Customer Reviews

Cherry

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This story takes place in 1762 and is about two college-aged men vying for the affections of a young woman. One of the men, Mr. Sudgeberry, the narrator, has a gift for gab. He is loquacious, priggish, self-righteous, and pedantic. His competitor, a happy-go-lucky and slightly dissipated man named William Fentriss. The title of the book comes about because the girl in question, Sylvia, wears cherry-colored ribbons in her hair. The narrator manages to become the cynosure of Sylvia's affections until William concocts a scheme to win her good graces. Mr. Sudgeberry discovers this and exposes him, however Sudgeberry's expsure has unintended results.

One of Tarkington's earlier works, I was a bit worried about its clarity. However, it was easy to read and understand. However, one's vocabulary must be able to match Sudgeberry's abilities. There were a ton of "tough" words in this book. I loved the simplicity of the story though and it worked well for me. Thoroughly enjoyable.

"Cherry", was originally published in January and February of 1901 in "Harper's Magazine". This made it Booth Tarkington's third novel in print, though it did not get published in book form until 1903. While I have enjoyed the other Tarkington novels and stories that I have read, I found "Cherry" to be very poor in many ways. It was far too predictable, which leaves the reader waiting and waiting for the story to catch up with them. It could be argued that this adds to the humor, given the nature of the narrator, but it certainly is possible to maintain that humor and perception without boring the reader to such an extent. There is barely enough material here for a short story, let alone a novel.

"Cherry" is the story of a love triangle, as told from the perspective of one of the two suitors. The gentleman in question is Mr. Sudgeberry, a young man who is attending to his studies. The object of his affection is Miss Sylvia Gray, and the competitor for her heart is William Fentriss who is also a young man attending the same school. The story initially deals with the time between terms when both Mr. Sudgeberry and William Fentriss have plenty of time to devote to courtship. The two men are quite unalike, the narrator being very serious and verbose, and Mr. Fentriss delighting in music, poetry, and the company of friends.

The story is readable in its way, but at the same time frustrates the reader with taking so long to reach a conclusion. There is a decent idea behind the story, but it is not executed well. I would recommend that this one be skipped and instead one might read "The Two Vanrevels" for a love triangle story from Tarkington which works far better than this one.