional history professor, Dr. Lewis Vernor, is commissioned by US magazine in 1973 to research the history of the fictional town of Centennial, Colorado (according to my Goodreads friend, https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2..., Centennial has been officially incorporated as a city in 2000 - it's a suburb of Denver!) Each chapter begins with a map pertinent to a specific time period (which I would frequently refer to) and ends with Vernor adding interesting notes to the US editors. Each chapter reads like a short story, tying in past characters and events to those newly introduced;
2. speaking of characters, there's a HUGE cast, but amazingly, I could remember them all! Some were extremely despicable (as they were meant to be) and some really stole my heart. Michener doesn't hold back - just when I grew to love a character, BAM! He hits you in the gut by killing them off!; and,
3. the plot of each chapter focused on: the land formation and prehistoric life (I know! Why would this be in a western? Trust me - it all ties together!), early Indigenous peoples, the fur traders, the settlers (with a strong focus on the Dutch Mennonites from Pennsylvania - one of my favorite chapters!), the broken treaties and horrific massacres to purposely exterminate the Native Americans, the cowboys who drove cattle from Texas to Colorado - another favorite chapter which reminded me of Lonesome Dove), the land acclimation through railways, cattle ranching, sheepherding, irrigation of major rivers, decimation of the bison (also to starve the natives into submission), the range wars between cattlemen and sheepherders, the need for migrant workers (and the hatred towards Mexicans), dryland farming and the effects of the Dust Bowl time period - all ending with the concern of the environmental damage to the area and the wish for the return of simpler times.
Points of Interest:
1. Chalk Cliff reminded me of Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump in southwest Alberta;
2. I was listening to the audiobook The Children's Blizzard by David Laskin while reading this book, so I was gratified to learn from both books about the Winter of 1886-87 when the open-range cattle industry was decimated. The blizzards and extreme cold led to millions of cattle dying from freezing to death or from starvation since ranchers at that time never put up hay for the winter;
3. the term "two bits" came from trading times when Spanish silver dollars were sawed into eight parts, or bits, so that two of those bits = 25 cents;
4. I was reminded of the cowboy song "Old Paint" from an album by Linda Ronstadt that I owned as a teen; and,
5. two quotes that really made an impression on me were:
- young Philip was impressed by Sheriff Dumire's handling of a criminal (even though he didn't draw out his revolvers from his holster) by saying, "You can handle those guns!" to which the sheriff replied, "It wasn't the guns. It's known' what to say so you don't need them."
- "They were needed, but they weren't wanted" was the typical reason given for injustices made towards Mexican migrant workers.
Niggles:
1. bulls and steers DO NOT lead herds of cattle! It's bossy cows who do that job!; and,
2. although it was impressive reading about the bison and their lifestyle, a bull with a lame rear leg would never become "Champion" over the other bulls. When breeding, he would not have the strength to mount a cow; therefore, he would be easily defeated by the other bulls.
Overall, this was a fascinating read about the history of the American West, specifically of Colorado. I highly recommend this book to fans of this genre who don't mind a long read!
December 12, 2015
You could take a university course in the History of the American West and not learn as much as you can from this completely thorough fictional history by James Michener. His background research is as detailed as any writer in the genre. And he has the skill to fold those details, that history, into a fictional story that makes history come to life. I've read most of his novels and they are all exceptional, but the three that really stand out for me are Hawaii, Centennial, and The Covenant.
April 1, 2015
This book was AMAZING! I can see how some may be intimidated by its size, but it was worth every single word. Michener is quite a story teller; he does it with fantastic narrative and great descriptive prose. You would think that with a book this size he would spend a lot of extra time describing things, but he doesn't - it is the perfect amount, no filler!
Also, even though this book was written in the 70s, I think the parts toward then end dealing with "modern day" Colorado translate well to 2015.
If you like a great story, with detailed history, wonderful characters, etc. etc. etc. give this one a try - I do not think you will be disappointed.
Also, even though this book was written in the 70s, I think the parts toward then end dealing with "modern day" Colorado translate well to 2015.
If you like a great story, with detailed history, wonderful characters, etc. etc. etc. give this one a try - I do not think you will be disappointed.
February 11, 2021
I didn't care for this at all as it not so lightly extols the virtues of white, racist supremecy. Native Americans, Mexicans and blacks are demeaned and diminished to the point of sub-human stature. Accordingly, it's okay to murder, maim, deride, cheat, steal, belittle all who are nonwhite. That's American historical literature for you. 0 of 10 stars
May 5, 2020
One of my favorite authors. As usual Michener delivers an interesting story of a fictional town in the American West. He gives a historical perspective of the region from ancient times to the early 1970s.
July 13, 2017
A magnificent epic of a book set in Colorado in the USA from prehistoric times to 1974. Taking us from the development of the different types of prehistoric animal life from dinosaurs to wolves and beavers to the arrival of man. biography of the Arapaho chieftain Lame Beaver and his rivalry with the neighboring Comnache and Cheyenne tries to to the arrival of the first European settlers. the beaver trappers Pasquinel and Alexander Mc Keag The journeys of Levi fleeing into the prairies with his child bride.
The chapter The Massacre deals with the horrific genocide committed by the American militia against the Native American 'Indians' and spares us no horror of the massacre of the Arapaho, men, women and children murdered and mutilated.
The war between cattlemen and sheepherders and the development of the town Centennial all take place here featuring a magnificent cast of engaging characters. Ends with the preparations for the 1976 centennial of the town and bicentennial of the USA, the battle for conservation against unscrupulous hunters and mentions the Watergate Scandal of 1974. Both brutal and scintillating. It is gripping and unforgettable.
The chapter The Massacre deals with the horrific genocide committed by the American militia against the Native American 'Indians' and spares us no horror of the massacre of the Arapaho, men, women and children murdered and mutilated.
The war between cattlemen and sheepherders and the development of the town Centennial all take place here featuring a magnificent cast of engaging characters. Ends with the preparations for the 1976 centennial of the town and bicentennial of the USA, the battle for conservation against unscrupulous hunters and mentions the Watergate Scandal of 1974. Both brutal and scintillating. It is gripping and unforgettable.
July 8, 2024
Centennial is an epic undertaking of the American West by James Michener spanning over two-hundred years and seven generations. Published in 1974, it traces the history of the plains of northeastern Colorado from prehistorical times until the mid-1970s. The historical fiction narrative takes place in the fictional town of Centennial in northeast Colorado thought to be the modern-day Greeley in Weld County. With Colorado being my home, this enchanting book was hard to put down.
The narrative Centennial begins with an historian, Dr. Lewis Verner, hired to complete the research on the small fictional town of Centennial located on the South Platte River for a US magazine. The magazines wants Dr. Verner’s take on the history of Centennial, Colorado. This premise was the contemporary framework for the deep historical research that encompasses the history of this land in prehistoric times to the contemporary Centennial, now a dying agricultural community with wild weather shifts, such as devastating dust storms caused by poor agricultural and ecological practices. The next two chapters encompass the land and its inhabitants where Michener focuses on the geological formations of the Rocky Mountains and the area surrounding the South Platte River, where Centennial is located. This book also delves into the formation of the earth and how the mountainous areas came to be. This novel also goes into the earliest life forms in Centennial such as the dinosaurs and early man. The next two chapters are delightful as we come to know Arapaho Indian Lame Beaver, eventually meeting the fur traders and travelers.
Later chapters describe the following generations of the Arapaho and Cheyenne Indians and their dilemma as white settlers move on to their lands, taking it for their own and killing many of the Native Americans in the process. When eventually the English came to the area, starting an enormous ranch, the Crown Vee, and usurping all of the water rights. However, the farmers fight for the use of their water and, in the process, establish a very elaborate system of irrigation dramatically altering the plains for many generations to come. There is also the predominant crop of sugar beets introducing the Mexican immigrants coming to harvest the crops. On the plains, there is also the struggle between the cattle and sheep ranches with the cattle becoming predominant necessitating a meat processing plant in Centennial.
The final chapter ends with Dr. Lewis Verner searching for a prototype, a man or woman whose life epitomized the history of the west on which to end his narrative. Paul Garrett, a descendant of Lame Beaver, had regained control of the Crown Vee Ranch and is deeply concerned about the environment and ponders ways to rejuvenate the region. This is also the time when Paul Garrett is researching ways in which the community will be able to celebrate the upcoming centennial celebration of when Colorado became a state in 1876. The celebration will coincide with America’s bicentennial celebration. In the narrative, Paul Garrett is tapped as working for the new governor as a protector of Colorado’s fragile resources noting that his ancestors have always existed in a precarious balance, realizing that if we don’t protect all of the components, they will collapse. A beautiful and powerful book of the American West.
The narrative Centennial begins with an historian, Dr. Lewis Verner, hired to complete the research on the small fictional town of Centennial located on the South Platte River for a US magazine. The magazines wants Dr. Verner’s take on the history of Centennial, Colorado. This premise was the contemporary framework for the deep historical research that encompasses the history of this land in prehistoric times to the contemporary Centennial, now a dying agricultural community with wild weather shifts, such as devastating dust storms caused by poor agricultural and ecological practices. The next two chapters encompass the land and its inhabitants where Michener focuses on the geological formations of the Rocky Mountains and the area surrounding the South Platte River, where Centennial is located. This book also delves into the formation of the earth and how the mountainous areas came to be. This novel also goes into the earliest life forms in Centennial such as the dinosaurs and early man. The next two chapters are delightful as we come to know Arapaho Indian Lame Beaver, eventually meeting the fur traders and travelers.
