Evening star., 1947-09-07
Williams Novel
Is Big Volume
OfCHI War
HOUSE DIVIDED
BY Ben Ames Williams. (Hough'
ton Mi61in, $5J
Reviewed by

GOft AVA MtUttt, po'
Reviewed by
CARTER BROOKE JONES.
Before considering the most ex
traordinary, if not amazing, aspec
of this novel of the Civil War, it!
length-it runs to 1914 pages in
single volume-let's glance at 1t!
purpose and plan and its merits.
Mr.. Williams set out to trace the
lives of three brothers and two sis
ters, wealthy Virginians, plantation
owners, between 1859 and the sur.
render at Appomattox. They were
the children of Anthony Currain
born during his second marriage tc
a woman much younger than he
At the story's opening, Anthony
had been dead many years, his
widow was an old woman and Their
childrens children were grown.
The heirs of Anthony Currain hao
two plantations in Virginia, two In
the Carolinas. When the war came
the brothers enlisted, though they
were no longer young; three of the
grandsons were old enough In 81 tc
get in. During the peninsula cam
paign below Richmond, the Yankees
got too close and the Currains had
to abandon the parental place
Great Oak. The five children were
able to get there in time to move
their mother to Richmond ano
salvage some of the treasures. They
came across some hidden papers
which their mother had never seen
These were letters purporting tc
show that their fathers illegitimate
daughter was the mother of Abra-
ham Lincoln.
Effect Of the News.
The effect of this discovery, thai
they were related to the hated Lin
coin, on the varying characters o.
the children is developed. Tony. the
bachelor, who had never been toe
stable, decided cynically that the
proud Currains had a poor white
strain and needn't hold their head.
SO high; he dropped out OF the
Army, took to heavier drinking ano
headed toward moral disintegration
Faunt, the ascetic, the mystic, who
had enlisted reluctantly, became q
ferocious fighter. Trav, the peace
loving farmer of the family, hao
been a supply officer; he got into
active fighting. Their sister, Lu-
cinda tCinda), changed her mind
when she was allowed to go through
the lines to Washington to see her
gravely wounded son. She met
Lincoln, and he gave her a pass to
take the boy back to Virginia. She
went away convinced that the
despised "hedgerow" relative was a
great man.
It's impossible in brief review
to give even resume of such long
and intricate narrative, to touch on
all the important characters.
The military hero of the book Is
Gen. Longstreet, and some OF the
battle scenes, notably Gettysburg,
are told from his point of view. The
story, however, progresses through
many points of view, usually
through one or another of the Cur
rains or relation by marriage.
Putting the Blame on Lee.
According to the dust jacket, MIR.
Williams Is a grandnephew OF Gen
Ionsstreet, The author cannot be
blamed for wanting to put the pest
light on q kinsman. Yet when ne
blames the defeat Of Gettysburg on
the alleged blunders Of Gen. Lee,
and leads us to suppose the battle
would have been won II Longstreet's
advice had been followed, MIR. Will
liams is not on very firm historical
ground. Most Southern historians,
Including Douglas Southall Free
man. author OF the definitive "R. e.
Lee" blame Longstreet. There Is
nothing in Mr. Williams description
that indicates Longstreet's long de-
lay In carrying out Lees order to
attack on the third day. There were,
of course, other factors, such as the
failure of Stuart's cavalry to arrive
before the battle. And Longstreet
has not been without his defenders.
He defended himself in his military
memoirs. Then, too, Gen. Meade
and his Union Army had something
to do with the outcome ut Gettys-
burg, though Southerners rarely
consider that.
1t is we'll known that Mr.. Will
Hams' prose is clear and easy to
read. He has written more than q
few successful novels. Here he has
given a vivid account of family,
of the people around them, OF bat
ties. of the way civilians lived under
the Confederacy. No one can doubt
the vast research and careful work
manship that went into the book.
But is it such literary epic, is it
swept with such surging forces OF
human destiny that it requires de-
velopment at this immense length?
I do not think so.
Those who thought Gone With
the Wind" great novel probably
will hail House Divided" as mas
terpleCe. all ulldUlC w SEC cAoiiSA
book in that light. Margaret Mitch
ellis story was padded heavily
House Divided" Is better written
and almost twice as long.
Ever since Anthony Adverse" was
published, authors and publishers
have favored the long historical
novel. Perhaps they thought the
public, having made best sellers OF
several interninable romances, pre-
ferred them. Perhaps it does. But
there must be some limit to prolixity
The publishers of House Divided
boasted in advance publicity that 1t
was twice the length of War and
peace" They seemed to think there
was some transoendent merit in
mere length.
without the least wish to be dog
matte, I might suggest that art is a
matter of selection, not collection
n the perfection of a creative work
depended on the amount of material
used, some symphony that took Il
hours to perform, would be neces'
sarily greater than the Brahms