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The Vaiden Trilogy #1
The Forge
The Forge follows the story of Miltiades Vaiden, a Civil War veteran who has returned to his southern home in the hopes of rebuilding and eventually rising into the ranks of the middle class.
Paperback
First published January 1, 1931
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About the author
T.S. Stribling
47 books25 followersThomas Sigismun Stribling was a staff writer for "Saturday Evening Post" and a lawyer. He published under the name T.S. Stribling. In the 1920's and 1930's, T. S. was America's foremost author. His most notable works were "Birthright," "Teeftfollow," "Backwater," "The Forge" and "The Unfinished Cathedral". He won the Pulitzer Prize for his book, "The Store" in 1933.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
September 19, 2014
I am on a mission to read the (fiction) Pulitzers...it's a challenge I set myself years ago, and I'm making slow but steady progress. The Store, the second book in this trilogy, won the Pulitzer in 1933. And, of course, I couldn't read the second book without reading the first! I believe I purchased the book from either Amazon or AbeBooks, as the books are somewhat scarce - I don't think I was able to Mooch it.
The Forge introduces us to the Vaiden family, a seemingly normal family of the pre-Civil War South. The book is an interesting look into the reactions of plantation owners and Southern aristocrats to the Civil War. The Vaidens - how should I describe them? Proud, somewhat dense, blind to their own shortcomings, but also kind-hearted (some of them). The book follows the various members of the Vaiden family in the time just before, during, and just after the Civil War. Outwardly, the book is just the simple story of this family, how they cope with the changes in the South after losing the war. However, Stribling, while being a Southerner himself, takes a somewhat different view of the South than most others writing at the same time. His tongue-in-cheek portrayal of the dying breed of Southern men and women that he knew as a young boy was often incredibly humorous.
Fair warning: the book was published in 1931, and it was written about a period in history that was not so, ahem, socially conscious as we are today. The Southern planters refer to any African-American person as the n-word. There is a rape scene involving a slave girl and one of the planter's sons. Women are seen as domestic goddesses and not much else. Some of the Vaidens join the KKK after the war. It is definitely a warts-and-all look at life in the Civil War and Reconstruction South.
But Stribling finds the humor in the attitudes and beliefs of the family. I found myself chuckling at his one-liners quite often. It is an interesting look at the "typical Civil-War-era Southerner" from a truly non-typical Southern viewpoint. I didn't think I'd like the book; I guess I expected it to be dry and boring, but I found it really interesting and at times hilarious. Four out of five Whatevers. Recommended for Civil War buffs, those who like family sagas (because it is that, too), and anyone who wants to read a classic from one of our forgotten American authors.
The Forge introduces us to the Vaiden family, a seemingly normal family of the pre-Civil War South. The book is an interesting look into the reactions of plantation owners and Southern aristocrats to the Civil War. The Vaidens - how should I describe them? Proud, somewhat dense, blind to their own shortcomings, but also kind-hearted (some of them). The book follows the various members of the Vaiden family in the time just before, during, and just after the Civil War. Outwardly, the book is just the simple story of this family, how they cope with the changes in the South after losing the war. However, Stribling, while being a Southerner himself, takes a somewhat different view of the South than most others writing at the same time. His tongue-in-cheek portrayal of the dying breed of Southern men and women that he knew as a young boy was often incredibly humorous.
Fair warning: the book was published in 1931, and it was written about a period in history that was not so, ahem, socially conscious as we are today. The Southern planters refer to any African-American person as the n-word. There is a rape scene involving a slave girl and one of the planter's sons. Women are seen as domestic goddesses and not much else. Some of the Vaidens join the KKK after the war. It is definitely a warts-and-all look at life in the Civil War and Reconstruction South.
But Stribling finds the humor in the attitudes and beliefs of the family. I found myself chuckling at his one-liners quite often. It is an interesting look at the "typical Civil-War-era Southerner" from a truly non-typical Southern viewpoint. I didn't think I'd like the book; I guess I expected it to be dry and boring, but I found it really interesting and at times hilarious. Four out of five Whatevers. Recommended for Civil War buffs, those who like family sagas (because it is that, too), and anyone who wants to read a classic from one of our forgotten American authors.