Later chapters describe the following generations of the Arapaho and Cheyenne Indians and their dilemma as white settlers move on to their lands, taking it for their own and killing many of the Native Americans in the process. When eventually the English came to the area, starting an enormous ranch, the Crown Vee, and usurping all of the water rights. However, the farmers fight for the use of their water and, in the process, establish a very elaborate system of irrigation dramatically altering the plains for many generations to come. There is also the predominant crop of sugar beets introducing the Mexican immigrants coming to harvest the crops. On the plains, there is also the struggle between the cattle and sheep ranches with the cattle becoming predominant necessitating a meat processing plant in Centennial.
The final chapter ends with Dr. Lewis Verner searching for a prototype, a man or woman whose life epitomized the history of the west on which to end his narrative. Paul Garrett, a descendant of Lame Beaver, had regained control of the Crown Vee Ranch and is deeply concerned about the environment and ponders ways to rejuvenate the region. This is also the time when Paul Garrett is researching ways in which the community will be able to celebrate the upcoming centennial celebration of when Colorado became a state in 1876. The celebration will coincide with America’s bicentennial celebration. In the narrative, Paul Garrett is tapped as working for the new governor as a protector of Colorado’s fragile resources noting that his ancestors have always existed in a precarious balance, realizing that if we don’t protect all of the components, they will collapse. A beautiful and powerful book of the American West.
March 14, 2013
Four stars because it was expertly written, but not five because it pissed me off. The historic details, interweaving of plots, and lifelike characters were a collective thing of beauty. I did note that Michener left a couple of loose ends (Ethan Grebe, to start), and seemed to forget to color up a character who fascinated me (Tim Grebe). The character was toward the end of the book - maybe he just got tired of writing and wanted to finish it already?
What pissed me off, however, was a distinct sanctimoniousness. In addition to crappy dialogue in the modern sections ("Because he sends me, you old prude!" Really? People talked like that?), I'm guessing based on the tone of this book that the 70s were full of people wandering around and wailing about the state of the natural environment at the hands of the evil, evil homo sapiens. The opening chapters about the natural development of the landscape and the early inhabiting species and migrations and such were fascinating. It was fine when it was only the Native Americans there because apparently they understood the world and were in harmony with absolutely everything. But then the white man comes along and it's all downhill from there! Because of civilization, the rivers are polluted and the landscape is stripped, and the natural fauna are exterminated, and everyone is oppressed, oppressed I say! I'm not denying that it happened, I just object to the tone. My heart ached during the passages about exterminating the buffalo and trapping the beaver into oblivion, and I came near to tears about the abuse of the Arapaho. But seriously, did the settlers do ANYTHING right? Were they all evil, selfish, heartless people except for a thin handful of protagonists that I can count on one hand? Are only descendants of Native Americans able to see and be dismayed by what kind of disaster has been wrought?
I know the book was written 35 years ago. I know that vast advancements have been made in the way things are handled out there in the past 35 years, possibly as a result of things like this book. But I don't like reading a novel and coming away from it hating myself for being a human and thus related in any way - including merely sharing a species - to the people that performed these atrocities. I was depressed and angry for the rest of the day.
The 70s must have been an utterly miserable decade - thank god I missed most of them.
What pissed me off, however, was a distinct sanctimoniousness. In addition to crappy dialogue in the modern sections ("Because he sends me, you old prude!" Really? People talked like that?), I'm guessing based on the tone of this book that the 70s were full of people wandering around and wailing about the state of the natural environment at the hands of the evil, evil homo sapiens. The opening chapters about the natural development of the landscape and the early inhabiting species and migrations and such were fascinating. It was fine when it was only the Native Americans there because apparently they understood the world and were in harmony with absolutely everything. But then the white man comes along and it's all downhill from there! Because of civilization, the rivers are polluted and the landscape is stripped, and the natural fauna are exterminated, and everyone is oppressed, oppressed I say! I'm not denying that it happened, I just object to the tone. My heart ached during the passages about exterminating the buffalo and trapping the beaver into oblivion, and I came near to tears about the abuse of the Arapaho. But seriously, did the settlers do ANYTHING right? Were they all evil, selfish, heartless people except for a thin handful of protagonists that I can count on one hand? Are only descendants of Native Americans able to see and be dismayed by what kind of disaster has been wrought?
I know the book was written 35 years ago. I know that vast advancements have been made in the way things are handled out there in the past 35 years, possibly as a result of things like this book. But I don't like reading a novel and coming away from it hating myself for being a human and thus related in any way - including merely sharing a species - to the people that performed these atrocities. I was depressed and angry for the rest of the day.
The 70s must have been an utterly miserable decade - thank god I missed most of them.
August 11, 2023
James A. Michener, an esteemed novelist with a catalog and resume consisting of numerous bestsellers, holds a profound niche in the field of historical fiction with his attention to the topography and social history of specific territories. The reader looking for both a cultural and geographic history of Colorado and Westward Expansion need look no further, as Michener has proven himself time and time again to have a clear knack for creating a fascinating story that involves both historical context, and diverse characters. Beginning with the Prehistoric Age, his chronicle follows the enduring dog-eat-dog world that land animals and mammals had to adapt to—where the dinosaurs are followed in sequence by wolves, bison, rattlesnakes, beavers, etc., up until the dawn of mankind.
The characters and their journeys intertwine with future events and people, where an overlooked beaver dam that normally would be featured as background scenery actually serves a major plot point in its convenient use centuries later for a hiding spot. This unique process of spotlighting the various locations and beasts found in Colorado is utilized and mirrored throughout the saga, where similarly a forgotten prehistoric rattlesnake haven is used by ranchers and Native Americans alike as a principle navigational point. The audience at times may find themselves wanting to move on to the next story line, especially near the end of the book as the plot feels a bit forced for an already massive book of just under one thousand pages. While the dialogue also is quite a bit dated, Michener has a way of describing the environment and geography of the Colorado territory that few novels can compare to:
She left the security of the lodge and went to each of the compass points and to the salient ridges in between, and at each she scooped up a handful of mud and mixed it with grass and kneaded in a copious supply of castoreum, and when the job was done she swam back to the middle of her lake and smelled the night air. This was her home, and nothing would drive her from it, neither loneliness nor the attack of otters nor the preying of wolves nor the flooding of the river. For the home of any living thing is important, both for itself and for the larger society of which it is a part.
Michener has clearly researched his subjects and the given time period that they fall in, as major and minor characters throughout are loosely based on actual people and climactic events of their time. The reader cannot help but cringe at some of the atrocities committed for both greed and Manifest Destiny—and the Native American plight is well depicted from both White and Native perspectives. Fur traders, Forty-niners, cowboys, Quakers, con-artists, murderers, socialites and other diverse men and women make up for a broad picture of Colorado life through the ages. Slow, and at times giving one character too much spotlight over the next, Michener has nonetheless created a fascinating novel full of valuable facts and detail on Colorado and its human advancement over time.
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The characters and their journeys intertwine with future events and people, where an overlooked beaver dam that normally would be featured as background scenery actually serves a major plot point in its convenient use centuries later for a hiding spot. This unique process of spotlighting the various locations and beasts found in Colorado is utilized and mirrored throughout the saga, where similarly a forgotten prehistoric rattlesnake haven is used by ranchers and Native Americans alike as a principle navigational point. The audience at times may find themselves wanting to move on to the next story line, especially near the end of the book as the plot feels a bit forced for an already massive book of just under one thousand pages. While the dialogue also is quite a bit dated, Michener has a way of describing the environment and geography of the Colorado territory that few novels can compare to:
She left the security of the lodge and went to each of the compass points and to the salient ridges in between, and at each she scooped up a handful of mud and mixed it with grass and kneaded in a copious supply of castoreum, and when the job was done she swam back to the middle of her lake and smelled the night air. This was her home, and nothing would drive her from it, neither loneliness nor the attack of otters nor the preying of wolves nor the flooding of the river. For the home of any living thing is important, both for itself and for the larger society of which it is a part.
Michener has clearly researched his subjects and the given time period that they fall in, as major and minor characters throughout are loosely based on actual people and climactic events of their time. The reader cannot help but cringe at some of the atrocities committed for both greed and Manifest Destiny—and the Native American plight is well depicted from both White and Native perspectives. Fur traders, Forty-niners, cowboys, Quakers, con-artists, murderers, socialites and other diverse men and women make up for a broad picture of Colorado life through the ages. Slow, and at times giving one character too much spotlight over the next, Michener has nonetheless created a fascinating novel full of valuable facts and detail on Colorado and its human advancement over time.
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July 10, 2016
Another of my favorite author's-- I have yet to read one of his books I didn't thoroughly enjoy. This is a saga of a family out west and very entertaining.
