The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-09-22
BY WALTER ID. HICKMAN

RY WALTER ID. HICKMAN
IF should tell you that l have
i lust finished a 532-paged novel
and nothing happened in it but
everything happened, you would say
that l was crazy.
Well. anyway. that was my honest
reaction toward Queer Street by
the English novelist, Edward
Shanks. which recently was pub
Iished by the Bobbs-Merrill Com
pany.
Here are just as minute, sincere
and deliberately drawn characters as
YOU would find in any Priestley
novel. Entire chapters are devoted
to the careful development OF just
certain characters.
l had the feeling at times that
this novel took months and months
to write and to construct. Shanks Is
not only an artist in the creation OF
characters but he is mighty liter
airy workman.
Several of my friends told me to
be sure and get copy of queer
Street" because this was one OF the
few novels which took many oppo-
site characters and caused them to
live and breathe in postwar Lon
don.
The startling indictment is ever
present that if this is a true con-
ception of modern civilization and
an accurate account of us humans
today. then pity both civilization
and we mortals as well
With all the comedy there is a
human foundation for pathOs which
is tremendous. The weaknesses in
the richly great" and the poorly
poor" have been developed in amaz-
ing style.
And the funny thing about it, I
did not meet a character in Queer
Street" that I would want to call a
friend and yet the brilliancy of the
author kept me up night after night
to live" with this modern gang of
cheaters, liars, weaklings and other
humans.
THE reader of Queer Street"
Il must not be hurried in reading
this gigantic study of one modern
human after another
You will not like the characters,
even the good ones. because they
have their off days and their nasty
moments Just like all other humans.
Shanks permits the reader to get
closer to the most intimate thoughts,
actions and desires of the characters
than any novelist l have en-
countered in many months
The artistry of the author in max
ing these characters actually step
out of the printed page and start
leading their little big or big little
lives right in front of you is moth
ing short of being startling and
magical.
And it really isn't a connected
story at all because your interest
shifts as the different characters get
their paths mixed up and crossed.
The only way that 1 can tell you
the story cit is really the stories of
a large group of people. that is their
very intimate personal lives and yet
their lives at times are not only
cheap but humanity silly is to intro
duce you TO some of the characters.
You will want TO know first of all
Mona, the bed-Sitting- girl be-
cause there is going to be a lot of
talk about Mona. Is she Just a
cheap mistress who tries to ease her
conscience by not desiring to marry
any man with whom she shares bed
and board or companionship. The
Bran Pie. postwar English club
which caters to all sorts of people
the rich. the titled. and kept and
the unkept as long as they observed
certain rules of the club
1t is this whisky. beer. wine and
ale soaked atmosphere of the Bran
Pie which reveals to the best advan-
tage the avility of the author to
create a setting for his characters.
Really. 1 felt I knew all about the
Bran Pie, its cheaterS in high and
low society. its foolish women. men,
bers. some wives. its sex disturbed
males and above all the real reasons
why human the humans in this
story sought its we'll guarded and
protected rooms and bars for
periods of relaxation.
You must know and understand
Mona as she passes from one male
experience to another, because she
ends up living without a wedding
ceremony with Euan Carteret who
might be termed the chief hero or
rather character around which all
the little and big ones move in this
pool of life. At times. this pool is
sluggish and then suddenly becomes
an ocean which sails the greatest
dreams OF modern finance.
Right at the end of the novel
Mona tells you that Euan hasn't
asked her to marry him. She saws.
wouldn't if he did. 1 don't want
10 settle down. It's much more fun
TO so about together as We do. with
out being tied
Then Mona utters this remark