Some Early Autumn Novels

WITH his Harper Prize Novel, "The Grandmothers," Glenway Wescott sprang into literary prominence. With the remains of that impetus he now gives us a collection of short stories. Some of them were written before the prize novel, some after. At all events, they somehow, fail to hit the mark. The opening tale, from which the collection draws its name, is an intimation of a desire of the author's to get away from the middle western background and attitude which featured his novel. In the future he will seek new fields to exploit and will let alone the Middle West which he believes is fast losing its character.

Somehow, there is an awkwardness about Mr. Wescott's style which mars the effects he strives to produce. The sentences are too involved, and far too often there is a decided incoherence. One of the stories, called "Adolescence," seems in a fair way to present certain observations on that state when it is mangled beyond hope of success by the roundabout method of presentation. Another, "Wedding March" by name, comes considerably nearer to achieving its end.