August 21, 2010
T. S. Stribling was born and raised in Florence, Alabama and The Forge takes place near Gravelly Springs and Florence. This elaborate tale of the area just before, during and after the Civil War follows the experiences of the Vaiden family. Stribling's first of a trilogy, the second of which, The Store won the Pultizer in 1933, The Forge is a winding tale of action and a picture of life as I've never considered it at that time, a very human rendition of the war time south and the Yankees who resided here. It's a long one at 500+ pages and much of it written in dialect, thus it took me a little longer than most novels to read, but it has left me wanting to know more about the people during the Civil War, not to mention, Stribling is very simply, a darn good writer.
August 28, 2010
The Forge is book 1 in the 3 part Vaiden series. The books begin at the start of the Civil War and follow one Southern family through reconstruction.
The second in the series, The Store, won the Pulitzer in 1933, so I decided to read the entire series.
The Forge was very successful at creating this family and depicting their lives. The pace was quick, in fact in the 500 or so pages of this first book, we went all the way through a family owning slaves, signing up to fight in the Civil War, losing half of their family in the battles, losing the war, losing their slaves and eventually losing all of their money. They went from being a prominent and well respected family to having nothing and being shamed into town.
There is a definite agenda of the author, to both show this family in a sympathetic life and to make a statement against the way they lived. I found him to be extremely successful at this as well.
It's a little strange reviewing this book now, as I finished it and immediately began the second book. So it basically feels like I'm still in the middle of it. I was torn rating it, because it's something I've really enjoyed and become somewhat lost in, yet it isn't necessarily something I'd recommend to someone either.
The second in the series, The Store, won the Pulitzer in 1933, so I decided to read the entire series.
The Forge was very successful at creating this family and depicting their lives. The pace was quick, in fact in the 500 or so pages of this first book, we went all the way through a family owning slaves, signing up to fight in the Civil War, losing half of their family in the battles, losing the war, losing their slaves and eventually losing all of their money. They went from being a prominent and well respected family to having nothing and being shamed into town.
There is a definite agenda of the author, to both show this family in a sympathetic life and to make a statement against the way they lived. I found him to be extremely successful at this as well.
It's a little strange reviewing this book now, as I finished it and immediately began the second book. So it basically feels like I'm still in the middle of it. I was torn rating it, because it's something I've really enjoyed and become somewhat lost in, yet it isn't necessarily something I'd recommend to someone either.
August 27, 2009
Very readable and fair, especially considering it was published in 1931.
August 5, 2007
I just thought I'd include this since although I read it a long time ago, it's a little known bookd about the Civil War and I have fond memories of it. This novel was written in the thirties about a locale near the Alabama-Tennessee border during the Civil War, based loosely on living memory, and has rich dialogue and an authentic feel about it. I've got a copy if you want to borrow.
February 22, 2015
It took me a long time to track down this book. I had to put in three different interlibrary loan requests before the library was able to get me a copy. So was it worth the wait? Meh. It wasn't bad, and I'm going to read the next book in the trilogy, but it wasn't the best thing I've read. It was okay.
November 18, 2019
Hard to handle some of the language but this book speaks about voter suppression in the south as if it were being written today.
April 10, 2020
Strange novel about a slave-owning family in north Alabama pre- and post- Civil War. The patriarch of the family earned his land and slaves as a blacksmith. Most of the characters are pretty bizarre, especially the old man and his wife. The opening sections, recording some of the family's conversations, reminded me vaguely of the odd, whimsical word flow in Kelly's Pogo. Interesting, but the reader will have to be willing to skim over the racially biased words (they may just be here as a cover-up, but it's still jarring). I'll let others decide for themselves. Not an easy read, but I'm glad I read it.
May 3, 2021
Think “Gone With the Wind “ without all the beautiful people. This book has the same elements but all the characters are flawed and slavery is presented much more realistically. I love history so really enjoyed this, especially the later portion dealing with life after the war. Crazy flurry of people suddenly jilting their fiancés in order to marry someone else at the last minute. So some plot twists were a bit much. But overall this was very worth reading if you can handle the racist language.
