I Should Be Extremely Happy in Your Company: A Novel of Lewis and Clark

Rating:
Summary: Journey to the heart
Review: I loved this book!
It tells the famous expedition of Lewis and Clark from the perspectives of the participants, particularly Lewis, Clark and Sacagawea. Their voices form competing versions of the expedition; together they weave a narrative like glimpses of a river seen through branches. I was left with the sense that I had explored much more than just the blank space of the unknown on the map.

The mysteries in the hearts and minds of the characters unfolded inside of me. By the end of the book they had filled in a map of memories and desires that kept speaking to me long after I had closed the book.

This is a lyrical and rewarding book that will change the way you view the opening of the west and the history of America in general, along with what it means to explore the unknown, both up a river and through someone's heart.

Rating:
Summary: Very disappointing
Review: The basic idea of telling the story from different viewpoints is very good. But the iimplementation is terrible. The language used is so forced and sometimes almost unintelligible (eg Sakajawea), that it makes it nearly unreadable. I loved "Undaunted Courage" and had hoped for more insights into this fascinating piece of history. But the author's attempt at "literature" roined this book. I'm sorry I wasted my time and money on it.

Rating:
Summary: A Beautifully Written Historical Novel
Review: This beautifully written historical novel about Lewis and Clark and their extraordinary expedition conveys not just the historical facts of the tale, but also an artist's sense of the emotional and psychological workings of the minds of the main participants in this astounding journey. The author made me realize how a fine novelist is somewhat like an actor who is able to inhabit the mind of a character and convey that character's essence to his audience. To read this book is therefore like making the journey as if the reader were each of the main participants in it. An additional pleasure for me was learning a great deal about the history of this country in this well researched book.