THE RED MACHINES

by F.D. Reeve ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 26, 1968

Mr. Reeve is better at the ""brief, immediate emotions"" captured in rough, terse dialogue than at expository descriptions where you find children that ""were the products of the sleepless nights the rose-lipped mother had sought the thrill that reached her toes."" But outside of toe titillating, this novel attempts to capture the stark life-styles of a group of combiners, migrants moving through hot, golden wheat country. There is a large cast of characters including Ralph, trapped by an unenviable marriage; Wendell who viewed love as corrupt and dirty; Virginia the daughter who had been big-citying, now home after a bad affair; her father Pete, the boss, and his wife, Rose, who ""admired power""; young idealistic Jack; Arnold, pederast who liked little boys; ""LD"" and wife Kate, who ""liked being pregnant. She was a cow""; Fred, looking for a wife; Guy ""used to everything."" This itinerant crew goes about the business of harvesting with a few interruptions: a prairie fire a sudden death, trips to the general store, a poker game. But mostly they're involved with their own confined interests: the weather, the market, sex (not necessarily in that order). The author succeeds in presenting a picture of a limited landscape but his bovine women and insensitive men don't inspire much interest. And his writing varies from the acceptable to the atrocious.

Pub Date: April 26, 1968

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Morrow

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1968

Categories: FICTION