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Updated Sunday 15 May, 2011 12:18 PM |
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This Day in Alternate History Blog
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Days of InfamyHarry Turtledove I’ve read thousands of books in my life.
I’ve even read The Satanic Verses.
So why did I have such trouble with Days of Infamy?
I like Turtledove, damnit! Days of Infamy is set in 1941-42, after a Japanese
invasion fleet has invaded pearl Harbour. I
won’t go into details as to the MAJOR logistical problems that the Japanese
would have faced in trying that in real life – others
have done that – but I note that for the record.
It's an interesting concept, but Turtledove is uncharacteristically dull
in the exploration. This book was
an active chore to get through. The only change is in the beginning of the book is that
Japanese Commander Genda persuades Admiral Yamamoto to convince the Army
generals that an invasion force should accompany the task force.
From there, about ¼ of the book covers the invasion; the rest covers the
occupation from the POVs of many characters.
Turtledove is good at that; in the course of the plot, he gives us a
pilot who was shot down in the initial attack and is now a prisoner of war, a
soldier who is also a POW, his estranged wife who has to live in an occupied
city on Oahu, a surfer bum, and a Japanese family who have been living on the
island for many years, as well as introducing two characters further on in the
book who give us the viewpoint of Americans who will be involved – one assumes
- in the eventual re-taking of the islands. Turtledove is uncompromisingly brutal in its portrayal
of the Japanese themselves – even if they seem a little repetitive.
Rape is not shown, but its effects are; the Japanese are as unpleasant as
they were in OTL. Me thinks that the occupation of Japan in ATL will be harsher
and more brutal – a sequel in the making, perhaps? It’s hard to say why I don’t like this book.
It’s tedious – it could have been reduced to one volume and just had
the liberation at the end of the book. While
the characters are interesting they go through the same motions, all the time.
Compared to Ruled Britannia,
its drek. Three out of five…
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