December 5, 2019
James Michener ist berühmt-berüchtigt dafür, seine monumentalen, multigenerationalen Historienwälzer mit der Geologie und der Tierwelt beginnen zu lassen. Im ersten Buch, das ich von ihm las, „Texas“ war das allerdings nicht so, es setzte erst im 16. Jahrhundert ein. Umso neugieriger war ich auf die ersten Kapitel von „Centennial“, dessen erste Kapitel sich tatsächlich mit der frühesten Urgeschichte, Dinosauriern und späteren Tierarten, etwa Pferden und Büffeln befassen und sich bis zur ersten Besiedelung durch Menschen hangeln. Überrascht stellte ich fest: Mir gefielen diese Kapitel, ich fand sie gar nicht langweilig! Wobei insbesondere die Beschreibungen der Dinosaurier hoffnungslos veraltet sind und deutlich machen, wie alt das Buch inzwischen eben doch ist. Ganz modern gibt sich Michener hingegen, wenn es um die ersten Menschen geht, er kann sich sehr gut vorstellen, dass die Clovis-Kultur nicht die erste amerikanische war und dass bereits vor 28.000 oder gar 40.000 Menschen nach Amerika einwanderten. Einzig der Beweise fehle.
Ein bisschen enttäuscht war ich, dass die Passage über die ersten menschlichen Bewohner so knapp ausfiel. Da hatte ich mir mehr erhofft. Auch springt er nun bald ins 17. Jahrhundert und zu den Arapaho-Indianern und ihren Feinden, den Ute, Comanchen und Pawnee. Hier lässt Michener auch den Urahn vieler später folgender Charaktere aufreten: Lame Beaver. Bald kommt es zu Kontakt mit den ersten Einwanderern aus Europa, zunächst mit den beiden Trappern Pasquinel und Alexander McKeag. Nun folgt die Vermischung mit geschriebener Geschichte, Michener erzählt von den Konflikten zwischen Indianern und Europäern anhand eigener Personen und Ereignissen, die tatsächlichen Begebenheiten nachempfunden sind. Das Massaker, des US-Militärs an den Indianern etwa basiert auf dem Sand Creek-Massaker. Im Gegensatz zu meinem Lesebuddy fand ich auch das Kapitel über die Zusammenkunft des Militärs mit den verschiedenen Indianerstämmen interessant. Mehr als in Texas wird deutlich, wie schamlos die Indianer betrogen wurden und beinahe vernichtet wurden. Die Darstellung der Ureinwohner ist jedoch ausgewogen, über manche der geschilderten Bräuche war ich doch schockiert.
Anhand des Mennoniten Levi Zendt schildert Michener eine typische Besiedelungsgeschichte für den Westen der USA. Weiterhin geht es um Rinder- und Schafzucht und schließlich um den Trockenfeldbau, der verheerende Auswirkungen auf die Umwelt und für die Farmer hatte und zum Phänomen der Dust Bowl führte. Die Geschichte der Farmerfamilie Grebe ist entsprechend erschütternd.
Ein seltsam aus dem Rahmen fallendes Kapitel ist „The Crime“, ein kleiner Kriminalfall um die Wendell-Familie, die neu ist in Centennial.
Insgesamt gefiel mir „Centennial“ um einiges besser als „Texas“, das eine relativ ausladende Rahmenhandlung hat. Auch Centennial hat eine solche in der Gegenwart angesiedelte Rahmenhandlung, die jedoch sehr viel geringer ausfällt und kaum stört. Insgesamt wirkt „Centennial“ als Roman runder, harmonischer. Auch die Charaktere taugen eher als Identifikationsfiguren, besondere Lieblinge für mich waren Levy und Elly Zendt sowie Charlotte Buckland.
Von den Geologie- und Naturkapiteln sollte man sich nicht abschrecken lassen, diese sind kurzweiliger als man vermutet. „Texas“ hat mir zwar auch gefallen, aber als Einstieg in Michener würde ich „Centennial“ eher empfehlen.
Ein bisschen enttäuscht war ich, dass die Passage über die ersten menschlichen Bewohner so knapp ausfiel. Da hatte ich mir mehr erhofft. Auch springt er nun bald ins 17. Jahrhundert und zu den Arapaho-Indianern und ihren Feinden, den Ute, Comanchen und Pawnee. Hier lässt Michener auch den Urahn vieler später folgender Charaktere aufreten: Lame Beaver. Bald kommt es zu Kontakt mit den ersten Einwanderern aus Europa, zunächst mit den beiden Trappern Pasquinel und Alexander McKeag. Nun folgt die Vermischung mit geschriebener Geschichte, Michener erzählt von den Konflikten zwischen Indianern und Europäern anhand eigener Personen und Ereignissen, die tatsächlichen Begebenheiten nachempfunden sind. Das Massaker, des US-Militärs an den Indianern etwa basiert auf dem Sand Creek-Massaker. Im Gegensatz zu meinem Lesebuddy fand ich auch das Kapitel über die Zusammenkunft des Militärs mit den verschiedenen Indianerstämmen interessant. Mehr als in Texas wird deutlich, wie schamlos die Indianer betrogen wurden und beinahe vernichtet wurden. Die Darstellung der Ureinwohner ist jedoch ausgewogen, über manche der geschilderten Bräuche war ich doch schockiert.
Anhand des Mennoniten Levi Zendt schildert Michener eine typische Besiedelungsgeschichte für den Westen der USA. Weiterhin geht es um Rinder- und Schafzucht und schließlich um den Trockenfeldbau, der verheerende Auswirkungen auf die Umwelt und für die Farmer hatte und zum Phänomen der Dust Bowl führte. Die Geschichte der Farmerfamilie Grebe ist entsprechend erschütternd.
Ein seltsam aus dem Rahmen fallendes Kapitel ist „The Crime“, ein kleiner Kriminalfall um die Wendell-Familie, die neu ist in Centennial.
Insgesamt gefiel mir „Centennial“ um einiges besser als „Texas“, das eine relativ ausladende Rahmenhandlung hat. Auch Centennial hat eine solche in der Gegenwart angesiedelte Rahmenhandlung, die jedoch sehr viel geringer ausfällt und kaum stört. Insgesamt wirkt „Centennial“ als Roman runder, harmonischer. Auch die Charaktere taugen eher als Identifikationsfiguren, besondere Lieblinge für mich waren Levy und Elly Zendt sowie Charlotte Buckland.
Von den Geologie- und Naturkapiteln sollte man sich nicht abschrecken lassen, diese sind kurzweiliger als man vermutet. „Texas“ hat mir zwar auch gefallen, aber als Einstieg in Michener würde ich „Centennial“ eher empfehlen.
September 4, 2015
8/13/15: I seem to be making a serious attempt at re-reading CENTENNIAL.
8/21/15: Yes indeed. At 280 pages, I'm nearly one-third of the way through, and enjoying it very much. Michener packs a heck of a lot of historical detail into the narrative, but as I said in my original comments below, this novel seems to have better pacing than some of the more formulaic ones that were to follow.
8/27/15: Michener has often been accused of cardboard characters in his epics, but I don't find that to be true of CENTENNIAL - many of the characters are larger-than-life, but the ordinary folk are quite well-drawn and believable.
8/31/15: Just under 200 pages left to go, and we've finally reached the early years of the 20th Century. This novel is a reminder that in his relentless drive westward, the white man was unforgivably inconsiderate to Native Americans as well as some of the wildlife, such as the buffalo, and we're still paying a price for these actions today.
9/04/15: Finished it. Although the final chapter flags a bit as Michener ties it all together, my Five-Star rating still stands, as does my opinion that CENTENNIAL is the overall best of Michener's historical epics. There were times when I felt I'd been dropped into one of the great screen westerns by John Ford or Howard Hawks.
My original comments:
Although I haven't re-read it in full since the mid-1970s (when I read it twice), CENTENNIAL probably remains my favorite novel by Michener, who for many years was my favorite novelist. This was only the third of his really "big" novels (preceded by HAWAII and THE SOURCE) and the formula wasn't quite set in stone yet. This one had, I thought, great "sweep" to it (like HAWAII, it begins with the very creation of the land on which the story will unfold, and its earliest inhabitants), and some fascinating characters - Michener's powers as a storyteller were at their peak here (despite one or two reviewers who regarded it as a snooze-fest).
8/21/15: Yes indeed. At 280 pages, I'm nearly one-third of the way through, and enjoying it very much. Michener packs a heck of a lot of historical detail into the narrative, but as I said in my original comments below, this novel seems to have better pacing than some of the more formulaic ones that were to follow.
8/27/15: Michener has often been accused of cardboard characters in his epics, but I don't find that to be true of CENTENNIAL - many of the characters are larger-than-life, but the ordinary folk are quite well-drawn and believable.
8/31/15: Just under 200 pages left to go, and we've finally reached the early years of the 20th Century. This novel is a reminder that in his relentless drive westward, the white man was unforgivably inconsiderate to Native Americans as well as some of the wildlife, such as the buffalo, and we're still paying a price for these actions today.
9/04/15: Finished it. Although the final chapter flags a bit as Michener ties it all together, my Five-Star rating still stands, as does my opinion that CENTENNIAL is the overall best of Michener's historical epics. There were times when I felt I'd been dropped into one of the great screen westerns by John Ford or Howard Hawks.
My original comments:
Although I haven't re-read it in full since the mid-1970s (when I read it twice), CENTENNIAL probably remains my favorite novel by Michener, who for many years was my favorite novelist. This was only the third of his really "big" novels (preceded by HAWAII and THE SOURCE) and the formula wasn't quite set in stone yet. This one had, I thought, great "sweep" to it (like HAWAII, it begins with the very creation of the land on which the story will unfold, and its earliest inhabitants), and some fascinating characters - Michener's powers as a storyteller were at their peak here (despite one or two reviewers who regarded it as a snooze-fest).
