Castle Keep

The Gothic, and mediaeval meet up with 20th century warfare. This unique and bizarre W.W.II novel is told in first person by each of the obscure characters as they move between chapters: from a group of fun loving, lost in their own little world U.S. Army Privates, Sergeants, and Lieutenants, to the stubborn, quirky Major and his Captains who are set out to defend a castle, that happens to be caught at the crossroads of the German counterattack in the Ardennes. And it wouldn't be a castle without a duke; he and his wife help to tell this surreal story. Witty, funny, intellectual----borders on the ridiculous----is there really a war going on. Wish you well Scott

Castle Keep is an excellent story set during the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. A detachment of American soldiers is sent to guard a Belgian castle that is owned by a count and his young wife. Led by Major Falconer, a one-eyed Navajo Indian, the men live a life separate from the war as they occupy the castle. The rest of the men include a musician, an art historian, a writer, a baker, an ex-reverend, a cowboy, another Indian, and just a regular old sergeant. There are truly funny scenes in the book that have you laughing out loud, most noticably during the incident with Lt Amberjack and Sergeant Rossi as they try to destroy a Volkswagen. The period of rest the soldiers have is broken by the German attack in the Ardennes. While much of the book is very humorous, the battle scenes are very stirring and emotional. This book might not be for everyone, but many people will enjoy this kind of off the wall humor. Sometimes it seems that Eastlake just tried to make the oddest thing imaginable work in his story. Also check out the movie of the same name starring Burt Lancaster and Peter Falk. The movie stays very true to the novel and is well worth a watch. Check out Castle Keep for a very enjoyable World War II comedy/adventure!

Story about a group of American soldiers charged with the responsibility of guarding a castle overlooking an important crossroad. Must read for people who appreciate the Catch22 type humour.

If Jim Jarmusch ever decides to do a war film, this is what he should base it on. This is a wonderfully odd, comic and moving account of war as pure absurdity. The writing is tons better than Heller in Catch-22, the most obvious comparison. Set in Belgium, a group of American soldiers are given the assignment of holding a castle against the on-coming German front. Their leader is a one-eyed American Indian who is boffing the niece/daughter/wife of the castle's duke. The rest of the soldiers make-up a classic American cultural cross-section: another Indian, a black, a cowboy, a baker, and an art historian. The story is told in chapters from the POVs of the various characters, like Faulkner's As I Lay Dying. Lot's of hilarious dialogue. Thank god Dalkey Archive re-issued this work in their American Literature Series.