A Half-way World of Violence and Beauty

When Davis Grubb's first novel, Night of the Hunter, appeared in 1954, readers were charmed by the author's mastery of a style and tone somewhere between fairy tale and neo-naturalism. Animality and unreality existed side by side, both clarifying and obscuring one another. The unique nature of the narrative--which concerned two children fleeing from a satanical fortune-hunter--caused some readers to suspect that Grubb could not duplicate this style and tone in another narrative situation. A Dream of Kings, Grubb's second novel, shows that his style (and the particular response it provokes) is not dependent on situation.

Like Night of the Hunter, this second novel is set in the bottomland of the Ohio in the latter half of the nineteenth century--specifically the years 1861-1865. However, although the Civil War figures prominently in the story, A Dream of Kings cannot rightfully be labeled an historical novel, and tossed thus cursorily on the exer-growing heap of Civil War fictions.

Tom Christopher and Cathie Hornbrook, whose growth to maturity forms the basis of the narrative, are both orphaned children living in the home of their stern and God-fearing Aunt Sarah. Cathie holds a dream that her father, in reality an unreliable adventure-seeker, will return to her as a rich and glorious king. She never completely rejects this dream until the moment of her death. Tom is both disturbed by and attracted to Cathie throughout their childhood, and at times almost abandons himself to her him has been a long time in the brewing."

As of yesterday, Cassill had not decided what to do shout Cherberg, and the unhappy coach would not comment. He had done his best--defeating a team which later beat Notre Dame, and routing the Cougars of Washington State, the Huskies arch-rivals. It will be another bad sleep for Coach Cherbourg tonight but that's football, West Coast style