July 10, 2011
Well, I finally got around to reading not the paperback but the hefty 1974 Random House hardcover --holding the book steady and unright was a nightmare. Yes, I have delicate little hands. This novel is pure unadulterated ambitious Michener -- and great fun. Paleontology, horses, the Oregon Trail, Colorado, Indian tribes, sugar beets, the ranchers and the cattle industry, guns, the railroads. A Colorado saga, and the narrative does not flag. I think it's one of his best, but not better that The Source.
Of course it's not great literature; don't expect it to be, it's Michener. And if you run across the paperback, my god, read that instead.
Of course it's not great literature; don't expect it to be, it's Michener. And if you run across the paperback, my god, read that instead.
April 3, 2019
A history of the American west, written in celebration of America’s bicentennial. Centennial focuses on the area that would become Colorado, with little bits in Wyoming, St. Louis, and Pennsylvania. Michener goes back as far as the formation of the land, and the lives of the dinosaurs, and the animals that inhabited the land before man arrived, but that is just two chapters. The story really starts with the Arapahoe brave, Lame Beaver. From there we move to the trappers and mountain men, Alexander McKeag and Pasquinel. A Pennsylvanian Mennonite, Levi Zendt, is on the Oregon Trail with his young bride, Elly, before tragedy strikes. Pasquinel’s children, both in St. Louis and his Arapahoe children on the plains change the history of Colorado (and the US), for good and sad. We see the Indian Wars, and the despicable actions of Col. Skimmerhorn. His son redeems the family name by heading to Texas bring longhorn cattle up to start and manage a ranch for the dashing Englishman, Oliver Seccombe, and his wife Charlotte. Jim Lloyd, just 14 when he comes up on the Skimmerhorn drive makes his life and his name in Colorado, along with several other cowboys. We see the Russian, Hans Brumbaugh bring irrigation to farms along the South Platte river, and make the land thrive. And when Brumbaugh needs help he turns to the Chicano people, and Tranquilino Marquez, who is fleeing the revolution raging in Mexico. The Wendell family decides to make Centennial their home, as well. They’re the kind of people that would make our current US President* proud. And finally, we have the Grebe family, enticed out of Iowa by the promise of owning their own dry-land farm, and enduring some of the harshest times the 20th century showed the American west.
I remember when I was little my Dad would periodically watch the miniseries of Centennial. To this day it is one of his favorite shows. A few episodes stuck out in my mind, the Dust Bowl one most vividly, but I hadn’t thought if it for a long time. And then, two years ago this week, I moved to Colorado. My mom’s parents and two older siblings were from here, and several in the family have either lived here for most of their lives or chosen to make it their home, as my parents and I have. When I was recovering from surgery with my parents last fall, we watched the miniseries Centennial. And I was in love. When I decided to make epic books (450 pages or more) my personal reading goal of 2019 Centennial was one of the first ones I wanted to read. I am so glad I read this while living on the front range! The fictional Centennial (the city Centennial wasn’t incorporated until 2001) was essentially a stand-in for Greely, Colorado. I can see the mountain with “the little beaver climbing to the peak” (Long’s Peak) from the deck of the house where I live. I plan to visit the site of the Sand Creek Massacre (the Skimmerhorn Massacre in the book) this summer with my parents. My grandpa’s family had a farm south of Pueblo during the dust bowl years. I’ve had tea at the Brown Palace. This book felt so personal to me, and so wonderful. I love that Michener shows us our history, the good things we’ve done and the bad things we’ve done, because you cannot love history if you don’t acknowledge the faults and failings and find ways to keep from repeating them. Michener’s research is incredible, and his writing is beautiful. This is an instant favorite, and I will probably tackle more of Michener’s books soon.
I remember when I was little my Dad would periodically watch the miniseries of Centennial. To this day it is one of his favorite shows. A few episodes stuck out in my mind, the Dust Bowl one most vividly, but I hadn’t thought if it for a long time. And then, two years ago this week, I moved to Colorado. My mom’s parents and two older siblings were from here, and several in the family have either lived here for most of their lives or chosen to make it their home, as my parents and I have. When I was recovering from surgery with my parents last fall, we watched the miniseries Centennial. And I was in love. When I decided to make epic books (450 pages or more) my personal reading goal of 2019 Centennial was one of the first ones I wanted to read. I am so glad I read this while living on the front range! The fictional Centennial (the city Centennial wasn’t incorporated until 2001) was essentially a stand-in for Greely, Colorado. I can see the mountain with “the little beaver climbing to the peak” (Long’s Peak) from the deck of the house where I live. I plan to visit the site of the Sand Creek Massacre (the Skimmerhorn Massacre in the book) this summer with my parents. My grandpa’s family had a farm south of Pueblo during the dust bowl years. I’ve had tea at the Brown Palace. This book felt so personal to me, and so wonderful. I love that Michener shows us our history, the good things we’ve done and the bad things we’ve done, because you cannot love history if you don’t acknowledge the faults and failings and find ways to keep from repeating them. Michener’s research is incredible, and his writing is beautiful. This is an instant favorite, and I will probably tackle more of Michener’s books soon.
May 31, 2018
I enjoyed the author’s trait of beginning his books at the start of time and develops his story and characters as time advances.
August 13, 2020
Wow! I'm not a fast reader, and have only read this before bed and during a few afternoon breaks, but after 8 weeks, this 1068 page, densely worded tome is conquered!! And what a story!
I'm convinced Michener could write about paint drying and make it interesting. I love how he draws the reader into the characters (and there are many) so that when the character moves out of the story, you miss them.
I started this only because my sister and I had a two-week Road Scholar tour of Colorado's national parks scheduled for June, and this was homework. I don't think I would have picked it up otherwise since I have usually shied away from books about the West. But I'm so glad I read this even though our trip was cancelled due to our current state of affairs.
My two favorite characters who I loved were Levi Zendt and Jim Lloyd.
This makes my fourth Michener completed and five more to go on my shelf.
Out of many, many page flags I marked passages with, here are a few quotes / interesting info in Centennial:
"Any segment of land . . . can be interesting of itself, but its greater significance must always lie in the life it sustains."
"The control of any string of cattle lay with the left point, for when cattle stampede, in the northern hemisphere at least, they almost invariably veer clockwise."
"The relationship of a man to his land is never easy. It is perhaps the noblest relationship in the world, after the family, and certainly the most rewarding."
"The abuses stemmed from the fact that the owners of the railroads never saw themselves as servants to an expanding nation; they were men trying to squeeze the last penny of profit from a good thing, and to accomplish this, they subverted legislatures, perverted economic law and persecuted anyone who tried to hold them to a more honest discharge of their duties."
“The earth is something you protect every day of the year. A river is something you defend every inch of its course.”
"You preserve nothing without encountering some disadvantages. If we keep this [prairie] dog town, horses will break their legs and rattlers will come back. But in the large picture, things balance out, as they did two thousand years ago. The trick is to preserve the balance and pay whatever price it costs."
I'm convinced Michener could write about paint drying and make it interesting. I love how he draws the reader into the characters (and there are many) so that when the character moves out of the story, you miss them.
I started this only because my sister and I had a two-week Road Scholar tour of Colorado's national parks scheduled for June, and this was homework. I don't think I would have picked it up otherwise since I have usually shied away from books about the West. But I'm so glad I read this even though our trip was cancelled due to our current state of affairs.
My two favorite characters who I loved were Levi Zendt and Jim Lloyd.
This makes my fourth Michener completed and five more to go on my shelf.
Out of many, many page flags I marked passages with, here are a few quotes / interesting info in Centennial:
"Any segment of land . . . can be interesting of itself, but its greater significance must always lie in the life it sustains."
"The control of any string of cattle lay with the left point, for when cattle stampede, in the northern hemisphere at least, they almost invariably veer clockwise."
"The relationship of a man to his land is never easy. It is perhaps the noblest relationship in the world, after the family, and certainly the most rewarding."
"The abuses stemmed from the fact that the owners of the railroads never saw themselves as servants to an expanding nation; they were men trying to squeeze the last penny of profit from a good thing, and to accomplish this, they subverted legislatures, perverted economic law and persecuted anyone who tried to hold them to a more honest discharge of their duties."
“The earth is something you protect every day of the year. A river is something you defend every inch of its course.”
"You preserve nothing without encountering some disadvantages. If we keep this [prairie] dog town, horses will break their legs and rattlers will come back. But in the large picture, things balance out, as they did two thousand years ago. The trick is to preserve the balance and pay whatever price it costs."
December 11, 2019
Gelungene Rückkehr auf vertrautes Terrain
Mit Centennial/Colorado-Saga kehrte James Michener wieder aufs historische Terrain zurück, nachdem er im Gegenwartsroman „Drifters/Die Kinder von Torremolinos“ (ausführliche Rezi https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) einen aufgeschlossenen Angehörigen seiner Generation in den Dialog mit jungen Aussteiger treffen ließ, die das Establishment ablehnten und nie so werden wollten wie ihre Eltern. Doch die Europa- und Afrikareise im Bully öffnet nur geographisch neue Horizonte. Die letztlich ebenso halt- wie hilflosen jungen Hoffnungsträger scheitern in jeder Hinsicht. Statt einen brauchbaren Gegenentwurf zur Konsumwelt ihrer Eltern zu entwickeln, gehen sie weltanschaulichen Rattenfängern auf den Leim, rutschen in Drogen oder Kriminalität ab und enden als Opfer von Polizeibrutalität und Rassismus. Mehr als ein wenig Rechtshilfe für Wehrdienstverweigerer Joe, der sich der Einberufung nach Vietnam durch Flucht entzogen hat, kann der aufgeschlossene Helfer nicht bieten.
