501. Kings Row, by Henry Bellamann (read 25 July 1956) Very poor book. Nothing good about it. Light but superficial too. Obvious. Moronic. ( )

If my memory serves me-I read this after seeing the film and was not impressed. This is one instance that I can say, the film is a vast improvement over the book-alothough some plot points were changed for the '42 film-becasue of censorship. I would say, skip the novel and see the great film. ( )

As my grandfather grew up in Fulton, MO and his brother was friends with the author, I thought I'd read this novel to pick up any insights I could into my grandfather's boyhood in a particular place and a particular time in American history. I wish I hadn't. The writing was awful: amateurish and rambling. I'd stack its awfulness right up there with Dan Brown's awfulness and James Michener's awfulness. The central theme of sociopathology/incest overshadows any other aspect of life in this small American town in the Midwest at the turn of the century. It might have made a good psychological thriller, if the writer had been able to write. Or if the writer had examined other lives in town with more insight, it could have touched Winesburg, Ohio. This is one of those rare novels, like Jaws, whereby the movie(albeit melodramatic) turned out much better than the book. I recommend skipping it. ( )