FAVOR THE RUNNER

by Jay Richard Kennedy ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 29, 1965

Many of the things can be said about this novel--front-running on the publisher's list--which were said about Prince Bart and Short Term: there is too much intemporate talks; four and five letter words abound (""Man they are buzzing."") in a style which is often stripped to these elements of English; and the characters are no deeper than their skin tone. This is a novel about racism (and the author has been very active in the Whole Civil Rights movement) but the fact is that integration has had as hard a time making it in the novel as in real life (ibid, in the less commercial type of book such as Tiger in the Honeysuckle and The Liberation of Lord Byron Jones). This one is about Hal Tyne who has been fighting the good fight all the way from Franco to McCarthy to Hitler; he has also concealed his real name (Chaim Heineman), religious allegiance (he's a Jew), former personal entanglements and an illegal entry-exit charge not only from the authorities but his wife Anne, to whom he is happily married at the start. Now as he gets into the Movement entering into partnership, or moro than a partnership--they're ""a team,"" with a Negro entertainer Sammy Winters, Anne is against it; she dislikes Winters and distrusts him. Hal says ""You see a Negro, I see a man."" But Winters proves to be a wrong one and after Hal has taken him from the ""mink lined ghetto"" (Miami) to NeW York and across country, and they have been part of the whole ugly business--rallies, demonstrations--Winters really turns, like a snake not a worm.... Einstein worked out a formula about mass and energy; only on these grounds can this possibly achieve the kind of success the publishers hope for.

Pub Date: Sept. 29, 1965

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: World

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1965

Categories: FICTION