MANY ARE CALLED

A superior group of forty-two short stories by one of more regular contributors to the New Yorker magazine. In spite of the circumscribed audience these stories have had, the range of subject, warmth of understanding, and character perspective result in a more general appeal. Also Mr. Newhouse's perspective is peculiarly American in temper and incident portraying the anxieties, desires and curious fulfillments of our citizens:- the middle-aged business man's weary personal stock-taking; G.I. restlessness; the hobo's lively ingenuity and sudden sentimentality; love and tension between husband and wife; the fierce protectiveness of a father toward his young son in a society which bristles with conflict; the dazzled awareness of the lure of big money; and always the love of a man for home, the yearning for security and companionship in the midst of other lonely people. The author's men talk their way against isolation in wealthy and poor homes, New York bars, candy stores, hotels, railroad yards, in war and peacetime Europe, in small towns and big cities. A sharp ear for revealing dialogue, a deep sympathy for the bruised but assertive ego, and a respect for decency and sincerity in all human relationships make this a distinguished collection. Thirty-nine of these forty-two short stories have appeared in the New Yorker: others have been published in anthologies. A hefty dose for one sitting, but a sure bargain in sustained entertainment.