First Line: When on 17 July 1897 the steamship Portland docked at Seattle, bringing belated news and hard evidence that an enormously rich strike of gold had been made the summer before along the Klondike River on the extreme western border of Canada, the world was startled by a felicitous sentence scribbled in haste by an excited reporter who visited the ship.
Back in the day, I was a huge James Michener fan, and I thought I'd read all his books. Somehow or other, Journey slipped through the cracks, so I was eager to read it-- especially since it takes place during the Klondike Gold Rush during the late 1890s.
As Michener states at the end of the book, Journey was originally a chapter in his novel, Alaska, and it had to be cut from the final edition. He liked the story so much that he kept it, and it was published as a novel in 1989. (Only someone like Michener could cut one chapter from his book and have it be long enough for a 200-page novel!)
The story follows four English aristocrats and an Irish servant as they take the arduous overland route through Canada, chosen because the leader of the expedition hated America so much that he refused to let even his little toe cross the border into the U.S. In true Michener fashion, I was hooked by the story, the setting, and-- last but not least-- the characters. The U.S.-hating Lord Luton is a supreme example of his class and era, and it's a miracle my eyes didn't lock in the back of my head due to all the eye-rolling he caused me. It's hard for me not to get involved as I read a Michener novel, and Journey was no exception.
If you love historical fiction that not only teaches you about history but also tells a wonderful story, you can't go wrong by reading this book-- especially since it's several hundred pages shorter than a standard Michener novel. Who knows? You may get hooked and start reading those Michener "doorstops," too. The man certainly knew how to tell a multi-generational tale, and few authors can even come close.
Journey by James Michener
eISBN: 9780804151542
The Dial Press © 2014
Originally published 1989.
eBook, 201 pages
Historical Fiction, Standalone
Rating: A
Source: Purchased from Amazon.
I love Michener's work, too, Cathy! I liked this one very much. One thing that I especially liked was the way Michener shows the times and cultures through human eyes, if that makes sense. And you're right; his characters really come alive. It's hard not to get drawn in...
ReplyDeleteIt makes perfect sense. I'm glad to hear that you're a fellow Michener fan, Margot.
DeleteMichener - I too read so many of his books and they were indeed long. I haven't read this one. 200 pages - ha! Who'd have thunk it? Will keep it in mind. After reading Herman Wouk's WWII two-book saga (or rereading it) recently, I've been remembering fondly some of the long, long books I read in the '80's. It was definitely the era of the saga.
ReplyDeleteIt certainly was, and there were some marvelous ones written.
DeleteWhat a great anecdote about where the story came from. Alaska was one of my dad's favorites .
ReplyDeleteMy mother and I loved devouring Michener.
DeleteI had not heard of this Michener book either, so I'm glad to learn about it.
ReplyDeleteAnd Diana Gabaldon is the only other author I can think of with a similar lengthy writing style - the first of her Lord John mysteries was intended to be a short story!
I'm glad I'm not the only one who hadn't heard of Journey.
DeleteWe're certainly on the same page because Gabaldon was the first author to pop into my mind when I thought of BIG books!