Review of Colors
213 posts
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Colors" by Samuel J Murray.]
Colors by Samuel J Murray is a non-fiction read. It is a genuine account of an Irish immigrant family. The book has a mystery. Also, it is a compilation of the lives of every important Murray family member starting from 1823 till now. The narrative starts around the mid-nineteenth century when Irish people immigrated to the US because of poverty and famine. The book will take the readers through some events of history I believe most people are unaware of.
William Murray, born in 1823 in Scotland, moved to the US in 1836. He got married and had a long line of descendants. Murray was reported dead in the War of Gettysburg, fighting for the Union Army in 1863. But this is not what actually happened. He never died in the war, nor was he enlisted in the army. This mystery will be solved by the accounts of the author's ancestors. Another aspect this book focuses on is the life of an Irish family in the slums of Brooklyn in the mid-nineteenth century. It has it all: the struggle they went through, the lives they lost, the tragedies that fell upon this family, how they turned rich, but still tragedy was a part of their lives, etcetera. The book will also enlighten the readers about the history of printing presses and the manufacturing of playing cards that are still used. This book offers a lot to the readers.
The book is hardly 130 pages long, but it offers a great deal to take in. I was amazed to read the accounts of the Murray family members and friends. It involves a mystery, crime, politics, death, and industrial struggle. More than three generations of the Murray family tell their account, serving the purpose of throwing light upon their settlement and growth in the US as poor immigrants, as well as solving the mystery about William Murray.
The best thing I like about the book is how it is written. There are a lot of family members in the book; some of them have kind of same names, which can confuse the readers, but the author has written the book brilliantly. Every family member's year of birth and death are mentioned, along with their relation to each other. I found this to be really helpful. One thing that I did not like about the book is that the author could have given a little more material. There are accounts of a lot of family members, but some of them are rather short. Some more detail would have done the job.
Coming to the editing part, I did find several typos and errors in the book. But nothing major enough to affect my reading experience. The writing style of the author is plain and simple. Moreover, it is a fast-paced read and can be completed in a single go. On the whole, I will rate it a 4 out of 4 stars read. The book is an amazing account of an untold story that has links to Irish immigration, which is something I knew nothing about, and the present manufacturing of playing cards. It is beautifully written and does not contain enough errors to take away a star. Hence, the perfect rating.
I will recommend this to readers who like to read non-fiction that contains historical events. Those who like to read about events that were never a part of the bigger picture, especially the ones between the nineteenth to the twentieth century must go for this read. Even historical fiction lovers can also give this book a try. I hope you enjoy the book as much as I did.
******
Colors
View: on Bookshelves |
Colors by Samuel J Murray is a non-fiction read. It is a genuine account of an Irish immigrant family. The book has a mystery. Also, it is a compilation of the lives of every important Murray family member starting from 1823 till now. The narrative starts around the mid-nineteenth century when Irish people immigrated to the US because of poverty and famine. The book will take the readers through some events of history I believe most people are unaware of.
William Murray, born in 1823 in Scotland, moved to the US in 1836. He got married and had a long line of descendants. Murray was reported dead in the War of Gettysburg, fighting for the Union Army in 1863. But this is not what actually happened. He never died in the war, nor was he enlisted in the army. This mystery will be solved by the accounts of the author's ancestors. Another aspect this book focuses on is the life of an Irish family in the slums of Brooklyn in the mid-nineteenth century. It has it all: the struggle they went through, the lives they lost, the tragedies that fell upon this family, how they turned rich, but still tragedy was a part of their lives, etcetera. The book will also enlighten the readers about the history of printing presses and the manufacturing of playing cards that are still used. This book offers a lot to the readers.
The book is hardly 130 pages long, but it offers a great deal to take in. I was amazed to read the accounts of the Murray family members and friends. It involves a mystery, crime, politics, death, and industrial struggle. More than three generations of the Murray family tell their account, serving the purpose of throwing light upon their settlement and growth in the US as poor immigrants, as well as solving the mystery about William Murray.
The best thing I like about the book is how it is written. There are a lot of family members in the book; some of them have kind of same names, which can confuse the readers, but the author has written the book brilliantly. Every family member's year of birth and death are mentioned, along with their relation to each other. I found this to be really helpful. One thing that I did not like about the book is that the author could have given a little more material. There are accounts of a lot of family members, but some of them are rather short. Some more detail would have done the job.
Coming to the editing part, I did find several typos and errors in the book. But nothing major enough to affect my reading experience. The writing style of the author is plain and simple. Moreover, it is a fast-paced read and can be completed in a single go. On the whole, I will rate it a 4 out of 4 stars read. The book is an amazing account of an untold story that has links to Irish immigration, which is something I knew nothing about, and the present manufacturing of playing cards. It is beautifully written and does not contain enough errors to take away a star. Hence, the perfect rating.
I will recommend this to readers who like to read non-fiction that contains historical events. Those who like to read about events that were never a part of the bigger picture, especially the ones between the nineteenth to the twentieth century must go for this read. Even historical fiction lovers can also give this book a try. I hope you enjoy the book as much as I did.
******
Colors
View: on Bookshelves |
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