Three Soldiers

John Dos Passos

Nov 2019 · Good Press

About this ebook

In John Dos Passos' novel 'Three Soldiers', the reader is immersed in the harsh realities of World War I through the eyes of three American soldiers. The book is a modernist masterpiece, blending a fragmented narrative style with vivid descriptions of the brutality of war. Dos Passos skillfully intertwines the personal struggles of the soldiers with the larger themes of disillusionment and the dehumanizing effects of combat. The novel stands out for its experimental use of stream-of-consciousness and its critique of the military industrial complex. 'Three Soldiers' is a powerful anti-war novel that resonates with readers even in the present day. John Dos Passos, a veteran of World War I himself, drew upon his own experiences to write 'Three Soldiers'. His firsthand knowledge of the horrors of war adds a layer of authenticity and emotional depth to the novel. Dos Passos' exposure to the political and social upheavals of the early 20th century also influences his critique of society in the book. I highly recommend 'Three Soldiers' to readers interested in a profound exploration of war, its impact on the individual, and the societal structures that perpetuate it. Dos Passos' gripping narrative and insightful commentary make this novel a must-read for those seeking a deeper understanding of the human cost of conflict.

About the author

John Dos Passos, 1896 - 1970 John Passos was born January 14,1896 to John Randolph Dos Passos and Lucy Addison Sprigg Madison. He attended Harvard University from 1912-1916. He was in the ambulance service units in France and Italy and in 1918, enlisted in the U.S. Army Medical Corps. From 1926-29, he directed New Playwrights' Theatre in New York City. In 1929, Passos married Katharine Smith and in 1947, they were in an automobile accident that killed his wife and left him blind in one eye. He married Elizabeth Holdridge in 1949 and a year later, Lucy Hamlin Dos Passos was born. Passos' many novels include "One Man's Initiation" (1917), "Three Soldiers" (1921), which has met with wide acclaim, "Streets of Night" (1923), "Facing the Chair" (1927), which defends the immigrants Sacco and Vanzetti, "Orient Express" (1927), "The Ground We Stand On" (1949), and "Prospects of a Golden Age" (1959). He received the Gold Medal for fiction from the National Institute of Arts and Letters in 1957, the Feltrinelli Prize for Fiction in 1967 and was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 1947. On September 28, 1970, Passos died of heart failure in Baltimore, Maryland.