Illumination

This novel by Harold Frederic, published as The Damnation of Theron Ware, was engaging enough, and certainly painted a vivid picture of the animosity between Protestants and Catholics in 19th century America. Although the main character, the Reverend Theron Ware, was a bit too much of a caricature of what happens when innocence meets ambition, there were other characters with more depth and shadows that made the novel move along nicely. My main complaint is that the author was a bit heavy handed in getting his point across - perhaps it was just his time period, or perhaps it was because he was a journalist first, but it did not seem that Frederic had heard the quip now incessantly repeated to writing students to "show, not tell" - anytime he did try to merely suggest, he would then go and muck it up by overtly explaining any imagery he had created.

Next up - Kipling's short stories. I'm really looking forward to reading beyond what I know of him from children's literature. (I'm also two-timing and reading Franny and Zooey while I put Whitman down for his naps - such a treat to steal away for 10 minutes in the morning and afternoon and dip into that book!)