Books › One of Ours
One of Ours
First published 1922 · 868 pages
A grounded, observant classic that traces a young man's journey from the dusty realities of farm life to the battlefields of the First World War.
What it feels like
This Pulitzer Prize-winning classic offers a steady, deeply grounded reading experience that roots itself in the tactile realities of early twentieth-century American life. The prose is clear and observant, lingering on the unglamorous details of rural existence—from the hard, alkaline water of a farmhouse washroom to the restless energy of a young man waking before dawn. The mood shifts gradually from the quiet, earthy anticipation of youth to the heavier, more somber atmosphere of global conflict, reflecting the protagonist's journey from a dusty farm to the battlefields of the First World War. It is a deeply earnest and realistic portrait, perfect for readers who appreciate patient, atmospheric character studies that capture the profound contrast between mundane domesticity and the sweeping forces of history.
- Mood
- earthy
- quiet
- rustic
- somber
- Tone
- observant
- grounded
- earnest
- realistic
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- rural existence · the grit of daily life · coming of age · the shadow of war
- The writing
- Clear and highly observant, lingering on the tactile, unglamorous details of everyday existence.
- The arc
- Begins in the restless, tactile reality of rural youth before shifting into the profound, life-altering crucible of global conflict.
- Who it's for
- Readers who appreciate classic American realism and patient character studies that bridge quiet agrarian life and the upheaval of war.
Content notes
- war
- military conflict
About the book
Claude Wheeler opened his eyes before the sun was up and vigorously shook his younger brother, who lay in the other half of the same bed. "Ralph, Ralph, get awake! Come down and help me wash the car." "What for?" "Why, aren't we going to the circus today?" "Car's all right. Let me alone." The boy turned over and pulled the sheet up to his face, to shut out the light which was beginning to come through the curtainless windows. Claude rose and dressed, - a simple operation which took very little time. He crept down two flights of stairs, feeling his way in the dusk, his red hair standing up in peaks, like a cock's comb. He went through the kitchen into the adjoining washroom, which held two porcelain stands with running water. Everybody had washed before going to bed, apparently, and the bowls were ringed with a dark sediment which the hard, alkaline water had not dissolved. Shutting the door on this disorder, he turned back to the kitchen, took Mahailey's tin basin, doused his face and head in cold water, and began to plaster down his wet hair.
Description from Open Library.
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