Evening star., 1949-02-13
James A. Michener's S
Cropping Study
OF Adolescence
THE FIRES OF SPRING

4A4H 44tIo SA MA 4SA4N0
BY James A. Michener. RAN
dom House; $780,
Mr.. Michener was awarded the
1947 Pulitzer Prize for a Collec-
tion of short stories, Tales of the.
South Pacific" This. his first
novel, is a sensitive, but cropping
and confused, study of boyhood,
adolescence and young manhood.
The author, the publishers tell
us, was reared in Pennsylvania S
Bucks County. and here at least
half the events of THE Fires of
Spring" take place. A sketch of
Mr.. Michener's experiences indi-
Gates that he shared some of the
environment and travel ascribed
to the character David Harper
without benefit of the more fam
tastic adventures that young man
underwent.
David, who occupies the center
of the stage throughout this long
book, grew up in a poorilouse. His
parents were dead. and an aunt,
one of the meanest characters on
record, was matron of the women's
ward. There was nowhere else
for the boy to live. While he was
in high school he worked sum-
merS at an amusement park
called Paradise, where he was
taught to short-change customers.
On scholarship he went to COL
lege called Dedham and graduated
with honors. Then he toured the
moribund Chatauqua circuit-that
year, 1929. was its last-as an
actor. Later. in New York, he
became assistant editor for a
group of pulp magazines special
izing in sex, crime and horror,
living in Greenwich Village. The
depression threw him out of work
for three years.
Cast Is Large.
The story is occupied with
large cast, including the various
women David loved or thought he
loved, and with a series of adven-
lures more or less bizarre.
The first part of the novel seems
to me much the best. The section
describing David's life in the poor
house and at school is different
from the ordinary stories of young
paupers awakening to the great
ness of the world and its oppor-
tunities. To David the poorhouse
was not a dismal place. but any,
thing he wanted to pretend it was.
The chapters about the amuse-
ment park are colorful. David
was tugged two ways, toward cul-
ture and toward the underworld.
His fellows employees were nearly
all crooks. On the other hand, he
got to know John Philip Sousa
and a symphony conductor. They
taught him to love great music.
When David enters college, the
story begins to sag, and it never
gets on firm ground again except
for brief intervals.
Chronic Confusion.
The author says repeatedly that
David was confused. Most young
men are at times. But with
David it is chronic condition that
has increased rather than dimin-
ished at the age of 26 when page
495 brings his story to close.
In fact, confusion is an un-
reinstatement, and the disoriented
state of his plans, ambitions and
impulses affects the whole book.
Violence, catastrophe and sud-
den death are frequent occur
rences in THE Fires of Spring"
1t sometimes seems that the au-
thor would take just so much from
q character, and then the fellow
was slapped doWn-permanently.
There is some sharp writing in
this overlong novel. There ALSO
is much empty. repetitious philoso-
phizing over the obvious. Some
characters are clear and persua-
sive; others are like so many fig
,1res in q comic Strip. C 3. j.