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1838
1838 proves to be the turning point in Dan "Beaverman" McDaniel's life. At first, he thinks he is always a day late when he misses fighting in The Battle of the Alamo. But tragedy then makes him think life's burdens have been dumped on him at too early of an age to endure them. He seeks comfort by retreating to the wilderness and life as a mountain man. "1838" is Book 3 in the Americana Series, which takes a look at America during important phases of its history. Each book in the series can be read as a stand-alone.
131 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 6, 2018
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July 20, 2020
1838 by Steve Stroble is an enjoyable historical novella focusing on the wild-west life of Dan McDaniel Beaverman. Though it’s not an edge-of-your-seat, can’t-put-it-down story, with good storytelling, decent language, and relatable characters, it leaves the reader satisfied in the end.
It’s hard to find fault in a story that’s told well, and 1838 is told well. Though just 111 pages, the story covers McDaniel’s life from childhood to death, and doesn’t seem to suffer from any pacing issues. The story is relatively innocent, though it hints at the dark parts of America’s history, but the series of anecdotes from McDaniel’s life are interesting enough to hold the reader’s attention throughout.
It’s a quick read, but a very entertaining one. I found that the most interesting aspect was the portrayal of the America of the 19th century. Though of course, being an American myself, I’ve studied this period of history before, it’s nice to see it portrayed in a fictional setting. The book is in no way meant to be educational, but I do feel I got a glimpse of what kind of world Dan McDaniel lived in. After finishing this novella, I felt an appreciation for the west and for the awesomeness of its wilderness. I also learned much about what being a “mountain man” means.
I do wish maybe there had been more specific references to American history; it was only just briefly touched on in the end. It might have been a really good story if it had dived a little deeper.
I did appreciate the characters presented in the story, however. Every one had a distinct personality and unique interaction with Dan, and it was fun to see them interact in a historical setting. My only disappointment was that, likely due to the short length of the book, there wasn’t much time to really appreciate each character, as they flitted in and out of Dan’s life.
Still, this is a very enjoyable short read. If you love history, particularly American history, you’ll enjoy the small-time drama and wilderness fun this novella has to offer. This might even be an interesting read to incorporate into a U.S. history class in high school!
It’s hard to find fault in a story that’s told well, and 1838 is told well. Though just 111 pages, the story covers McDaniel’s life from childhood to death, and doesn’t seem to suffer from any pacing issues. The story is relatively innocent, though it hints at the dark parts of America’s history, but the series of anecdotes from McDaniel’s life are interesting enough to hold the reader’s attention throughout.
It’s a quick read, but a very entertaining one. I found that the most interesting aspect was the portrayal of the America of the 19th century. Though of course, being an American myself, I’ve studied this period of history before, it’s nice to see it portrayed in a fictional setting. The book is in no way meant to be educational, but I do feel I got a glimpse of what kind of world Dan McDaniel lived in. After finishing this novella, I felt an appreciation for the west and for the awesomeness of its wilderness. I also learned much about what being a “mountain man” means.
I do wish maybe there had been more specific references to American history; it was only just briefly touched on in the end. It might have been a really good story if it had dived a little deeper.
I did appreciate the characters presented in the story, however. Every one had a distinct personality and unique interaction with Dan, and it was fun to see them interact in a historical setting. My only disappointment was that, likely due to the short length of the book, there wasn’t much time to really appreciate each character, as they flitted in and out of Dan’s life.
Still, this is a very enjoyable short read. If you love history, particularly American history, you’ll enjoy the small-time drama and wilderness fun this novella has to offer. This might even be an interesting read to incorporate into a U.S. history class in high school!
Displaying 1 of 1 review