Rating: 
Summary: A True Classic by a forgotten member of the Lost Generation
Review: ALthough Dos Passos is so often overlooked by students of modernism, he was among the best. Best knownb often for his love/hate relationship with Hemingway, Dos Passos wrote sever great books including "Manhatton Transfer" and "Three Soldiers." The "U.S.A." trilogy was his masterpiece. Intertwining history and fiction he takes his unusual style to new hights in this work. Telling the tale of America at teh beginig of this century, Dos Passos takes an in-depth look at mankind in a way that may well surpass eeven Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Joyce, and all the rest.
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Summary: The English Language Novel from the Eng. Lang. Novelist!
Review: As a foreigner (and from the beginning I excuse myself not only for my poor English but for what I am to say) I believe it is so sad of the Americans to not know this novel and this novelist, to not appreciate and revere them. Outside the U. S. we all do admire Dos Passos and do know his biggest novels, U. S. A., Manhattan Transfer, Three Soldiers and even the One man's initiation you seem to hate so much. Yes, we all think it's sad and even sick. Shame on you! But I believe you will realize that you must and that you will make amends with Dos Passos.
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Summary: THE GREAT AMERICAN TRILOGY
Review: As an author of a debut novel in its initial release, I find myself amazed by these three books by John Dos Passos. 42nd PARALLEL, 1919, and BIG MONEY tell the tale of the growth of America into the greatest and most powerful nation in the history of the world. Mr. Dos Passos pulls out all the stops with experimental techniques as well as traditional story telling. Each time I read one of these books in this trilogy, I realize what a masterful writer Mr. Dos Passos was. These are his best works. No question about it. They may be the best three novels, taken as a trilogy, ever written by an American.
Rating:
Summary: THE GREAT AMERICAN TRILOGY
Review: As an author of a debut novel in its initial release, I find myself amazed by these three books by John Dos Passos. 42nd PARALLEL, 1919, and BIG MONEY tell the tale of the growth of America into the greatest and most powerful nation in the history of the world. Mr. Dos Passos pulls out all the stops with experimental techniques as well as traditional story telling. Each time I read one of these books in this trilogy, I realize what a masterful writer Mr. Dos Passos was. These are his best works. No question about it. They may be the best three novels, taken as a trilogy, ever written by an American.
Rating:
Summary: History of the First 30 Yaers of the 20th Century
Review: Dos Passos' trilogy is important reading for anyone intersted in American History. In particular, Dos Passos chronicles the history of the labor movement in the US and the revolt of working class worldwide. It is intersting to note that at the time that this book was written, Dos Passos was a frevent socialist/communist. By the time of his death, he had renounced the communist idealogies for a more conservatine viewpoint. Although, the fictional prose is simplistic and the dialogue somewhat cliched, a powerful story is told. The world is seen through the eyes of several ordinary citizens, all with different backgrounds and from different classes. The characters lives interwave through important world events such as labor unrest, Mexican revolution, World War 1, and the Russian Revolution.
Interwoven throughout the fiction are snippets that attempt to educate the reader. The 'Camera Eye' passages are newspaper headlines and attempt to capture the mood of the day. There are sections of Dos Passos's own thoughts of the day, some of them written as Dos Passos as a child might have seen them. My favorite sections were the short autobiographies of important citizens- among them Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Eugene Debs, Woodrow Wilsoon, and Emma Goldberg. If you are lookiong for a passionate or suspenseful fictional story, this is not the book for you. But if you are intersted in history, especially American History, this book is excellent in capturing the mood of first third of the 20th century.
Rating:
Summary: Explaining the Century
Review: Few things are more distressing than finding a book you want to share is essentially out of print. For the first semester of the millenium I wanted students to read the trilogy that most vividly expresses the mood of the early 20th century. Dos Passos' collage of shifting views, newspapers, conversations, etc., shatter and reform the reader's understanding. The brilliant Reginald Marsh sketches that accompany most editions are match-flare views of NYC.
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Summary: This Book is excellent
Review: I cannot believe this book is not better known. This is an American Classic in every sense of the word. It captures the malaise and desperation that often accompany the questfor teh American Dream. His works parallel Kerouac's, Steinbeck's and Whitman's. A must read!
Rating: 
Summary: Politically interesting reading
Review: I didn't know what to expect when I began reading this trilogy, but I must say that I was ultimately pleased. Very clean writing style and interesting subject matter. Dos Passos takes us to a time of our country's political history that has not been well known by many (me, at least). This novel is significant in understanding the mindset of many in the beginning of the century.
Rating:
Summary: brilliant concept/style but hard to recommend..
Review: I first have to say that I am very glad to have read the USA Trilogy. Dos Passos has ingenuously conveyed the lifestyle, hopes and dreams of Americana during the first quarter of the 20th century. And similar to James Michener novels, I've found it to be an education rather than just a collection of stories woven into a novel. But, surprisingly, it's hard to recommend this trilogy. After several hundred pages the interwoven stories format get a bit tiresome, with some stories concluding unsatisfactorily (ie, you wonder why he bothered at all). This is sad because the overall effect of the trilogy is one of awe. And a couple of the stories are very gritty and sad, along the lines of F. Scott Fitzgerald novels. However if you are keenly interested in the early labor movement in America, especially the darker side on how businesmen/politicians treated labor organizers, then this book is compulsory reading.
Rating:
Summary: Compulsively readable.
Review: I love this book/trilogy. It's probably my favorite book I've read so far. I would recommend this book to people whom in the past were put off by older literature. This book, although set in the early 20th century, seems fresh and alive. You may have difficulty at first with some of the more experimental sections, like "The Camera Eye", but I wouldn't let that discourage myself from recommending this book. Those sections tend to be rather on the short side anyway. I wish Dos Passos was more thought of today than he is, because he's an excellent writer. I often couldn't believe how many pages I had read in a session, as I got lost in the book completely. Read this book!
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