This one I received as a gift from my uncle over Easter. Written by Robert Olmstead, this is a Civil War novel that tells the story of a young boy, Robey, on the quest to find his father in battle and bring him home. Before he leaves for his journey, a family friend loans him this stallion to help guide and protect him. Filled with carnage and graphic descriptions of violence and warfare, it was a pretty compelling read - at least if you got into the gore of it. However, the end of the novel left this ambiguous taste in my mouth as if the story abruptly finished without actually concluding itself.
Olmstead can easily be compare to Cormac McCarthy in his writing style (only with a bit more punctuation). The novel’s theme dwells on how bleak and awful human nature is. Just about everyone you encounter dies. And anyone who shows the slightest bit of trust in their fellow man is eventually taken advantage of and killed. After a few mistakes, Robey learns this message and becomes a cold-blooded killer at age 14.
It was a interesting read, but I can’t say that the book doesn’t leave you depressed. It makes you want to either hate or fear humanity.
Now I have to put on the Princess Bride to help dull my sorrows. Later.
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