REPORT FROM THE RED WINDMILL

by Hiram Haydn ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 17, 1967

Teacher, writer, editor (The American Scholar), publisher, Hiram Haydn has taken time off from his earlier novel series (The Generations of Adam) to write an allegory of electronic doom which takes place in the not so sweet by and by. As one of his characters says, ""frequently the most effective approach to an end is an oblique one"" which also applies here as one is really not sure how serious Mr. Haydn is about all these automated saturnalia which take place in this twentieth century twilight zone. His traveler north, Martin, stops at The Motel whose patronne makes a first reference to The Red Windmill, to which he is taken under the guidance of another ""Virgil."" The Red Windmill is a purgatory with progressively, hideously depraved levels, or ordinary life ""epitomized"" (""life out there, too, is a pigsty"") and energized on a pleasure = pain principle (note =, not - ) with lots of lubricious temptations. Mr. Haydn's pilgrim's progress or descent is full of paradoxes, reverses, referrals (literary, philosophic), some borrowed from contemporary civilization, some improvised, ending with a clash between man and his ""Manchine."" We asked our Womanchine who this science-fictionalized satire was for and she didn't say; she is better at changing her mind than making it up.

Pub Date: April 17, 1967

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Harcourt, Brace and World

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1967

Categories: FICTION