Youngblood Hawke

Many years ago, I read Winds of War and War and Remembrance. I enjoyed them very much, but for whatever reason, never pursued other Wouk works. After having read Youngblood Hawke, I will certainly remedy that mistake.

Youngblood Hawke is an outstanding period piece which weaves together many of the historical events of the 50s against the backdrop of the publishing and Hollywood entertainment industries. Hawke, from the small town coal country of Eastern Kentucky, rises from complete obscurity to the pinnacle of success in his field. Despite this success, Hawke is always on the razor's edge, financially, emotionally, physically and professionally. Numerous highly entertaining plot lines involving his business associates, his love show more interests and his family inject suspense and keep the story freash and moving in the right direction.

Two particular story lines were of particular interest to me; the Congressional hearings involving Communism in the entertainment industry and the confiscatory income tax policy prevalent during the period. Both were very effectively presented as major impediments to the artistic endeavors of Hawke and his literary compatriots. The gymnastics and gyrations undertaken by Hawke to avoid what was then a top tax rate of 90% provide some of the most interesting material in the novel.

All in all, an extremely entertaining and thought provoking novel. I highly recommend it. show less

Enough people liked this novel to make it a commercial success in its day. Wouk, being a great fan of the earlier Thomas Wolfe, and a very commercial writer himself, cobbled together this tale of a brilliant, but unknown writer, who does acheive commercial success, but driven by his demons, works himself to death. I wasn't really that interested in Youngblood by the time I finished the book.

Leslie loaned this to me because it’s her favorite book. It’s okay, I enjoyed it, I hated to put it down without finishing (so much so that my lunch lasted two hours because I couldn’t get to the end). But I couldn’t put it on my favorites list. For one thing I’m seldom really happy with the clichés of divine retribution. Frieda Winter (is that a cold name or what?) has an affair for years; her son commits suicide, leaving a note that indirectly blames the affair. Youngblood must die since he’s the hero and he broke poor Jeanne’s heart. There’s a lot of careful plotting, but it all tends to melodrama and I found everything rather predictable. What else can it be when he starts out the book with his dream of a show more million to write his Comedy on, and almost immediately his mother is talking about the big bucks she’s been done out of , a million maybe. I liked it that his mother was right all along, and I like it that the financial advice he acted on from Paul Winter drove him to ruin. What don’t I like? I don’t like the way everyone keeps on about how old Frieda is and looks when it sounds as if Hawke is aging pretty fast. I don’t like the old brain injury and the epilepsy. I don’t like it that Wauk says his character doesn’t have a drinking problem when throughout the novel we’ve seen him abusing alcohol in various ways. I don’t like it that Jeanne is such a sweet proper girl who gets to marry two men she’s fond of and have kids rather than marry the schmuck she loves. Mostly what I don’t like is that the damn fool Hawke never learns a damn thing in the whole book. He lives the literary world as he entered it: working two jobs, driving himself too hard, pissing off Jeanne by seeing Frieda, dwelling on money. I’m not comfortable with deathbed scenes when the hero says he’ll do everything differently if he lives, and then he dies and we’re supposed to believe he would have really changed. Nonetheless, a fun look at greed, publishing, and NY. show less

I love Herman Wouk's books, and this is one of the best. It is the totally gripping saga of a young novelist, his books and his various relationships with women and money, a fascinating read though the stretches that describe law relating to mining land can get a bit tedious in places. I have read it so many times I've had to buy a new copy as the old one was falling to bits! A cautionary tale for anyone who thinks the life of a novelist is all plain sailing

The main character roams all the way from bohemian to well-known writer with writer's block. This makes for a tragically fun read.

$50.