July 30, 2024
I was surprised that I hadn’t heard of this book that is set in Florence, Alabama and part of a trilogy in which the second book won the Pulitzer Prize. I thought this book was pretty good, although the subject matter was not always pleasant to read about. This book was about the way that society was before, during, and after the civil war. They didn’t pretend that it was better than it actually was, and I think it would be worse if they had. But it did have some disturbing subject matter.
April 13, 2018
Interesting book. Portrays the South after the Civil War. Mainly read it as a precursor to The Store.
The Forge follows the story of Miltiades Vaiden, a Civil War veteran who has returned to his southern home in the hopes of rebuilding and eventually rising into the ranks of the middle class.
The Forge follows the story of Miltiades Vaiden, a Civil War veteran who has returned to his southern home in the hopes of rebuilding and eventually rising into the ranks of the middle class.
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April 8, 2020Not as good as I expected. Chronology of Civil War is way off and gives traditional view of reconstruction. Gives point of view of some characters at beginning and then drops them for the rest of the book.
May 15, 2019
Fascinating story, full of archaic and regional words and expressions. However, the n-word always gives me a painful shock, no matter who uses it or in what time period.
February 15, 2022
So interesting to read a novel written in this period.
February 26, 2017
Published in 1931 - about Civil War in the South and views of slavery. Some used the Bible to justify slavery which I had forgotten. Caution if you're offended by the "N" word because it is full of it; you have to keep in mind of when it was written. First book of a trilogy, the 2nd of which won the Pulitzer Prize and is called "The Store" which I have ordered from the library.
August 18, 2014
I checked this book out from the NC State University library. The book was a first printing (1931)embossed with NC State College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. I don't know when the author started writing this account of the Civil War, but it is apparent that he had personal connections with many people who may have survived this war, as soldier and as civilian. Having grown up in the south, here are some quotes that hit home with me:
"The North is concerned mainly with gaining a livelihood; the South is trying to mold something out of life itself."
And the basis of modern day politics:
"In early September, at the beginning of cotton picking time, the white Democratic party in Lauderdale County scented a political victory in the approaching gubernatorial election. The Klan, which was responsible for this hopeful stat of things, was full of that optimistic enthusiasm which always precedes an election in America. Few negroes would vote a the coming poll. Not many would brave the spectral terrors and the very solid horsewhips of the Klan."
"Why do you sty on the plantation?" inquired the general. (Yankee general)
"Because we's got to eat," said one of the group (black men)
"Very well," responded the candidate for governor (Yankee general), "the Republican party realizes you must eat. They have spent blood and money to make free and independent voters of you black people. Do you imagine General Grant and the Union army are going to allow the white men now to starve you back into slavery?"
The negroes said they didn't know, it looked like they were.
"Certainly not,: snapped the small blond man in a crisp businesslike tone. "The government will take care of you black men just as it takes care of the Indians. You don't have to stay on the plantations and nobody can keep you from voting. The Republican party will see to it that honest Republicans don't starve."
Democratic Party = KKK = bondage; Republican Party = freedom to think and vote accordingly.
"The government will protect them to that extent in the right of every citizen to cast his vote."
"I imagine if they (black men) intended to vote the Democratic ticket (KKK, white plantation owners) you gentlemen would see the iniquity of forbidding them to come to the polls."
"Then you don't even pretend that it's anything more than a scheme to forward your own political ends!"
Now onto reading book 2 of the series, and the Pulitzer Prize winner, The Store.
"
"The North is concerned mainly with gaining a livelihood; the South is trying to mold something out of life itself."
And the basis of modern day politics:
"In early September, at the beginning of cotton picking time, the white Democratic party in Lauderdale County scented a political victory in the approaching gubernatorial election. The Klan, which was responsible for this hopeful stat of things, was full of that optimistic enthusiasm which always precedes an election in America. Few negroes would vote a the coming poll. Not many would brave the spectral terrors and the very solid horsewhips of the Klan."
"Why do you sty on the plantation?" inquired the general. (Yankee general)
"Because we's got to eat," said one of the group (black men)
"Very well," responded the candidate for governor (Yankee general), "the Republican party realizes you must eat. They have spent blood and money to make free and independent voters of you black people. Do you imagine General Grant and the Union army are going to allow the white men now to starve you back into slavery?"
