Customer Reviews

A Place To Come To

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This novel is the grandiloquent self-examination of the life of a poor southern boy whose superior intellect, his knack for language and letters, conveys him away from the poverty in which his family stewed.

It begins with the death of child Jed Tewksbury's drunkard father, the recollection of which develops into a party spoof, a personal stand-up comedy act, that gleans popularity for Jed at college gatherings and beyond. He discovers his abilities with Latin and literature, attracting along the way the attention of the town's one beautiful/smart girl -- but she's a fickle babe who falls for old money and simply strings Jed along for a couple of decades. Jed experiences some periods of simpering self-pity, but grows more mature as the story progresses.

I think Robert Penn Warren intended for this tale to exercise the same degree of power as All The King's Men, and all of the elements are present (great writing, compelling characters and vignettes, introspective details), but the final product simply doesn't deliver the same overall impact.

One interesting point: One episode features a horse-breeding interlude, which was virtually mirrored 20 years later in Tom Wolf's A Man In Full. Robert beat you to it, Tom.

Penn Warren is best known for novels written much earlier (mid-century) but A PLACE TO COME TO shows that he was not alienated by changing times and his powers were not diminished late in life. There are numerous scenes and sequences in this novel which are as good as anyone could do, and other novelists would do well to study how Penn Warren handles them (in particular, the moments of pathos, which could easily have been soapy if they were not detailed and so deeply felt). Penn Warren was obviously very committed to the book and while his protagonist is not clearly autobiographical, he imbues the book with his life experience. The novel does not have an overarching message or theme, but it is a great read, and only a great writer could have produced it.

Jed Tewksbury relates the story of his life in this solid novel: his humble beginnings in rural Alabama; college (where he becomes an expert on Dante); the army; his first marriage to Agnes Andresen, a brilliant scholar herself, although with her he only feels lonely and distant (she dies of cancer); the restlessness and aimlessness that follows. And then there is Rozelle Hardcastle (perfect name for her), his high school sweetheart, a thrill-seeker whom he jilts foolishly at the high school prom. He meets her much later in life in Nashville, and they have a passionate affair during which Jed realizes his love for her is still there (sadly, nothing comes of it). Warren's novel is an old-fashioned narrative in which characters learn hard lessons about themselves - especially Jed, who above all learns that "every man has to lead his own life and has little chance of knowing what it means, anyway." This was his last novel (his 10th), after which Warren concentrated on his poetry. Not quite as fascinating or compelling as some of his earlier works, but worthy of attention anyway.

eNTERTAINING AND IT SEEMS TO ME THAT IT IS A VERY MODERN APROACH OF ONE INDIVIDUAL, FROM A VERY MODEST NEIGHBORHOOD AND BEING VERY WELL EDUCATED AND MAKING HIMSELF INTO A VERY HEROIC FIGURE.

it is still a very good book. Robert Penn Warren uses the same thoughtful, philosophical prose, using his Jed Tewksbury as a more modern Jack Burden. Where Burden was almost aggressively ambivalent about life, Tewksbury is a man always unsettled by the distant relationship he has with the world around him.

Warren's effort to encompass an entire man's life make anecdotes feel hurried and too detail-heavy. Too many characters make appearances to advance the plot. However, a stumble by Robert Penn Warren is still a thought-provoking, image-rich and strong performance against all other American authors. A recommended read, but no classic.