Customer Reviews

Centennial

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It's a tossup between "The Source" and "Centennial" for my favorite James Michener book. While "The Source" got me really interested in the Middle East, "Centennial" turned my attention in a big way towards the American Indian and the West. As I mentioned in my Amazon review of "The Source," back in my early teens I thought that the length of a book somehow corresponded to its difficulty level, so I thought that if I could read a 1,000+ page book, then I must be REALLY smart and also grown up! Anyway, the very first book I decided to read, based on these sophisticated criteria, was "Centennial," by James Michener.

I quickly (and happily) found out that the book was not hard to read at all, and also that it was fascinating and highly entertaining. I read it like I was watching a movie! I strongly remember being completely engrossed as the centuries flew past, as lands rose and fell, as man came to North America, and eventually as the Indians and Europeans fought it out for control of the West. I definitely remember that this was a very different perspective on American history vis-a-vis the Indians than I was getting from Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone on TV.

Some people have criticized James Michener for not being a particularly sophisticated writer, or the most elegant prose stylist ever. Well, that may be, but Michener sure could collect a ton of information, he sure could spin a great yarn, and he sure could get you hooked on the topic at hand -- the American West, the Middle East, South Africa, Hawaii, outer space. James Michener is summer reading at its (intelligent and entertaining) best.

Once again, James Michener has created a wonderful story about a place, Colorado this time. From the rock formation, to its inherent animals, and, afterwards, the people - indians, english, german, russian, italian, japanese, Michener presents us with a lesson in writing, describing the arid landscapes, the flat, ugly Platte river, the majestic Rockies, the beaver trappers, the search for gold, the extermination of a race, the cattle ranchers. What more can I say about a book that's more than a thousand pages long and even so a very pleasant reading, never tiresome?

Centennial, the focal point of the book, is an imaginary town, but very vivid in my mind. That's the power of Michener's storytelling. He was able to provide his readers with a great cast of characters, this time spanning a little more than three centuries. Blending history with things as different as, for example, dry-land farm technincs, Michener gives us a fantastic lesson about the United States.

James Michener is one of my favorite authors, and, in my humble opinion, one of the great writers of the 20th century. We have to mourn his passing because Michener is that rare kind of author, the kind that have his readers always on his mind, always respectful, doing excellent researches, providing historical fiction like no one else. Thank you, Mr. Michener, wherever you are. Thank you for your kindness, for worrying about the quality of your books, thank you for compelling me to read more than 10,000 pages of your work, and not regreting even one minute of that reading.

Grade 9.3/10

I've had this book likely over seven years, and it has taken all of that to get through this: seven starts and stops, but at the end here the determination to see the read through.

I agonized over the prehistoric, dinosaurish opening, but then found the Indian and trapper-mountain men section fascinating.

But for me the best section was the establishment of the area of Centennial and the ranching. Having grown up in this area, it sure seems like Centennial would have to be Sterling.

The Hereford and Black Angus are the backbone of the ranching community, here well represented in this epic tale of the West. Panaramic in his scope, Michener provides all the angles, sugar beets, irrigation, livestock wars, minority farm workers, etc.

Easily the funniest part was the tragic tryout of the preacher at Centennial's Union Church who preached lengthily on the sheep and the Good Shepherd passage from John. Hilarious knowing that the sheep-cattle wars were raging and he was preaching to the cattle choir!

Massive research well written, but tedious read through all 1038 pages. Sorry, but I enjoyed T.A. Larson's History of Wyo much more and recommend it to those interested in the area.

I've been fortunate enough to read several of James A. Michener's works, and CENTENNIAL is by far my favorite from this gifted author. In fact, I've read this book twice, which is no small task, given its 900-plus pages.

CENTENNIAL is about a fictitious town of the same name in Colorado. The town is not nestled in the majestic Rockies, as one might expect, but instead is located out on the vast, open, treeless, windswept plains that run down from the eastern slopes of the mountains. It is here, at the nexus of two radically diverse land masses, that Michener gives the reader a comprehensive history of the area, from the formation of the land and its rivers, to its prehistoric inhabitants, to its early settlers, to its subsequent clash of various cultures. The plains Indians, fur trappers, pioneer settlers, soldiers, ranchers, dry land and irrigation farmers, and the hearty descendents of these diverse groups--all are depicted vividly and weaved into an engrossing story by an author with a keen eye for detail.

CENTENNIAL furnishes an impressive assortment of powerful, unforgettable characters: Lame Beaver, an Arapaho chieftan; Pasquinel, a French fur trapper; pioneer Levi Zendt; trail boss R.J. Poteet; ranchers Jim and Charlotte Lloyd; and many more. Through these characters the reader is given an epic tale of the American West, a tale that is beautiful, compelling, profound, and often tragic. CENTENNIAL is higly recommended to any student of the American West, or to any lover of epic literature.

