Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Although this is the only McCarter novel that I have thus read, the plot of the text is interesting and the language used to describe the setting in the novel is romantically beautiful. The first few chapters of the novel, the introduction, is absorbing and unique and will completely draw you in, and the beautifully written prose of the text is somewhat akin to a 19th century painting depicting the vastness of the open Midwestern backcountry. The education of the characters in the text makes a poignant case that symbolizes the friction encountered between the American West and East regarding the taming of the vast Midwestern Wilderness in the beginning of the early 20th century, a period in American history during which heavy industrialization was occurring in the Eastern seaboard and settled development of the Western plateaus appeared eminent.
However, after the first few chapters, the text begins to get bogged down, mostly because the poetic prose becomes too flowery and mundane to hold up the plot and the character. Although the setting revolves around the inception of a new college on the Midwestern prairie, we are introduced to only about half a dozen main characters. More characters show up at each interval of the story, however, character development does not appear to be McCarter's strong suit since there is much left to be desired in the attributes of her main characters. The periphery characters that do show up in the story have almost no development behind them. It is sadly unfortunate that weak character development and unrealistic ties between the character mar McCarter's otherwise elegant and descriptive prose. Beyond the character development, McCarter's plot is original and well conceived, however, its execution is awkward and tiresome after several uneventful chapters and the text risks losing the readers in middle of the story. There are also several very awkward and unrealistic plot twists that should come as no surprise to the reader but nevertheless, will puzzle the reader's senses.
Overall, this is a fine novel, written in breathtakingly beautiful language that conveys to the reader all the magnificent, beauty of a Midwestern sunset. As a high school student, I found the text easy to understand and enjoyed the glimpse into the nervous and prospective mindset of the college students as they develop and evolve through the years of college life in the pursuit of a Master's Degree. Even though the story was written nearly a hundred years ago, there are several crucial ideals behind the text that I could easily empathize with. The plots behind the story should challenge no one and the allusions and symbolism in the text should be easy to identify. This is a story with such tremendously superb command of language and vivid descriptions that, were it not for its weak and laborious flow of development, may as well have become an America Classic.
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"As the two men dropped their eyes, they encountered the upturned face of a plainly dressed girl coming up the stairs from the basement, with a big feather duster in her hand." Excerpt from the first chapter.
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