A Dangerous Age: A Novel

I just finished A Dangerous Age, zipping through it in one sitting.  I had heard the novel was anti-war, but could not pick up on that theme at all.  I agree with the reviewer that quite a few topics were glossed over, such as the conditions at Walter Reed.  There is such a danger of including undisguised non-fiction in fiction; the facts and pictures in our head are what come to mind, not the picture the author wants to draw. The dangers of war, the death, disfiguring, and the psychological damage inflicted on the military, especially the drone pilot, also seemed to be approached with a “deal with it” kind of attitude that I am afraid too many of us have taken on as a kind of protective armor against the realities of living through an unjust war.

That said, the challenge of writing about this war at this time is a brave one to take on.  Gilchrist tries to face down some of the fears that run as undercurrents.  Life is complicated; she tries to embrace that in front of an audience who has become incredibly frustrated and angry and who doesn’t care about the gray areas anymore.

Comment by mary from mississippi — May 31, 2008 @ 7:24 pm