Evening star., 1948-07-18


BY A. J. Cronin. little, BroUn;
s3.)
Reviewed by
CARTER BROOKE JONES.
DR.. Cronin returns in his new
novel to the medical profession
which he wrote about SO sue
cessfully in THE Citadel"
"Shannon's Way" deals with
the vocational struggle and the
romantic difficulties of a postgradu'
ate medical student in Scotland II
the period following the First Worlc
War. The authors experiences al
the outset of his career must have
suggested the story. He studlec
medicine at the University of Glas-
cow, took time out to serve as 8
naval volunteer in the war, after
ward completed his studies ano
served his apprenticeship as a doc
tor in the coal fields of South Wales
Later he gave up good practice in
the West End of London and de-
voted himself to writing after his
first novel, "Hatter's Castle" hit the
best-seller lists.
AS this story opens Robert Shan-
non has taken his medical degree
with honors and is a laboratory
assistant and lecturer in the depart
ment of experimental pathology at
an institution called simply the
University. 1t is situated in Scot
tish town the author Identifies as
Winton. Youthful DR.. Shannon
does not want to practice; his am
bition is to devote himself to re-
search.
He already is engaged on his own
hook in important experiments. But
his chief, Prof. Usher, shallow
poseur, has Shannon working on
line which the young doctor con-
siders unpromiSing, If not scientif1-
callv obsolete. When Shannon per-
sists in his own research, over the
veto of the professor, Shannon Is
deprived of his fellowship, fired out
of the university. He has no money
and he tries futilely to get resi-
dencv in various hospitals, hoping to
complete his experiments in his
SPARE time at some borrowed labora-
tory.
He finally gets into a suburban
hospital for contagious diseases. But
a nurse whom he has reprlmandeo
for negligence manages to get him
discharged. After that it's an up
and-down struggle, with Shannon
often hungry and at other times
doing fairly well.
Meanwhile he has fallen IN love
with Jean Law, a senior meolcal
student. She returns his love but
there are difficulties that seem IN
s,lperable. Her family is of a re-
ligious persuasion sternly opposed tc
Shannon's Roman Catholic faith
and the girl has been destined Tor
medical mission in Africa. Shannon
is told to stay away, and Jean never
has challenged her family's au-
thority.
The young doctor has angulShlne
disappointments and Illustrations
both in his work and in his heart
But DR.. Cronin manages to figure
out everything for the best interests
of Rob Shannon and of the reader.
DR.. Cronin has pleasing style
1t is happily free OF the more
paudv embellishments OF many
popular writer's; it is simple and
moves fairly straight to the point
But the point usually is nothing OF
startling import-nothing to annoy
the reader with doubt and wonder
and perhaps goad him into some
cerebral effort. "Shannon's Way
moves easily along tried-and-true
lines. It closes with sentimental
impact that should wiring a gratefu
tear from the most brazen cynic
Beyond question it will have an i'm
mense sale. 1t should make stun
ming movie. Hollywood will MOI
even have to rewrite the ending.
"Shannon's Way" is a Literary
Guild selection.
A GHOST TOWN ON THE VEL
LOWSTONE
BY Elliot Paul (Randam House,
$500
Nothing remains Of the town OF
Trembles in Northeastern Montana
nothing except the memories OF
old-timers who recall what the place
looked like and some Of the char
acters who inhabited 1t IN the early
years of the century.
In those days Trembles' founder,
Bert Lacey, had put up a saloon, a
dance hall and sleeping quarters Tor
himself and his assistant-at nrst
only tents. Charley Tufts, the Yale
professor who got bored with his
classroom and "lit out" as the boys
said in that era, was doing super
visory work for the Government.
There was Bat Horner, the rancher.
given to practical jokes. There was
Walt Murray, the love-sick Vir-
ginian, ready to shoot any one who
looked hard at the girl Of his choice.
There were the Chinese helpers
whom, in the absence of further
identifcations, the men called All
Cook and All Flunk. And many
others.
One of the old-timers who re-
members is Elliot Paul. AS a boy
just out of an Eastern high school,
he got a job with the Reclamation
Service and saw Trembles emerge in
1907 from the mesa and become
lively station on the road along
which stage coaches still furnished
the only public transportation.
MIR. Paul here continues the
leisurely "reminiscences to which last
year he contributed Linden on the
Saugus Branch" delightful story
of his New England boyhood. His
picture of the Montana community,
a frontier 40 years ago, still primitive
in its appointments, is memorable.
From the time he came up the
Yellowstone River on the old steam
er with a bunch of engineers, fore
men and contractors engaged in