THE DESERTER

by Nigel Gray ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 28, 1977

Nursing a badly sprained ankle, Dave (who has deserted the British army after a stint in Northern Ireland) is discovered in an abandoned house by Andy and Christine (his father lives with her mother) plus their pals Lucy and Terry. Quickly elevating Dave to almost guru status, the children make daily pilgrimages to his hideout to bring food and hear lectures on the obvious evils of war and a repressive society. For a supposed pacifist, however, Dave easily dismisses I.R.A. bombings (""They want the English soldiers to get out of Ireland. If we got out of Ireland, they'd stop putting bombs in England""). And Gray seems oblivious to the contradiction, adopting as he does a rigid and blindered anti-authoritarian stance. (Teachers, policemen and the like are by virtue of their profession rabid disciplinarians or hypocritic henchmen.) Even Andy's sensible, upfront Dad eventually succumbs to the author's simplistic sense of higher justice: While it's conceivable that Mr. Jarvis would help Dave escape to London, how many parents would so blithely permit their children to lie to police? And those readers who aren't quarreling with Gray will likely feel their gorge rising at all the unflagging good vibes. (Dave and his devotees are constantly hugging and ""cuddling."") A misguided lovein.

Pub Date: Sept. 28, 1977

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Harper & Row

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1977

Categories: FICTION