Evening star., 1948-01-04

Put in Reverse
InKutkoyNoveI
EAGLE AT MY EYES
BY Norman Katkov. Double
day; $2.75.)
Reviewed by
CARTER BROOKE JONES.

CARTER BROOKE JONES.
1t is possible that this novel will
stir as wide interest as "Gentleman's S
Agreement" and some of the other
books of 1947 that dealt with intol-
erance.
However much attention Mr.. Kat
kov's book attracts-and that's al
ways a hard matter to predict-it is
certain to kindle more controversy
than Laura z. Hobson's story, of
anti-Semitism. In fact, judging from
comments which the publisher
prints on back of the dust jacket,
Eagle at My Eyes" already has split
the opinions of those who read it
in advance. For Mr.. Katkoy has
not written just another novel of
religious or racial bigotry, but one
with an entirely different slant It
is, in part, "Gentleman's Agreement"
in reverse.
Mr.. Katkov, who grew up in st.
Paul, attended the University of
Minnesota and became newspaper
man, writes. about young man
with similar background. Joe Good
man is Jewish. He is considered
one of the most capable young re-
porters in the Twin Cities. He falls
in love with Mary Simpson of an
influential gentle family. He feels
that her family, and particularly
the Simpsons country club affilia-
tions, disapprove of him, although
Mary's father and mother invite
him to dinner and apparently make
a great effort to be nice to him.
Departs From Pattern.
So far it sounds like standard
work on anti-Semitism. But here
it departs completely. Joe's parents
are fanatically opposed to his mar
rying or having anything to do with
a gentle girl. To keep on living at
home in peace, Joe has to meet
Mary secretly and pretend he's
dropped her. But he fools no one.
He wants to marry her, but puts it
off, afraid it will not work because
he cannot fit into her world nor she
into his. But they're in love, and
finally they live together in their
own way Mary's father, infuriated,
accuses the young man of merely
philandering. Mary and Joe, after
trying a dozen times to break off
their affair, finally drive into Wis
consin and are married by justice
of the peace. They simply can't
give each other up.
After that there is, at least, a
truce with Mary's parents-mutual
visits and outward friendliness. But
when after year Joe, at the behest
of his father, finally takes Mary to
dinner with his family, the result is
disastrous. Joe's Russian-born fa-
ther tries to make his daughter in
law welcome. But Joes mother
manages to insult Mary SO thor
oughly that Joe has to take her
away soon after they have dined.
Picture Sometimes Overdrawn.
Joe, who tells the story, casually
brings in other mixed" marriages,
all with the same unhappy effects.
According to Joe (and presumably
the author, all Jewish families, at
least those with any orthodox lean
ings, feel that all 'gentiles hate them,
and so the best thing is to have as
little to do with them as possible.
Joe's own story brings in plenty
of anti-Semitism-the usual Sights,
snubs and insults dating back to
boyhood. Most of these, as all of
us know only too well, ring true.
Sometimes the picture is overdrawn
For instance, I doubt that the new
owner of a pro football team, how
ever bigoted, would have gotten rid
of a competent tackle because he
was Jew.
AS for the other side of the pic
ture, Jewish hatred of gentiles, !
have no way of knowing how wide
spread that is.
Mr.. Katkov's book has some of the
faults from which all propaganda
novels suffer. And yet it seems OBJ
vious that it was not written to be
sensational. There is an almost
terrible sincerity about it. The col
loquial way in which Joe speaks his
piece is commendable. But this easy
informality cannot excuse quite all
the grammatical lapses.
AMERICAN INTERIOR DESIGN
BY Meyric r. Rogers. Nv. w.
Norton & Co..
This impressive study of the field
of artistic expression which is di-
rectly concerned with the home Is
at the same time kind of cultural
history of the United States.