The negroes said they didn't know, it looked like they were.
"Certainly not,: snapped the small blond man in a crisp businesslike tone. "The government will take care of you black men just as it takes care of the Indians. You don't have to stay on the plantations and nobody can keep you from voting. The Republican party will see to it that honest Republicans don't starve."
Democratic Party = KKK = bondage; Republican Party = freedom to think and vote accordingly.
"The government will protect them to that extent in the right of every citizen to cast his vote."
"I imagine if they (black men) intended to vote the Democratic ticket (KKK, white plantation owners) you gentlemen would see the iniquity of forbidding them to come to the polls."
"Then you don't even pretend that it's anything more than a scheme to forward your own political ends!"
Now onto reading book 2 of the series, and the Pulitzer Prize winner, The Store.
"
April 27, 2016
This book follows the the fall of the South from the antebellum period through the reconstruction through the eyes of the Vaiden family. The beginning of the saga reads a little like an American Pride and Prejudice. I had a difficult time discerning whether the author's hypocrisy was intentional or ironic with regard to his characters. The bias against "yankees" bordered on caricature at various points, as did the the depictions of slaves as child-like and animal in nature. Yet even the losses of his protagonists were revealed with a deadpan, somewhat tongue in cheek tone, one which made all of the characters seem like simpletons unable to comprehend the world beyond their own selfish desires.
This was a very, very difficult book to come by, one that has been on mt to-read list for years. Most copies retail for somewhere north of $30 up to $1800. Somehow I scored a first edition hardbound copy for $10. I'll be hanging on to it for awhile.
Whether you sympathize with white southerners or not, the characters and storytelling were masterfully entertaining. The slow, slack-jawed brand of yokel penned by Stribling makes me wonder if he influenced Charles Portises' True Grit.
This was a very, very difficult book to come by, one that has been on mt to-read list for years. Most copies retail for somewhere north of $30 up to $1800. Somehow I scored a first edition hardbound copy for $10. I'll be hanging on to it for awhile.
Whether you sympathize with white southerners or not, the characters and storytelling were masterfully entertaining. The slow, slack-jawed brand of yokel penned by Stribling makes me wonder if he influenced Charles Portises' True Grit.
August 3, 2016
This book felt like a truthful account of a family during that time period (just before, during, and just after the Civil War). Most books of about this time period try to glorify the South in some way, and they avoid all of the real problems, issues and social hypocrisies that that existed.
That being said this book is uncomfortable to read at times, because of their poor treatment of slaves and former slaves. However, at the same time it seems like a time capsule of how live was like. It shows the good, bad, and horrific sides.
That being said this book is uncomfortable to read at times, because of their poor treatment of slaves and former slaves. However, at the same time it seems like a time capsule of how live was like. It shows the good, bad, and horrific sides.
February 21, 2015
an interesting book. written in 1930 as the first book in a series of a 100 year history of the South. This book covers the period before the Civil War and through reconstruction. It is set in northern Alabama. Definitely not "politically correct" in today's environment but an excellent history.
February 27, 2020
This is the first book in T.S. Stribling's trilogy. If I'm going to read a Pulitzer winner, and the winner is in a series then it makes sense to me to read the whole series. The remaining books in this series are "The Store" and "Unfinished Cathedral". The series is great historical fiction.
May 24, 2016
Entertaining story, told from the point of view of a southern family at the beginning of the civil war. I have the second and third in the series and will read them as well.
August 28, 2016
Langauge and social views are dated. Characters are intriguing. Darker than gone with the wind. Still, the story is engaging. The reason I read it is because I'm interested in the sequel.
July 10, 2019
A stark portrayal of slavery and civil war America. Follows the fortunes and failings of an Alabama family from pre war through the beginning of reconstruction. Very moving.
April 28, 2017
I will review the entire trilogy when I complete the third book. For now suffice it to say this is book is reminiscent of Gone with the Wind only with a more realistic depiction of the lives of slaves and the brutality of the Klan.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews