The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-02-17
BY WALTER d. HICKMAN

Il ton OF the year IS ann WICK
ers" and Sinclair Lewis. the author
OF Rabbit" Main Street and
Elmer Gentry" is the cause OF
AIMS prominence.
Ann to me seems to be The woman
who has experienced the most of
her sex in the last thirty years in
this country.
She suffered, triumphed and failed
in her struggles from the time she
was relieved by the Grace of Goo
of her fathers logic and philosophy
of life as superintendent of schools
in small Illinois town, called by
Lewis, "Waubanakee' until she at
tached herself to a married judge
In New York.
The striking and challenging
thing about Ann Vickers is that she
is an ordinary woman" and not an
exceptional one And that is the
reason she is going to be the most
discussed woman in this years fic-
ton.
When Ann was a yOungSter her
father and mother worked on the
theory that Ann "as being respecta-
bly, educated by her father and
mother, by the Waubanakee public
schools, and the Sunday school of
The First (and only Waubanakee
Presbyterian church
When Ann spoke out Of turn in
her Sunday school class and wanted
to know why Lots wife didn't have
good reasons to look back at Sodom
and found fault with God turning
her into pillar of salt, Ann was
promptly marched right out Of the
class in disgrace. And Ann prompt
ly became stunned, anarchiStiC
with this early discovery if injustice
yet too amazed to start a riot"
And AS only Lewis can sum ur
character in a single sentence. you
disCover-"Now it is true that Ann
ViCkers, at Is, was all that she WoulC
ever be at 40, except for the trim
mingS.'
Lewis gets down under the sur.
face of life and sex in girl!
school when Ann goes to Point Roya
college and the author brands tn,
school from pupils to faculty {
'nunnery' with the possible ex.
ception Of the assistant professor
of history, who tried to elevate
Ann through the ancient methoC
and her clumsily offered purple
Greece and golden Italy and mist,
England"
And Ann won when she told thu
profesSOr-"I don't sec Just what be.
ing Seduced has to do with VISITING
purple Greece and misty England
New way of paying for Cook
Tours, l should think"
Then marvel at Lewis description
Of the college faculty-"M of tn,
male teachers at Point Royal wer,
gray and worried and timd, ant
given to morality and peanut but
ter
Enough for AIMS hectic days a
college Lewis hits his most mag
nifCent stride when Ann goes int,
the early movement for woman
suffrage.
Ann VickerS as a social expert be
comes the storm center Of a South
ern prison 1t must be remembers
that Lewis warns the reader tina
"all characters are entirely fcti
tious" and while it is believed tina
an entirely accurate account
given of prisons, settlement house
and suffrage organizations, none @
the institutions described refer t
actual institutions"
And yet it is AIMS struggle to d
something against the terrible Sys
tenn of punishment of the prisoner
which results in one of her mos
crushing defeats.
Here it is believed is the biggeS
writing of the year To my ow
little way of thinking it is the mos
tremendous theater of fiction W
have had in many years. And
have only scratched the surface c
this story.
Published by Doubleday, Dora
& Co., sells for $3.50.
Booksellers over the country re
port that Bobbs- Merrill OF Indian
apolis is the publisher of one c
the consistent best sellers in non
fiction. OF course, it is 'Richar
Hallburton's The FLYING Carpet
Have Just received a copy of "Th
Woman's Doctor" The title as
sures you that its author is anony
nous. Published by Macaulay. Won
Ger what the doctors actually thin
Of these revelations"
What is the name of Fanni
Hurst's new novel? 1t is "Imitatio
OF Life" And I believe that Be
Pullman. its chief character, Will ri
Ann Vickers a close second as tn
most discussed lady of this year
fiction.