In May, we read The Night Inspector by Frederick Busch. Written in 1999, this novel was commended for being one of the few novels that accurately portrayed the dehumanizing effects of the Civil War. The New York Times Review describes some of the contributions of the novel to the field of literature. A fictionalized, yet based in historical fact, Hermann Melville is a major character in the book and much of what we learn about the main character is in relationship to Hermann, Melville, the Night Inspector. William Bartholomew, the main character,is a sniper who wears a mask to cover his injured face. Through his experiences, we learn about the Civil War, early New York City as he visits the five Boroughs and of Melville.
I don't think that anyone from the bookclub embraced the novel as a great read. While respecting the topic and various pieces of the novel, as a whole, it was not one of our favorites. The discussion, however was lively and covered topics of the civil war, war in general, injury and recovery, and intimacy. This month we are reading Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders. We are gathering at Chrysanne's at 6:45 on June 27th.
