Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-01-06

nor by any means the worst.
of a long succession of Harper
prize novels.
It Is better written, a nearer
approach to what used to be
called literature-they call it
effectiveness, heaven knows
what else these days-than
the award-winner Of two years
ago, Don NJ. Mankiewicz's
topical. rather sensational
Trial"
Brother Architects
Tower in the West" Is
about an architect-about two
architects, in fact, one dead In
the first chapter but casting
a posthumous shadow over the
rest Of the book. These archi-
tects were brothers, and the
surviving one. George Hanes,
tells the story. His brother,
Thomas Jefferson Hanes, q
great architect. we are told. an
artist in stone and steel, had
Just completed his finest
achievement. a structure in st.
Louis topped by a beautiful
tower.
The brothers Hanes were
half owners Of this architec-
tural masterpiece. The other
owners were the Reagans, con-
tractors, the sort of shanty
Irish whom some novelists pre-
fer for villains. jeff HaneS,
driving with his wife in Nor
way. was killed when their car
swerved of the highway. His
wife. Mary. escaped with
minor injuries.
To Avoid Scandal
Before that, Jeff's brother
George. had learned that
Mary was intimate with Ed
Reagen. George had broken
the contractors jaw. Now that
jeff was dead. George learned
that Mary was carrying Eds
child. 1t must be understood
and emphasized that George
worshipped his older brother,
followed humbly in his shadow,
considered himself. not with
entire justice, mediocre beside
JEFF. So. since Ed Reagen was
married, George, rather than
see a scandal clouding his
brothers cherished name, mar
ried Mary. 1t was only a NOM
lnal marriage. because George
had no use for his sister-in-
law. considered her. apparently
with reason. a tramp. George
was In love with a girl named
Margaret, who inconsiderately
married while George was fly
ing for the Navy in the first
world war.
JEFF left two children, and it
devolved on George to educate
and be a father to the son,
little JEFF. who bored his moth
er. JEFF and Mary lived as far
apart as possible.
Best Character"
The Tower, to me, is the
most intriguing character in
the book. 1t was completed in
1914, contained an Office build
ing. a luxurious hotel, a
theater. fine shops. We trace
its career over the years. Dur
ing the dry reign it was leased
to Georges flying mate in the
Navy, the son of a st. Louis
banker. The son turned out
to be st. Louis leading boot
logger, and the proud building
was infested with honkey-
tonks and racketeers. Finally.
during the second war, the
Government took it over for
a training base, and its in
terror was wrecked. All these
years George worked desper-
ately to keep at least the lovely
exterior of the Tower intact,
a lasting memorial to bis
brother.
Georges self-immolation in
marrying his sister-in-law was
typical. He was obviously a
man Of good will, of the best
intentions, but, as the boys say.
he was born behind the eight
ball. Nothing ever went quite
right for him. His motive in
marrying Mary was misunder-
stood and st. Louis society
Snubbed him. When it turned
out that he was an intimate
friends Of JUNE" the notori-
Gus racketeer, that, too, was
stored up against him. He
wanted to marry Margaret.
who was ready to divorce her
husband, but Mary perversely
refused to give him a divorce
and. being a gentleman, he
couldn't bring himself to d.
vorce her.
Tiresome TangIes
The domestic tangles Of all
the leading characters become
tiresome. They are so typical
OF the average contemporary
novel. No married people In
the story seem to be happy
with each other. but each re-
quires someone else.
AS a narrator. George is
civilized and amusing, never
without a wry humor. though
he is garrulous to the point
OF being longwinded. Under
ms keen observations all the
characters take shape clearly.
II none is as interesting as the
inanimate one, the Tower.
After all, the author wrote his
story around the Tower and
It's influence on his protago-
mist