One Man's Initiation: 1917

De: John Dos Passos

Narrado por: Jeff Woodman

Springing from the author's first-hand experience as an ambulance driver and Red Cross worker during World War I, this autobiographical first novel is noteworthy for its vivid and colorful evocation of France at that time and for its passionate indictment of war.

The author's disillusionment with war for a time turned him toward socialism and against capitalism. Ultimately, after being labeled "pro-German" and "pacifist", the author concluded that the quasi-religion of Marxism turned loose more brutal aggression than "poor old Capitalism ever dreamed of".

Public Domain (P)2009 Audible, Inc.

One Man's reaction to One Man's Initiation

This anti-war novel complements All Quiet On The Western Front. John Dos Passos drew upon his own experiences as a volunteer amublance driver in France to write this novel. Perhaps more than any other author I ever read, he succeeded in bringing to life the conditions many front line soldiers faced during WW I. His description of the sounds made by the endless firing of artillery shells captured my imagination.

At the conclusion of the novel, he uses an unlikely group of front-line soldiers to articulate his view of society and the future. It strained my credulity.

I hope to read more novels by Dos Passos to see whether he continued to support his preference for socialism, attributing capitalistic greed as the basis for war.