Maybe this was not the best time to pick up a massive, historically-accurate novel about a domestic prison camp that was designed and run with astonishing cruelty by incompetent racists to eliminate as many of their otherized enemies as it could before being shut down, but this book had been on my to-read list since 2014. Apart from a few standalone chapters in the last third of the book, where I could tell they were going to end with the character's miserable death and so I skimmed the lengthy descriptions of their idyllic pre-war lives, I wanted to read all of this dense and powerful book, so it took a while, but it was worth it.
This book tells the story of the infamous Confederate prison, where over 45,000 Union soldiers were held and over 13,000 died. Kantor uses fictional and historical characters, tying the story together via a fictional neighbor of the prison, plantation owner Ira Claffey. It is a very hard book to read, both for its heartbreakingly depressing story of the inhumane conditions, its length (well over 700 pages), the use of vernacular and the peculiar avoidance of quotes. While it seems odd, not using quotations really worked in this book, as it made it more of a tale told by a real storyteller rather than "just" a book. Andersonville was the result of over 25 years of research by Kantor. It was a bestseller when it was published in 1955 and won the Pulitzer Prize the next year.
The book opens and closes with Ira Claffey, the local plantation owner who watches …
This book tells the story of the infamous Confederate prison, where over 45,000 Union soldiers were held and over 13,000 died. Kantor uses fictional and historical characters, tying the story together via a fictional neighbor of the prison, plantation owner Ira Claffey. It is a very hard book to read, both for its heartbreakingly depressing story of the inhumane conditions, its length (well over 700 pages), the use of vernacular and the peculiar avoidance of quotes. While it seems odd, not using quotations really worked in this book, as it made it more of a tale told by a real storyteller rather than "just" a book. Andersonville was the result of over 25 years of research by Kantor. It was a bestseller when it was published in 1955 and won the Pulitzer Prize the next year.
The book opens and closes with Ira Claffey, the local plantation owner who watches the prison get built, agonizes over the deplorable conditions and it closes after the American Civil War ends, as Claffey wonders if America will ever get back on track. Claffey's story is told throughout, as he tries to come to grips with the changing moral landscape, as times get tough and he finally loses control over his slaves (he is, of course, a beneficent slave owner).
Other chapters include interweaving stories of the deplorable and tragic conditions in the prison. Each of the prisoner chapters distills an amazing amount of detail, while encompassing an entire life. And often the end is not good for the character in question. Kantor also tells the story of the heroic efforts of some of the staff (including a doctor who woos Claffey's daughter) to try to remedy the horrific conditions in the prison.
It also tells the story of the commander, Henry Wirth, who was tried and executed after the war for Andersonville, although many today think he was merely a scapegoat. In fact, Kantor paints a relatively sympathetic portrait of him, as a commander struggling to overcome the government's apathy towards the prison, as it sends more and more prisoners there, all the while ignoring pleas for supplies and medicine. Most of the real monsters are from within, as gangs of prisoners pick on the weak and disabled in a real struggle for existence, although there are plenty of examples of guard and officer depravity as well.
Like I said, a very hard book to read but incredibly rewarding. Each prisoner's story was a heartfelt tale, even if told with an impending feeling of doom. 19th century America comes alive through these vignettes. The writing was powerful, and you can feel the veracity of it. Hard work, yes, but in the end, well worth it.
