It's been 40 years or more since I've read James Jones' novel From Here To Eternity. And although I am only 40 pages into a 850 page novel, I am completely blown away and reminded what a first rate storyteller Jones is. What drives this story are its characters and their dialog. Prewitt and Warden, the two male characters introduced first, are people I want to know more about, especially the overly sensitive Prewitt. This is a page turner, even at its length, and sings with the truth of human experience. The film has long been on my short list of favorites but I'd forgotten what an achievement, and a superior achievement, the novel is. Jones is not a great writer so much as a capable one but he is a great storyteller, and except in the more elitist academic circles, this matters more. Man, am I going to enjoy the rest of this book!
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