MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED

by John Dos Passos ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 27, 1954

In the vein of Chosen Country, this is once more a story of how the restless younger ""intellectuals"" drifted into Communism. And again- as with Chosen Country. I found most of it abysmally boring. ""Drunks and bohemians and addle-headed liberals""- to quote Dos Passos on Dos Passos, add up to a pretty dreary tale. The story opens with Jed Morris homeward-bound on a French liner, on a summons to be in on a new little experimental theatre project, with substantial backing. From that point on, it is one project after another, in theatre, in movies; one lay after another- with interludes of marriage and divorce; and fringe activities of Communists out to spread world revolution. The girl of the ship rounds the circle some ten or more years later, when they join forces in Los Angeles. The one hitch seems to be her indifference to his social aims. And the story ends -- presumably with a heart attack -- when Jed returns she is a secret agent and the Party orders her elimination. Little people at high level activities, within the Hollywood circles. I was not entertained.

Pub Date: Sept. 27, 1954

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Prentice-Hall

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1954

Categories: FICTION