A Young Woodley Comes of Age, but Plays the Same Game

Radio Record, 7 August 1936, Page 28

A Young Woodley Comes of Age, but Plays the Same Game

L.A. G. Strong’s Story of a: Boys’ School

LL. A G. STRONG should be! able to. turn a pretty-ball in a. game of ninepins. In his new novel, "The' Last Eriemy," he sets up rows of cherished ‘illusions and bowls them ,over-whack! whack! whack! Just like that. Denis Boyle is the-hero. | ‘He can bettér explain himself, in the words of his author: ; What' sort of a man am I, he thought, as he sat‘'down by the window: Anything: for a quiet’ life: that’ seems'‘to ‘be my motto.:... « All. his life, his.emotions had defeated his. will.. As a-child he had sworn . undying. hatred of. some .grownup who had. thwarted him, only, to he melted; by’ the first, friendly approach. A hundred ° times’ he’ had ‘vowed':to keep’ inflexible, ‘and not to‘ make’ the ‘first’ move: and hie vow had not lasted’an hour. Hven when’ convinced ‘of the: justice of ‘his . cause; he~-had never- been able: to resist an olive branch. The. story, opens in the closing’ year of the war, with Boyle, a young master at a boys’ school near "Oxford. © Suffering from’ inguinal’ hernia, he~ has been exempted -from active service. Back at ‘school he sets-eyes on Ruth Bastable, wife of one of.the house masters who is ail that his surname almost"implies. It is a sort of young Woodley affair, with the junior master displaying ‘considerably -more restraint than Van Druten’s .eclebrated character did. Halfway through the book a new character is introduced, the author’s object: ‘being, as one. detects farther on, to further the love affair of Ruth and. Denis-an affair that has reached an impasse. Gordon Fane, a young man: With a D.S.0O, and a gallant war record, comes to the school, and is immediately the hero of the place. But Fane’s homosexuality lands him into serious. trouble, so serious, in fact, that he commits suicide. This is the incident: that brings Ruth and Denis together in a bond that prompts them both to declare their love. They arrange to go away for a week-end, but Denis has an accident and dies. