EDGAR HENRY

Almost all of this novel takes place in Detroit, and right in the first chapter John Henry, an f.o.b. s.o.b., is trying to rape his nubescent daughter. He's not only philoprogenitive with eighteen children to show for his overpowering energy, but he puts his, well, why not, John Henry on son Edgar, picked as his successor in the trucking business. Edgar comes back from the war a real spoiler and is seen here on his various marathon benders with Blackie, his friend Ben's girl (Ben commits suicide); Eileen, daughter of the town slut and his brother Len's girl, at times; ""high yaller"" Pussycat; and even his Ma. At the end, bucking the union with a bomb he's made in his cellar, he plans to handle all the labor ructions alone--except for..... The novel, like the original John Henry, a jackrabbit Jukes from Chattanooga, suffers from a kind of primitive gigantism and outlandish incendiary activities of all kinds. But mostly it's a sex-in; phase out.