Customer Reviews

The Ice Beneath You: A Novel

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I came to this book out of curiosity after hearing a few of Bauman's essays on the radio on "All Things Considered." (He's great on there, if you ever get a chance to hear him).

The novel sucked me in from page 1 and wouldn't let go. And every time I thought I'd decided what the book was "about," I was wrong.

On the surface, it's about a group of soldiers in Somalia, and about one in particular, Ben Jones. You quickly realize the Somalia stuff is a flashback, though (confusing at first, but once you figured it out the rhythm was good), and that Jones is out of the army now, and suffering emotionally from something that happened over there. His travels put him on a bus to San Francisco, then finally up to Washington State. Both narratives (with the army in Somalia, and as a civilian in America) come together as the book nears its end, both in an absorbing, page-turning way.

I already knew from the radio stuff that Bauman's writing was beautiful. It was inspiring to see he could sustain it for the length of a novel. Looking forward to his next book!

A beautiful, tragic read. Easily one of my favorite books of the last year.

After reading some of the reviews I will admit straight out that I have no military experience. I respect those that have come from military background as their impressions of this novel will certainly be more acute and critical.

So, speaking purely as a reasonable educated person in world events, I admit my knowledge of the military operations in Somalia is inadequate. In the attempt to learn more about Somalia, and being attracted to the book trailer, I purchased the book.

It just so happened that Desert Storm was at it's climax when I started the book and the events furthur impressed me with the author's story. Here, on one hand you have America's big war in Iraq happening, and in Somalia, the efforts of our young soldiers was just as important, but oh, so overlooked.

Christian Bauman offers a well written, gritty, sarcastically relevant book. He offers that it takes more to just being a soldier... there are facets of their characters that are in constant change. I appreciated his ability to allow this perception in each of his characters to develope, and to develope randomly. It kept the story line fresh, unanticipated and sharp.

The story is about Benjamin Jones and his tour of duty in Somalia with the US Army (gunboat unit). It is a reflection of what happened in Somalia and how it is impacting him now and with the decisions he tries to make. In his story, you will meet his best friend, Trevor, and heart throb, Liz.

As Benjamin tries to assimilate into civilian life, it becomes clear that no one is going to make this easy for him, and for most people they don't even acknowledge what he did for his country. Coming from this mindframe, his experiences make for a rich insight into the modern military heroes of today.

I don't say that lightly. But this novel IS an instant classic, if such a thing is possible. It's a war story but it's just as much about class war in America as it is about Somalia. With all the flag waving and "freedom isn't free" ranting these days, it's wise to take a deep breath and remember the forgotten soldiers who fought in America's "little wars" in the 1990s while everyone at home seemed to be living it up, or obvlisious, or both. If this book doesn't make all the flag-wavers these days seem like hypocrites, nothing will. One of my favorite paragraphs in here is a scene where the protagonist, Ben Jones, tells a guy he's just back from Somalia, and the guy says "Soma-what?"

What really makes this book though, is Bauman's writing. It sneaks up on you. Part II of this book stands, IMHO, as the best, and the opening of Part II is breathtaking. Breaking away from the narrative for a few pages, Bauman describes sunset in Mogadishu (sunset being a very important, and scary, time of day, because there's no electricity). The description shimmers and hums, and was so beautiful (and brutal) I went back and read those pages again.

An excellent read, this powerful novel has helped propell many into the eyes of a soldier of our time. This brilliant read should definitely be looked into by everyone, and recommend it to all of your friends.

It is amazing to me that anyone would write a review of a book without reading the book. Which is exactly what one gentleman/lady claims to have done: Not read the book, and then give it a bad review with one star. The "average" experience he/she complains about IS high art, or becomes high art in this author's hands. And the middle-class warfighting experience as a caution is exactly what goes on in this really amazing novel. And I know a little bit of what I'm talking about: I was in the Gulf, Mog, and Haiti, and I "walked the trail" for two years as a drill. I had to keep putting "Ice Beneath You" down as I was reading it. Not because I didn't like it. Because this guy captured so well what was in my past and in my head that I had to stop every few pages and just think about it. This book is the real deal.

I am listening to an interview of him on WHYY's (NPR) Fresh Air with Terry Gross. This guy's military experiences are those of thousands of soldiers and sailors who came before him, and thousands who will come after. The only thing this interview has revealed is that many civilians know diddly about what it means to serve in the military--including Terry Gross. The only thing his book reveals is that he's an average American, with average American experiences--which is highly significant, but which is not high art.

Rather than buying this guy's book, perhaps readers should seek out a present military member or veteran to find out what it's really like to serve during wartime and peacetime. This guy is no literary genius--rather, somebody's flavor of the month.

Here's a question Americans should be asking themselves. If Americans knew more about war, and the poor and middle-class people who fight and die for their country during wartime, would we be so willing to go to war today?

Bauman's novel is a wonderfully readable and heartbreaking account of how military service in this day and age can turn into a life-shattering experience. Bauman clearly knows the ins and outs of bootcamp and also the horrors of being a soldier in the weird combat situations of the present day. This book is a brilliant indictment of our tragically over-militarized times.

this is the highest quality writing, where simplicity is the forte. unlike the various guises of genius in joyce or nabokov, bauman relies simply on the story/character at hand and some subtle but VERY effective writing techniques. i often vascillate between fiction and non fiction, fiction always feeling a little too contrived, but this is a STRONG pull for fiction. most writers should take it as a lesson, and then a pleasure.

This great first novel is a profound statement about the humanity within the modern soldier, friendships, and the many strange detours life holds in store for a young man without a plan. It is the story of 23-year old Benjamin Jones, a soldier finishing up a harrowing tour of duty during the 1993 war in Somalia in one of the few remaining U.S. Army gunboat units.
Bauman tells his story through often non-sequential passages that delve deep into the mind of Jones, further building on the psyche of the character. This is a soldier's story, but is often more about life than soldiering. Early in the story, we find Jones shortly after his discharge, on a journey across America aboard a Greyhound bus. Often, through a hazy stream of consciousness we meet the many characters accompanying him on his bus journey as Jones lapses between exhaustion, half-sleep and deep thought. Jones pensive friendship with fellow soldier and best friend Trevor (who decides to reenlist), and constant thoughts of Liz, his female obsession provide a current that brings the reader in and out of the bus journey much as it does Jones as he ponders his life in between stops. Incredibly candid, and never boring, Bauman's story puts his character into many unexpected places, yet remains incredibly true to the experience of so many young men searching to find their way. To the reader who believes they know what sort of man joins the military and endures violent conflict will be pleasantly surprised, and cast aside all stereotypes. The Ice Beneath You is an incredibly well-written, wonderfully layered story, while remaining simple and avoiding the cliches expected from fiction when war and men are featured alongside one another.