Immerhin hat der ernüchterte Kriegsgegner den Anspruch zu Hause etwas zum Besseren zu bewegen. Ein schwieriges Buch mit zu vielen offenen Fragen, auf die Anno 1971 niemand eine Antwort wissen konnte. Von daher muss die Rückkehr auf vertrautes, historisches gewachsenes Terrain bei Michener einen Extraschub in Sachen Gestaltungsanspruch ausgelöst haben.
Alles korrespondiert miteinander
Denn in der Colorado-Saga korrespondieren sogar Kapitel miteinander, die auf den ersten Blick nichts miteinander zu tun haben. Eher pflichtgemäß absolvierte Kapitel aus der Vor- und Frühgeschichte gewinnen in der menschlichen Zeitrechnung wieder Bedeutung, etwa wenn das Pferd, dessen Vorläufer in Colorado heimisch waren, mit den Spaniern wieder in die Prärie zurück kehrt. Oder Levi Zendt die ersten Mammut-Funde auf dem Gelände seiner Farm macht und damit ein neues Eldorado für die Paläonthologie eröffnet, nachdem der Goldrausch abgeklungen ist. Die Einwanderung des Bisons, die wechselnden Methoden die mächtigen Tiere zu jagen bis zu den Massakern vom fahrenden Zug aus, bildet einen dieser roten Fäden.
Mein persönlicher Favorit der Naturkapitel ist das Leben der Klapperschlange, die sogar den Absturz nach einen Kampf mit Adler in den Lüften übersteht, aber nicht auf die Ankunft des Menschen vorbereitet ist.
Markantester Bezugspunkt ist sicher die Leiche, die Chronist Louis Vernor beim Erstbegang des Schauplatzes in einer urzeitlichen Höhle findet, die zufällig im Verlauf von Bauarbeiten in Centennial frei gelegt wird. Der zugehörige Mord ereignet sich im Kapitel Das Verbrechen, das sich auch als längere Erzählung konsumieren lässt, da das frisch eingeführte Personal erst in den Kapiteln danach seinen kriminellen, aber inzwischen legalen Geschäften nachgeht.
Der erste Teil des Romans schildert das Mit- und Gegeneinander von Indianern und Weißen. Die in der üblichen Wildwest-Literatur eher als Schlappschwänze verhandelten Arapaho und der Krieger „Lahmer Biber“ bilden den Ausgangspunkt der indianischen Handlung. Die Berührung des Gegners im Kampf ist wichtiger als das Töten, durch den Einfallsreichtum von lahmer Biber, der andere Stämme geschickt austrickst, kommen die Arapaho endlich auch zu Pferden. Vorher galt es eine Stampede auszulösen, bei der möglichst viele Tiere in eine Schlucht stürzten, um an genügend Fleisch zu gelangen, damit der Stamm das Pemmikan für den Winter dörren konnte. Lahmer Biber kommt, trotz etlicher Leistungen, die den Stoff für Legenden bilden, nie für den Posten des Häuptlings in Frage. Nach seinem Tod lässt der Stamm seine Witwe elendiglich verhungern und erfrieren. Die letzte Wärmequelle für Blaues Blatt sind die Pferde, ohne ihren Mann würden die Arapaho immer noch zu Fuß auf die Jagd gehen, wenn sie nicht längst verhungert wären.
Derartige Feinheiten runden die jeweiligen Kapitel ab, zugleich macht Michener immer wieder deutlich, wie leicht es die in ihren Traditionen und albernen Rivalitäten gefangenen Stämme den Weißen gemacht haben, sich das Land zu nehmen.
Der Wandel im Westen
Im Kapitel um Lahmer Biber führt Michener die beiden Fallensteller Pasquinel und McKeag (in der Serie gespielt Richard Chamberlain) ein, die beide mal mit seiner Tochter Tönerne Schale heiraten werden. (Im Film Bond-Bösewichtin und Herrenmagazin-Magnetin Barbara Carrera. Für den zwielichtigen Rinderzüchter Seccombe kam mit Timothy Dalton gar ein späterer Bond zum Einsatz.) Pasquinel, der die besten und die schlechtesten Eigenschaften eines Westmannes in sich vereinigt, nimmt die Indianerbraut wegen eventueller Goldfunde in Kauf, McKeag erweist sich später als Versorger. Pasquinels Brut mit der Indianerin führt später die letzte große Rebellion in Colorado an. Seine Tochter heiratet den Helden der nächsten Generation: Levi Zendt, der seiner bigotten Familie wegen Liebeshändeln den Rücken gekehrt hat und mit einer aufgegebenen Kutsche den Weg nach Westen antritt. Der Zug des Mennoniten mit seiner Canestoga und einer Verlegenheitsbraut (im Film gespielt von Remington-Steele Stefanie Powers), die erst auf dem Weg lieben lernt, ehe er sie durch den Biss einer Klapperschlange verliert*, ist einer der Höhepunkt der ersten Hälfte.
*Gewissermaßen die Rache der späteren Generation an einer Unschuldigen.
Als Kind haben mich Western ohne Indianer nicht so schrecklich interessiert, beim im Vorjahr gelesenen Texas ging es mir mit den zivilisierteren Kapiteln so ähnlich, in der Colorado-Saga habe ich die Kapitel über die Rinderzucht oder Landwirtschaft mit minimalem Wassereinsatz mindestens genauso in den Bann gezogen wie die Fallensteller-Kapitel. Zum einen versteht es Michener, beim Wechseln von einer (Bewohner)-Generation zur nächsten, die Leser für jeweilige Problematik zu sensibilieren, ganz egal ob der sonst so zuverlässsige Leitbulle am Ende des Llano Estacado plötlich Amok läuft und erschossen werden muss oder ganze Herden elendiglich verenden, weil niemand an Futterreserven für frostige Winter gedacht hat. Gegen Ende spielen Sackgassen bei einer auf erste Preise ausgerichteten Zucht von Salonkühen eine Rolle, auch beim Thema Ertrag und Nachhaltigkeit.
Unbeabsichtigte Aktualität
Da die Böden von Colorado nur eine vergleichsweise geringe Einwohnerzahl ernähren können, spielt der Umgang mit knappen Ressourcen wie Wasser eine ganz entscheidende Rolle, nicht nur bei der Rinderzucht. Das Familiendrama des Musterfarmers Grebe, dessen Tugenden sich unter den Bedingungen der Landwirtschaft auf trockenen Prärieböden als kontraproduktiv beweisen ist nicht nur wegen seiner Tragik und der Machenschaften eines Bodenspekulanten tragisch, der den Ruin seiner Kunden schon einkalkuliert hat.
Irgendwie fühlte ich mich an die aktuelle Energiewende mit ihrem Windkraftwahn erinnert, in dessen Gefolge Subventionsritter jede Fläche oder aussichtsreiche Höhe zupflastern, um Energieproduzenten aufzustellen, deren Leistung nicht zuverlässig oder in einem Übermaß vorhanden ist, das derzeit nicht gespeichert werden kann. Gleichbedeutend mit kostenpflichtiger Entsorgung des Überschusses oder Stillstandzahlungen an Betreiber, wenn der Wind mal so weht, dass die ständig als Dauerleistung vekauften Energiemengen erzeugt werden. Dass dabei Böden mit einem energieintensiven Baustoff zubetonniert werden, Wälder vernichtet werden, deren Bäume jetzt schon Sauerstoff erzeugen und mehr Co2 binden als diese Dinger erzeugen können, wird vollkommen ignoriert.
Windkraft war zu Zeiten der Entstehung der Colorado-Saga noch nicht mal eine Verheißung, Michener hat am Schicksal der letztlich numgschnappten Frau Grebe immerhin die Auswirkungen des natürlichen Infraschalls der Stürme thematisiert, inzwischen potenzieren Windräder das Phänomen.
Insofern gewinnt auch ein altes Buch, das im letzten Kapitel die ersten Anläufe zum Umweltschutz und gegen das Zupflastern jedes Seitentals mit Skiliften thematisiert sogar unverhoffte Aktualität. Auch wenn der Vorreiter in Sachen Umweltbewusstsein im Staat aus aktueller Sicht trotzdem von gewissen Leuten als Drecksau beschimpft würde, die an alte Geschichten immer gleich aktuelle Maßstäbe von ARD-Tagesschau bis Zeit oder den letzten Stand ihres Schulwissens anlegen müssen. Im Alltag aber keinen Millimeter über ihre medialen Scheuklappen hinaus sehen.
