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Two New Novels -by Peter Martin, Arthur Granit
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS — Friday, July 8, 1960 --
As part of his trilogy, which
began with "The Landsmen,"
Little, Brown & Co. (34 Bea-
con, Boston 6) has issued "The
Building," by Peter Martin.
The first volume was the
story of Mottel of Golinsk, the
saga of the Golinsker, the ac-
count of the deterioration of a
Jewish community, the exodus'
of the Jewish family and its
arrival in the United States.
In "The Building," the sec-
ond volume in the trilogy, the
able narrator relates the story
of the second and third gene-
rations of the family, their
progress in this country.
Now it is an American Jew-
ish family the novelist deals
with. It is the story of Aaron
Golin and his family, in the
1930s.
Aaron is the son of the Rus-
sian immigrant. He came here,
p r o s p e r e d, built the Golin
Building, and his entire life is
devoted to the success of his
new project. There are tragic
and tense moments accompany-
ing the • threats to his under-
taking. His determined will is
an indication of his devotion
to a project that dominates his
existence.
But the novel is not only
of the Golin Building and its
builder's devotion. It is a tale
about a family, especially about
his four sons.
One of them, Joel, primarily
seeks security. He is in the
family business. He marries his
first love. But he is plagued by
fears.
Then there is Leon who sheds
his Jewishness in quest for a
universal outlook on life.
Julian finds fulfillment in a
Hollywood career. He leaves
the university just before grad-
uation and he enters the enter-
tainment world with enthus-
iasm.
Only Philip still is searching
for fulfillment of an unknown
`Tenth Man' Draws Raves in NY
Presidential Scroll for Eban
future. His love affairs are an
important part of the story, and
his friends are part of the new
era into which the third gen-
eration. of Jewish 'Americans
are entering.
There are elements involv-
ing "the woman-on-the-side"
and the attendant problems.
There are frequent references
to the Jewishness of the family,
but often the Jewish angles ap-
pear totally irrelevant to the
story.
Peter Martin is an able
writer. His narrative skills ac-
count for a well-written no ,-el.
*
*
Arthur Granit, Brownsville-
born, Brooklyn - educated, used
Brownsville as the setting for
his novel, "The Time of the
Peaches," published by Abelard-
Schuman (404 4th, N.Y. 16).
An able story-teller, Granit
has reconstructed his memories
of an interesting environment.
His characters are natural. The
butcher, the beautician, the
cynic, the mischievous boys —
all emerge in the realness with
which the novelist has created
an interesting plot.
The central theme is about
a peach tree that grew in the
back yard after a pit had been
thrown out of the window.
There is an attachment to the
tree — it is like the traditional
"tree in Brooklyn" — and the
interest in it by the characters
in the story adds to the value
of the book. The destruction of
it attaches a spirit of mourning
to the tale.
The characters and their
daily life struggles, the deline-
ation of the Brownsville cast of
heroes and heroines, combine
to make Granit's "The Time of
the Peaches" an interesting
story.
An official scroll proclaiming Abba Eban's election to the
presidency of the Weizmann Institute of Science was given to
Eban at a ceremony in Rehovot. From the left: Dewey D.
Stone, chairman, board or governors, Eban and Meyer W.
Weisgal, chairman executive council. The 25th anniversary of
the institute will be marked at a dinner on Dec. 8 in New
York City.
David Weiss Writes Novel Based on Life
of Isadora Duncan, Famous Dancer
David Weiss, winner of the
$5,000 Freider Literary Award
for his first novel, "The Guilt
Makers," has written another
exciting. novel, "The Spirit and
the Flesh," just published by
Doubleday.
Inspired by the life of Isadora
Duncan, in whom he took an
interest when, as a child, he
first saw her dance, this 504-
page book nevertheless is not
a biography: it is a novel in the
fullest sense of the word. The
inspiration derived from Isa-
dore Duncan's life and career is
explained by the author in a
special note in which he writes:
"The story follows the known
ADL Publishes New American 'Jewish Family' Pamphlet
Donald Harron, Risa Schwartz, daughter of famed Yiddish
actor Maurice Schwartz, and Arnold Marie, are principals in
"The Tenth Man," Paddy Chayefsky's new hit play, which all
New York critics acclaimed at its opening at the Booth Theater.
The play is set in a synagogue, located in suburban Mineola,
and is described as a "delightful comedy about some of the
most lovable characters seen on a stage in many a year."
The home life of the contem- ti-Defamation League of Bnai
porary American Jewish fam- Brith.
ily, including the traditional
The pamphlet notes "differ-
and religious influences that ences are not as great as sim-
have affected it, is described in ilarities" among the contem-
a new pamphlet, "The Jewish porary American Jewish family
Family," published by the An- and other family groups.
facts of Isadora Duncan's life
when it fits the purposes of fic-
tion; when it doesn't, it follows
the dictates of the character
created in the novel. It is essen-
tially a work of the imagination.
The characters are my cre-
ations, no one else's . . . This
is a novel of a time that was,
of a world that has vanished."
But even as a vanishing
world, it emerges in an interest-
ing light, as a narrative expertly
told.
The heroine of this story
flouts conventions. Leona Mal-
colm is an individual. So was
Isadore Duncan whose temper-
ament is in evidence in the
Weiss story.
"The Spirit and the Flesh"
is a splendid novel. It portrays
many stages in an artist's ca-
reer, in many lands. .It is anec- -
dotal and the plot holds the
reader's attention from begin-
ning to end. It invites a very
large reading public.
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