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This is Henry Bellamann's wonderful novel that many call a lost American classic. Despite being a critical and commercial success on its release in 1940, leading to a film version with Ronald Reagan two years later, King's Row and the rest of Bellamann's works are largely forgotten today. This is unfortunate, as King's Row is a novel that should be richly appreciated both for the skill of its construction and the richness of its ideas. It's an important novel from a cultural and historical show more context, and there's nothing else quite like it. At first, King's Row almost seems as if it could pass as just another slice of small town Americana, no more daring or cutting than a Norman Rockwell painting -- a safer and gentler Peyton Place. However, as the story unfolds, it reveals surprising depths of darkness, using beautiful prose to reveal some very ugly truths about the human mind and the civilization that it creates. show lessTags
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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, show more 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. show less
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.
501. Kings Row, by Henry Bellamann (read 25 July 1956) Very poor book. Nothing good about it. Light but superficial too. Obvious. Moronic.
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 20th century. It might have made a good psychological thriller if the writer had been able to write (the writing was amateurish and rambling, right up in between Dan Brown's awfulness and James Michener's awfulness) or if the writer had examined other lives in town with more insight. Mr Bellaman was no Mr Sherwood Anderson, though. This is one of those rare novels, like Jaws, whereby the movie , albeit melodramatic, turned out much better than the light, superficial, obvious & moronic book. This is one instance when I can say, the film is a vast improvement over the book - although some key plot show more points were changed for the '42 film because of censorship. So, skip the novel and see the fine film. show less
Jul 31, 2025English (UK)
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Read the book and saw the movie
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9+ Works 309 Members
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