Fazit:
Ein Roman mit so vielen Epochen und Personal mit wechselndem Sympathiegrad, auch wenn Michener jeder Gestalt ein gerüttelt Maß an Licht und Schatten oder Einsicht und Betriebsblindheit zugesteht, kann sich nicht durchweg auf Fünf-Sterne-Niveau bewegen. Aber die schlüssig durchgeführte Kompositionen des Romans als Ökosystem mit konsequent durchgeführten Binnenbezügen rechtfertigt fünf Sterne auf jeden Fall. Um noch einmal die historische Vergleichsgröße Texas zu bemühen. Der spätere Roman verfügt über Einzelkapitel, die Teile von Centennial vielleicht sogar übertreffen, ist aber längst nicht so schlüssig aufgebaut, der Handlungsfluss versickert immer wieder, das Ende ist eher versöhnlich aus Verlegenheit. In der Colorado-Saga spielt das Ökosystem und der bewusste Umgang mit den Ressourcen eine tragende Rolle, ohne, dass ständig mit erhobenem Zeigefinder herum gefuchtelt wird, deshalb lohnt sich die Lektüre, auch wenn aktuell ganz andere Standards gelten und ein Naturbursche, der mit dem Van in die Wüste fährt, damit er den klaren Sternenhimmel ansingen kann, als Dinosaurier gilt. Der Michener von heute würde den Professor der Hinterwäldler-Uni und den Countrystar wohl auf zwei Mountainbikes ins Schlussbild schicken.
Obwohl, bei uns im Nationalpark gibt es schon E-Bike-Rockerbanden, die Ranger/Waldhüter verprügeln, die sie im Sinne des Naturschutzes auf den vorgeschrieben Wegen halten wollen.
Mit Centennial/Colorado-Saga kehrte James Michener wieder aufs historische Terrain zurück, nachdem er im Gegenwartsroman „Drifters/Die Kinder von Torremolinos“ (ausführliche Rezi https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) einen aufgeschlossenen Angehörigen seiner Generation in den Dialog mit jungen Aussteiger treffen ließ, die das Establishment ablehnten und nie so werden wollten wie ihre Eltern. Doch die Europa- und Afrikareise im Bully öffnet nur geographisch neue Horizonte. Die letztlich ebenso halt- wie hilflosen jungen Hoffnungsträger scheitern in jeder Hinsicht. Statt einen brauchbaren Gegenentwurf zur Konsumwelt ihrer Eltern zu entwickeln, gehen sie weltanschaulichen Rattenfängern auf den Leim, rutschen in Drogen oder Kriminalität ab und enden als Opfer von Polizeibrutalität und Rassismus. Mehr als ein wenig Rechtshilfe für Wehrdienstverweigerer Joe, der sich der Einberufung nach Vietnam durch Flucht entzogen hat, kann der aufgeschlossene Helfer nicht bieten.
Immerhin hat der ernüchterte Kriegsgegner den Anspruch zu Hause etwas zum Besseren zu bewegen. Ein schwieriges Buch mit zu vielen offenen Fragen, auf die Anno 1971 niemand eine Antwort wissen konnte. Von daher muss die Rückkehr auf vertrautes, historisches gewachsenes Terrain bei Michener einen Extraschub in Sachen Gestaltungsanspruch ausgelöst haben.
Alles korrespondiert miteinander
Denn in der Colorado-Saga korrespondieren sogar Kapitel miteinander, die auf den ersten Blick nichts miteinander zu tun haben. Eher pflichtgemäß absolvierte Kapitel aus der Vor- und Frühgeschichte gewinnen in der menschlichen Zeitrechnung wieder Bedeutung, etwa wenn das Pferd, dessen Vorläufer in Colorado heimisch waren, mit den Spaniern wieder in die Prärie zurück kehrt. Oder Levi Zendt die ersten Mammut-Funde auf dem Gelände seiner Farm macht und damit ein neues Eldorado für die Paläonthologie eröffnet, nachdem der Goldrausch abgeklungen ist. Die Einwanderung des Bisons, die wechselnden Methoden die mächtigen Tiere zu jagen bis zu den Massakern vom fahrenden Zug aus, bildet einen dieser roten Fäden.
Mein persönlicher Favorit der Naturkapitel ist das Leben der Klapperschlange, die sogar den Absturz nach einen Kampf mit Adler in den Lüften übersteht, aber nicht auf die Ankunft des Menschen vorbereitet ist.
Markantester Bezugspunkt ist sicher die Leiche, die Chronist Louis Vernor beim Erstbegang des Schauplatzes in einer urzeitlichen Höhle findet, die zufällig im Verlauf von Bauarbeiten in Centennial frei gelegt wird. Der zugehörige Mord ereignet sich im Kapitel Das Verbrechen, das sich auch als längere Erzählung konsumieren lässt, da das frisch eingeführte Personal erst in den Kapiteln danach seinen kriminellen, aber inzwischen legalen Geschäften nachgeht.
Der erste Teil des Romans schildert das Mit- und Gegeneinander von Indianern und Weißen. Die in der üblichen Wildwest-Literatur eher als Schlappschwänze verhandelten Arapaho und der Krieger „Lahmer Biber“ bilden den Ausgangspunkt der indianischen Handlung. Die Berührung des Gegners im Kampf ist wichtiger als das Töten, durch den Einfallsreichtum von lahmer Biber, der andere Stämme geschickt austrickst, kommen die Arapaho endlich auch zu Pferden. Vorher galt es eine Stampede auszulösen, bei der möglichst viele Tiere in eine Schlucht stürzten, um an genügend Fleisch zu gelangen, damit der Stamm das Pemmikan für den Winter dörren konnte. Lahmer Biber kommt, trotz etlicher Leistungen, die den Stoff für Legenden bilden, nie für den Posten des Häuptlings in Frage. Nach seinem Tod lässt der Stamm seine Witwe elendiglich verhungern und erfrieren. Die letzte Wärmequelle für Blaues Blatt sind die Pferde, ohne ihren Mann würden die Arapaho immer noch zu Fuß auf die Jagd gehen, wenn sie nicht längst verhungert wären.
Derartige Feinheiten runden die jeweiligen Kapitel ab, zugleich macht Michener immer wieder deutlich, wie leicht es die in ihren Traditionen und albernen Rivalitäten gefangenen Stämme den Weißen gemacht haben, sich das Land zu nehmen.
Der Wandel im Westen
Im Kapitel um Lahmer Biber führt Michener die beiden Fallensteller Pasquinel und McKeag (in der Serie gespielt Richard Chamberlain) ein, die beide mal mit seiner Tochter Tönerne Schale heiraten werden. (Im Film Bond-Bösewichtin und Herrenmagazin-Magnetin Barbara Carrera. Für den zwielichtigen Rinderzüchter Seccombe kam mit Timothy Dalton gar ein späterer Bond zum Einsatz.) Pasquinel, der die besten und die schlechtesten Eigenschaften eines Westmannes in sich vereinigt, nimmt die Indianerbraut wegen eventueller Goldfunde in Kauf, McKeag erweist sich später als Versorger. Pasquinels Brut mit der Indianerin führt später die letzte große Rebellion in Colorado an. Seine Tochter heiratet den Helden der nächsten Generation: Levi Zendt, der seiner bigotten Familie wegen Liebeshändeln den Rücken gekehrt hat und mit einer aufgegebenen Kutsche den Weg nach Westen antritt. Der Zug des Mennoniten mit seiner Canestoga und einer Verlegenheitsbraut (im Film gespielt von Remington-Steele Stefanie Powers), die erst auf dem Weg lieben lernt, ehe er sie durch den Biss einer Klapperschlange verliert*, ist einer der Höhepunkt der ersten Hälfte.
*Gewissermaßen die Rache der späteren Generation an einer Unschuldigen.
Als Kind haben mich Western ohne Indianer nicht so schrecklich interessiert, beim im Vorjahr gelesenen Texas ging es mir mit den zivilisierteren Kapiteln so ähnlich, in der Colorado-Saga habe ich die Kapitel über die Rinderzucht oder Landwirtschaft mit minimalem Wassereinsatz mindestens genauso in den Bann gezogen wie die Fallensteller-Kapitel. Zum einen versteht es Michener, beim Wechseln von einer (Bewohner)-Generation zur nächsten, die Leser für jeweilige Problematik zu sensibilieren, ganz egal ob der sonst so zuverlässsige Leitbulle am Ende des Llano Estacado plötlich Amok läuft und erschossen werden muss oder ganze Herden elendiglich verenden, weil niemand an Futterreserven für frostige Winter gedacht hat. Gegen Ende spielen Sackgassen bei einer auf erste Preise ausgerichteten Zucht von Salonkühen eine Rolle, auch beim Thema Ertrag und Nachhaltigkeit.
Unbeabsichtigte Aktualität
Da die Böden von Colorado nur eine vergleichsweise geringe Einwohnerzahl ernähren können, spielt der Umgang mit knappen Ressourcen wie Wasser eine ganz entscheidende Rolle, nicht nur bei der Rinderzucht. Das Familiendrama des Musterfarmers Grebe, dessen Tugenden sich unter den Bedingungen der Landwirtschaft auf trockenen Prärieböden als kontraproduktiv beweisen ist nicht nur wegen seiner Tragik und der Machenschaften eines Bodenspekulanten tragisch, der den Ruin seiner Kunden schon einkalkuliert hat.
Irgendwie fühlte ich mich an die aktuelle Energiewende mit ihrem Windkraftwahn erinnert, in dessen Gefolge Subventionsritter jede Fläche oder aussichtsreiche Höhe zupflastern, um Energieproduzenten aufzustellen, deren Leistung nicht zuverlässig oder in einem Übermaß vorhanden ist, das derzeit nicht gespeichert werden kann. Gleichbedeutend mit kostenpflichtiger Entsorgung des Überschusses oder Stillstandzahlungen an Betreiber, wenn der Wind mal so weht, dass die ständig als Dauerleistung vekauften Energiemengen erzeugt werden. Dass dabei Böden mit einem energieintensiven Baustoff zubetonniert werden, Wälder vernichtet werden, deren Bäume jetzt schon Sauerstoff erzeugen und mehr Co2 binden als diese Dinger erzeugen können, wird vollkommen ignoriert.
