Cold Mountain: A Novel [Paperback]

Fortunately, my task is not to amplify the accolades that "Cold Mountain" has already received but to focus on the unabridged audio version read by the author. Many have called Mr. Frazier a born storyteller, that appellation proves true in his sometimes intense, always understanding reading.

Born in Asheville, North Carolina, he brings appropriate voice to the saga of Inman, a wounded Confederate soldier who leaves his regiment to begin a trek home to Ada, the woman he loves, and a farm on Cold Mountain.

Set against a backdrop of the last days of the Civil War and the changes that will bring much drama is found in the people Inman meets along the way and in his relationship to the ravaged land he encounters.

The recent release of "Cold Mountain" as a major motion picture starring Jude Law, Nicole Kidman, and Renee Zellweger will undoubtedly win this popular novel countless new fans.
Yet a very special pleasure is to be found in listening to the story read by its author. Mr. Frazier has said in an interview that Inman is based upon his great great uncle and his great grandfather, both of whom were soldiers in the Civil War. In effect, this is a family story beautifully imagined and related.

Charles Frazier is the one man who could write it; he is the one man to give it voice.

- Gail Cooke

I hate to complain (no I don't, but that is the fine print), but I would appreciate some realims in a supposedly realistic novel of the American Civil War. I also want to skip over the "must have" items in any contemporary American novel that all editors insist on having. What I am talking about are the "sensitive, handsome and heroic male protagonist," the "strong, independent woman he yearns for against convention," and the "horribly evil 'entity' whose name must not be spoken." Frazier also did not forget the must-have "imps" (this time an albino) who help him in all his evil deeds.

Now that I have dispensed with the card-board cutouts, I'll take a swing at the "history" (quotation mark alert). Here is just one ridiculous history lesson. On page 68, for instance, Inman is shot at by a Whitworth sniper rifle. These rifles were the undisputed favorites of Confederate snipers. They were imported from England in small numbers, and had a killing range of 1,500 yards. The twisting hexagonal bore was what gave this .45 calibre rifle its accuracy. The problem is that this unique rifle shot a very unique and expensive bullet, meaning no sniper would waste a shot like that--not to mention missing Inman by a mile. This is simply not believable, but makes for sexy reading, impressing the New York editors who don't know jack. Having a yahoo shoot from the river bank ain't enough.

My other complaint about "history" is the fact that all Civil War heroes must have fought at Gettysburg, Fredericksburg, Antietam (okay, Sharpsburg), The Crater, etc. But, hey, why not have this super-hero fight at all of the above? Better than that, put him in the middle of the line each time. My ancestors were at Gettysburg (9th Georgia Infantry, the winning side), but they fought in the Wheat Field. Ain't good enough.

But the truth for this novel would have had a negative effect. Or maybe it would have made it better? Frazier places Inman in the center of the line during Picketts Charge (Longstreet's Assault). I hate to break this news, but the North Carolinians held the LEFT during the charge. Worse for the book, the North Carolinians were accused of cowardice during the charge, as they were the first to falter (they were enfiladed) and retreated, leaving Pickett isolated and bound to fail. I guess that means Inman, if he were alive today, would be lying his ass off about his war record.

If you want an easy-to-read book , I would recommend this. I just wish the ones being touted for "historical" accuracy as an historical novel would actually describe real life. Believe it or not, the Civil War was much more interesting to the real participants than this.