This was my first Michener...always wanted to read this one, but the size was intimidating. Finally got around giving it a shot!

Overall, I enjoyed the experience! Some great stories about the "regular folks" that made the American West great.... struggles between Native American tribes and the white folks, to cattle driving, farming, and more, the characters in this book come to life. It is like you are there in the old west, on your own ranch!

Most of the stories are excellent. My favorites include "The Wagon and the Elephant," the story of a falsely accused outcast from the east who moves west to start over, and "The Cowboys," a story about driving cattle from Texas to Colorado for the purpose of starting a profitable ranch.

I'll agree with many people's comments that the second chapter can probably be skipped without missing much. It reads more like a college geology textbook, talking about the land formation history. It is relevant to some things that happen later in the book, but you won't miss out. The real stories here are with the people.

I will admit that through the last 1/3 or so, it was getting long. Of course, a book like this could probably be even longer, I'm sure there are hundreds of interesting stories that could be told!

Give it a try. If a particular story doesn't catch your interest within a few pages, skip it and try the next. Just give yourself the chance to be taken back to another time and place.

Centennial is a fictional town in Colorado, and Michener gives us a fictional but truth-based history of it, from prehistoric times to the recent past. He makes up characters and tells us interesting stories about them that illustrate the true history of Colorado.

One part of the book that I appreciated and enjoyed, but other reviewers apparently didn't, was the prehistoric part. Michener gave us, as his character, a dinosaur, or a beaver, or a little horse, and made the animal real for us for a few pages. In a cute and efficient use of his creativity, Michener brought back the subterranean cave of our beaver in prehistory and re-used it to stuff the dead body of a murder victim in one of his later episodes.

My favorite character in the book is the brave Indian named Lame Beaver. To me, the glory of Colorado's history is the time when the Arapaho Indians roamed the land and hunted buffalo.

Essentially this is a book of short stories tied together by geography and family ties. I'd have to say that this fact is the weakness of the book for me. There is something satisfying about following one character, and one storyline, from beginning to end. Take Lord of the Rings by Tolkien. At the beginning, the problem of the power ring is posed, the evil Sauron searching for his power ring to enable him to take over the world, the ring being found by a gentle harmless hobbit. At the end, this dilemma is solved, the ring dealt with, Sauron dealt with, story over. But in Michener's writing, you don't have a unifying character and plot. You have a series of changing characters and stories.

I'd much rather be immersed in the story of Lame Beaver and his battles than be burdened with the late Twentieth Century problems of pollution and smog. And there is something maudlin about getting drunk and melancholy over the past, as Michener's final character does in the last chapter. It is also what the book as a whole does.

Even though I am only 13 this is my second Michener and he lives up to the same quality as Hawaii. With a whole different setting this book is incredible. It has so many interesting plots such as the Arapaho and the Indian conflicts through history. If you like Michener you will love Centennial.

I grew to love Michener, when I read Hawaii, Mexico, and The Novel. I lost a little faith in him when I attempted to enjoy the Covenant, Source, and Journey. Fortunately, I'm glad to say that Michener redeemed himself with the Centennial. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is a wonderful novel that is as sweeping as his best works are. Finally, the biggest weakness of his writing, binding all the characters together, is gone because the span of time is relatively short. Even though some events seem hurried and never fully explained, Michener is still poetic and fills the novel with startling images and original characters. I especially liked the final fourth of the book. Michener foreshadowed what would happen in the first few pages, but he took sweet time getting there. The Wendells and the Grebes are the most intriguing characters in the book, so be patient until you read about them. The only gripe I have is Michener's knack of cheating his readers by providing an interesting portrait of a character and then, suddenly, drop them out of the picture: e.g., Elly and Soledad. Overall, he is at his best here and I would rank it third on my list of his best works, behind Hawaii and Mexico.

cannot be taken lightly. James Michener is a highly detailed researcher. This can often put off a reader who does not give him a chance. He will often spend a couple of chapters establishing the very beginnings of an area. Here he does the same with the Platte River in Colorado. From a detailed account of the evolution of the period he spins an epic story of brave men and women establishing a new country from a harsh wilderness. If you do not give yourself a chance to become completely captured by the storytelling you will have done yourself a terrible injustice. This is a top ten book for anyone's list.

cannot be taken lightly. James Michener is a highly detailed researcher. This can often put off a reader who does not give him a chance. He will often spend a couple of chapters establishing the very beginnings of an area. Here he does the same with the Platte River in Colorado. From a detailed account of the evolution of the period he spins an epic story of brave men and women establishing a new country from a hrash wilderness. If you do not give yourself a chance to become completely captured by the storytelling you will have done yourself a terrible injustice. Thios is a top ten book for anyone's list.