Windkraft war zu Zeiten der Entstehung der Colorado-Saga noch nicht mal eine Verheißung, Michener hat am Schicksal der letztlich numgschnappten Frau Grebe immerhin die Auswirkungen des natürlichen Infraschalls der Stürme thematisiert, inzwischen potenzieren Windräder das Phänomen.
Insofern gewinnt auch ein altes Buch, das im letzten Kapitel die ersten Anläufe zum Umweltschutz und gegen das Zupflastern jedes Seitentals mit Skiliften thematisiert sogar unverhoffte Aktualität. Auch wenn der Vorreiter in Sachen Umweltbewusstsein im Staat aus aktueller Sicht trotzdem von gewissen Leuten als Drecksau beschimpft würde, die an alte Geschichten immer gleich aktuelle Maßstäbe von ARD-Tagesschau bis Zeit oder den letzten Stand ihres Schulwissens anlegen müssen. Im Alltag aber keinen Millimeter über ihre medialen Scheuklappen hinaus sehen.
Fazit:
Ein Roman mit so vielen Epochen und Personal mit wechselndem Sympathiegrad, auch wenn Michener jeder Gestalt ein gerüttelt Maß an Licht und Schatten oder Einsicht und Betriebsblindheit zugesteht, kann sich nicht durchweg auf Fünf-Sterne-Niveau bewegen. Aber die schlüssig durchgeführte Kompositionen des Romans als Ökosystem mit konsequent durchgeführten Binnenbezügen rechtfertigt fünf Sterne auf jeden Fall. Um noch einmal die historische Vergleichsgröße Texas zu bemühen. Der spätere Roman verfügt über Einzelkapitel, die Teile von Centennial vielleicht sogar übertreffen, ist aber längst nicht so schlüssig aufgebaut, der Handlungsfluss versickert immer wieder, das Ende ist eher versöhnlich aus Verlegenheit. In der Colorado-Saga spielt das Ökosystem und der bewusste Umgang mit den Ressourcen eine tragende Rolle, ohne, dass ständig mit erhobenem Zeigefinder herum gefuchtelt wird, deshalb lohnt sich die Lektüre, auch wenn aktuell ganz andere Standards gelten und ein Naturbursche, der mit dem Van in die Wüste fährt, damit er den klaren Sternenhimmel ansingen kann, als Dinosaurier gilt. Der Michener von heute würde den Professor der Hinterwäldler-Uni und den Countrystar wohl auf zwei Mountainbikes ins Schlussbild schicken.
Obwohl, bei uns im Nationalpark gibt es schon E-Bike-Rockerbanden, die Ranger/Waldhüter verprügeln, die sie im Sinne des Naturschutzes auf den vorgeschrieben Wegen halten wollen.
August 16, 2009
I chose this book because I have decided to take a literary tour of the United States. Having been to the south with Eudora Welty and the Optimist's Daughter, I decided to go West. And I couldn't have chosen a better guide than Michener (whom I have never read before.) I was absolutely fascinated by the details and historical information - beginning way back some billion years ago when the cooling earth began to shape itself into what is now known as Colorado. Each chapter of this book was like reading a separate novel except that they all fit together in one sweeping progression that took me from the age of the dinosaurs right on through to the present time. I grew attached to all of the characters - even the beavers, the horses and the buffalo but especially the people - the Indians, the settlers, the fur traders, the cattle Ranchers, cowbows, hunters, farmers, even the scoundrels, swindlers and politicians - because they were so carefully portrayed. But this wasn't primarily an epic story about people and families (although it was fun watching them or their descendants show up from one era to the next)It was an epic story about the west itself and what happened there over the thousands and thousands of years that have made it what it is. What a trip!!
September 23, 2018
This takes place in the fictional town of Centennial, Colorado. As is usually the case with Michener, he takes us on a prehistorical tour of the surrounding area of the uprising of the Rockies, including the area of Colorado where Centennial is supposed to be(not far from Denver it seems). It starts with the dinosaurs that would have lived in the area to the arrival of man. The next section tells of the Indian and white fur trappers that inhabited the land. Part of this touches on the Indian massacres prevalent in the 19th century that were so common. Also during this timeframe, it goes into the decimation of the buffalo that the Indians depended on for so much of their food and other things that they were able to use from the buffalo. Then it goes into how the cattle ranchers and sheep ranchers feuded over land and water rights as well as agricultural farming in the area. As with many of Michener's books, this one has the sections tied together throughout the novel in one way or another.
June 17, 2014
Want a big summer read to sink your teeth into? Try this one. Michener details the story of a Colorado settlement, Centennial, from the geology and the prehistoric animals all the way up to the modern day. There's native Americans, the trappers and early settlers, cattle ranching vs. sheep herding, con artists, the circus coming to town, the horrors of the Dust Bowl, and the modern problems of today. Most poignant is the fate of the Arapaho people, endlessly lied to and persecuted by the American government and military. To his credit, Michener spares the reader little of that atrocious time in history, and gives a great read in the meantime. Five stars overall and a must recommend.
For the longer review, please go here:
http://www.bubblews.com/news/3842238-...
For the longer review, please go here:
http://www.bubblews.com/news/3842238-...
July 13, 2024
+I remember liking Michener when I was younger, but this one seemed to be all telling and no showing. Kind of boring. I got about 75% through it, but couldn't take anymore.
7/13/2024
I am rereading it, taking it slow. I'm 25% into it. It is like reading an entire series in one book.
7/13/2024
I am rereading it, taking it slow. I'm 25% into it. It is like reading an entire series in one book.
March 5, 2023
I average it at about three stars. Sometimes the stories are excellent; sometimes the indoctrination is oppressive. The dialog is always interesting, but a few times the plot drags. Most of the time, the writing is objective, but it's interspersed with subjectivism and intrincitism.
I like the previous novels by Michener I've read, especially Poland and Hawaii. I was both pleased and disappointed with Centennial.
I like the previous novels by Michener I've read, especially Poland and Hawaii. I was both pleased and disappointed with Centennial.
November 18, 2018
I was excited to read this, because Colorado (where we live) is the Centennial State, and this is a book about the settling of Northern Colorado (where we live). How often do you get to open a 900 page book and see your town in the center of the map on the first page?
My problems were two-fold:
1. He literally started from the ground up. After 100 pages of "The lava flow slowly ebbed, leaving a sizzling rent in the Pre-Cambrian earth...," I skipped ahead, to the dinosaurs. "The allosaurus raised its head from the pond. A shadow fell over the water as a gentle breeze blew." Another 250 page skip, we were just getting to prairie dogs, and my attention span was long gone.
2. It's historical fiction...kinda. Although lots of characters and events are based on real people and places, Michner gives them different names and mixes in completely fictional cities and characters. I wanted to learn something about the place where we live but this wasn't the right book for that.
My problems were two-fold:
1. He literally started from the ground up. After 100 pages of "The lava flow slowly ebbed, leaving a sizzling rent in the Pre-Cambrian earth...," I skipped ahead, to the dinosaurs. "The allosaurus raised its head from the pond. A shadow fell over the water as a gentle breeze blew." Another 250 page skip, we were just getting to prairie dogs, and my attention span was long gone.
2. It's historical fiction...kinda. Although lots of characters and events are based on real people and places, Michner gives them different names and mixes in completely fictional cities and characters. I wanted to learn something about the place where we live but this wasn't the right book for that.
February 10, 2017
DNF @ 18% I'm close to 200 pages in and we're only up to the late 18th century. I can only imagine that once it gets to the meat of the story, the part I'm looking forward to, it's going to be tedious and far too detailed. Geology, dinosaurs, mammals, buffalo, beaver, eagles, rattlesnakes, the first Native Americans, flint knappers, Apache, Cherokee, Comanche... I should have used this to put me to sleep.
July 15, 2021
Reading this book when I did created an almost surreal experience. I recently realized I was hankering for some Michener, and found this one. My son took me on a 9-day camping trip to Colorado and Wyoming, and when we came home, it seemed like a great time to read this story of the fictional town of Centennial, Colorado and its surroundings. Imagine my surprise when the least-visited location we took the time to check out, Pawnee Buttes, became a recurring centerpiece for this entire 1000+ page book!
If you've read Michener, you know how he composes his stories. They're not multi-generational, they're multi-millennial. I can't say that anything in the first 300 pages mesmerized me, but once Levi and Elly Zendt began their journey west out of eastern Pennsylvania, I got locked in. While I enjoyed it, I would rank Centennial a little below the other Micheners I've read - Chesapeake, Alaska, The Covenant and Tales of the South Pacific.
Centennial is located in northeast Colorado. The state celebrated its centennial in 1976, the year that our country was celebrating its bicentennial. Well after the book's publication, Colorado actually named a suburb of Denver Centennial.
I will admit that I have been spoiled by Larry McMurtry's stories of the west. They are a tough act to follow. Michener wrote Centennial well before most of McMurtry's career, but what I mean is that once you've read McMurtry, it's hard not to compare all other western fiction to his. Michener includes the true tale of cattleman Charles Gooding trekking hundreds of miles on horseback taking the body of his friend and business partner Oliver Loving back to Texas for burial, as Loving had asked of him. This feat was re-created by McMurtry's Lonesome Dove character Woodrow Call, with the body of Gus McCrae, killed as Loving was by native Americans during a raid. There are actually a lot of similarities in Lonesome Dove to Michener's The Cowboys chapter, and in McMurtry's The Berrybender Narratives to Michener's The Hunters chapter. Michener's chapter The Crime, which tells of the exploits of Mervin and Maude Wendell, was probably my favorite section of the novel.
Michener was hardly a prude, but I got the idea that the bawdy life of rough men was a stretch for him to portray fully.
Drylands is a chapter about the men and women who came to farm knowing full well how little rain falls in eastern Colorado:
"'I want to move west', he said. 'I want to work where I can own my own place.'
It was the timeless cry of the man who dreamed of moving on, of leaving old patterns which circumscribed less venturesome men. It had been voiced at every stage of American development and had motivated the most diverse types of men: the renegade trapper, the devoted Mormon, the feckless son, the daring entrepreneur, the young woman without a man or a prospect of one, the housewife who wanted better things for her husband. It was the authentic vision of the pioneer American, the dream of freedom and more spacious horizons."
Twenty years before the internet and social media, one of Michener's characters makes a case for why, as opposed to most peoples worldwide, many Americans prefer solitude to highly social groupings, dating back to our Pilgrim ancestors' independent lifestyle, and later American life in so many isolated frontier locales.
Michener brought out a number of interesting facts about life in Colorado in the 1970's, the period during which he wrote this. Colorado turned down hosting the 1976 Olympic Games, or at least a shot at them, believing that the construction for the event would be too environmentally destructive. At that time, Denver had such bad smog that one often could not see the mountains. The state, and / or a powerful political faction there, was considering a bill to ban newcomers from moving into Colorado, due to a persistent severe water shortage.
A recurring theme in Michener's works is the relationship between specific races in each place that he writes of. He looks at this both on the large scale and on a personal one between man and man and between man and woman. In this, I see the likely influence of John Steinbeck.
Perhaps the thing that Michener does best inside his ridiculously extensive research for his historical novels is that he listens to his sources' hearts just as much as he pays attention to the facts and figures they feed him, and he infuses his characters with that love of place, and that makes us care.
If you've read Michener, you know how he composes his stories. They're not multi-generational, they're multi-millennial. I can't say that anything in the first 300 pages mesmerized me, but once Levi and Elly Zendt began their journey west out of eastern Pennsylvania, I got locked in. While I enjoyed it, I would rank Centennial a little below the other Micheners I've read - Chesapeake, Alaska, The Covenant and Tales of the South Pacific.
Centennial is located in northeast Colorado. The state celebrated its centennial in 1976, the year that our country was celebrating its bicentennial. Well after the book's publication, Colorado actually named a suburb of Denver Centennial.
I will admit that I have been spoiled by Larry McMurtry's stories of the west. They are a tough act to follow. Michener wrote Centennial well before most of McMurtry's career, but what I mean is that once you've read McMurtry, it's hard not to compare all other western fiction to his. Michener includes the true tale of cattleman Charles Gooding trekking hundreds of miles on horseback taking the body of his friend and business partner Oliver Loving back to Texas for burial, as Loving had asked of him. This feat was re-created by McMurtry's Lonesome Dove character Woodrow Call, with the body of Gus McCrae, killed as Loving was by native Americans during a raid. There are actually a lot of similarities in Lonesome Dove to Michener's The Cowboys chapter, and in McMurtry's The Berrybender Narratives to Michener's The Hunters chapter. Michener's chapter The Crime, which tells of the exploits of Mervin and Maude Wendell, was probably my favorite section of the novel.
Michener was hardly a prude, but I got the idea that the bawdy life of rough men was a stretch for him to portray fully.
Drylands is a chapter about the men and women who came to farm knowing full well how little rain falls in eastern Colorado:
"'I want to move west', he said. 'I want to work where I can own my own place.'
It was the timeless cry of the man who dreamed of moving on, of leaving old patterns which circumscribed less venturesome men. It had been voiced at every stage of American development and had motivated the most diverse types of men: the renegade trapper, the devoted Mormon, the feckless son, the daring entrepreneur, the young woman without a man or a prospect of one, the housewife who wanted better things for her husband. It was the authentic vision of the pioneer American, the dream of freedom and more spacious horizons."
Twenty years before the internet and social media, one of Michener's characters makes a case for why, as opposed to most peoples worldwide, many Americans prefer solitude to highly social groupings, dating back to our Pilgrim ancestors' independent lifestyle, and later American life in so many isolated frontier locales.
Michener brought out a number of interesting facts about life in Colorado in the 1970's, the period during which he wrote this. Colorado turned down hosting the 1976 Olympic Games, or at least a shot at them, believing that the construction for the event would be too environmentally destructive. At that time, Denver had such bad smog that one often could not see the mountains. The state, and / or a powerful political faction there, was considering a bill to ban newcomers from moving into Colorado, due to a persistent severe water shortage.
A recurring theme in Michener's works is the relationship between specific races in each place that he writes of. He looks at this both on the large scale and on a personal one between man and man and between man and woman. In this, I see the likely influence of John Steinbeck.
Perhaps the thing that Michener does best inside his ridiculously extensive research for his historical novels is that he listens to his sources' hearts just as much as he pays attention to the facts and figures they feed him, and he infuses his characters with that love of place, and that makes us care.
March 31, 2010
Holy moly – where to begin… This was required reading in my High School AP US History class and I’ll never forget touring the Southeast for colleges with my mother, knowing that this mammoth book had to be read before August. We alternated between listening to the audiobook version (my first real introduction to audiobooks) and cramming in some nighttime reading in various cities such as Richmond, Nashville, Winston-Salem, Raleigh - Durham, and so on.
Centennial is the kind of book that will make you want to gouge your eyes out at its tediousness, however it is also the kind of book that will force your respect by its attention to detail and intricate (and subtle) plot developments. I have never read any other Michener, however nothing can possibly top this. You follow cowboys, fur trappers, Native Americans, etc., through time and eventually Michener’s story weaves together to form a fantastic and cohesive description of Americana. It’s beautiful and depressing, yet it’s a personification of all of us.
Centennial is the kind of book that will make you want to gouge your eyes out at its tediousness, however it is also the kind of book that will force your respect by its attention to detail and intricate (and subtle) plot developments. I have never read any other Michener, however nothing can possibly top this. You follow cowboys, fur trappers, Native Americans, etc., through time and eventually Michener’s story weaves together to form a fantastic and cohesive description of Americana. It’s beautiful and depressing, yet it’s a personification of all of us.
March 25, 2017
I like Micnener's writing and Centennial is no exception. I learn a lot from his books. This one could pass for a history of the settlement of the Great Plains. But it is not just a history book dressed up as a novel, the characters are real people. The book starts in the distant past and moves forward through the Native Americans, the fur trappers, the settlers, the ranchers and many more. I expected the book to be centered in the Rocky Mountains, since that is what I think of when I think of Colorado, but here, the Rockies mostly form a backdrop.
The book is long and a bit slow-going in spots--not for the faint-hearted. But for those that persevere, the time will be well-spent.
The book is long and a bit slow-going in spots--not for the faint-hearted. But for those that persevere, the time will be well-spent.
May 14, 2012
Yes, it's about Colorado. Yes, everyone in the universe has told me I "have to" read this. Perhaps, someday I'll start on page 250 and finish it. The dinosaurs, though, I just can't....
August 9, 2015
My dad has often described this book as his favorite, so I decided it was time for me to read it. I enjoy Michener's books and have had this one sitting on my shelf for a while.
I'm glad I waited to read it. I never could have appreciated it as well if I hadn't spent some time living and traveling out west. The history and themes of this book have become some of my favorites to read about over the past few years. It was a pleasure to read a fictionalized account of historical topics I enjoy, including the Dust Bowl period and, of course, the cattle drives. But I enjoyed also the new and detailed perspectives about Native American history and the history of "outside" cultures in this area - Mexicans, Japanese, and Russians, for example. I love books about the west because they exemplify all the great things about the human spirit, and because they are closely connected to the land.
Finally, I appreciated the author's clear concern for environmental issues and for being ahead of his time. I live in the west, and water shortages and smog are very real issues that still haven't been adequately addressed. James Michener addressed them at length, and other issues related to stewardship of the land, when this book was published over 40 years ago.
I'm so glad to have read this book, and I encourage anyone who has an interest in literature about the west to add it to their list.
I'm glad I waited to read it. I never could have appreciated it as well if I hadn't spent some time living and traveling out west. The history and themes of this book have become some of my favorites to read about over the past few years. It was a pleasure to read a fictionalized account of historical topics I enjoy, including the Dust Bowl period and, of course, the cattle drives. But I enjoyed also the new and detailed perspectives about Native American history and the history of "outside" cultures in this area - Mexicans, Japanese, and Russians, for example. I love books about the west because they exemplify all the great things about the human spirit, and because they are closely connected to the land.
Finally, I appreciated the author's clear concern for environmental issues and for being ahead of his time. I live in the west, and water shortages and smog are very real issues that still haven't been adequately addressed. James Michener addressed them at length, and other issues related to stewardship of the land, when this book was published over 40 years ago.
I'm so glad to have read this book, and I encourage anyone who has an interest in literature about the west to add it to their list.
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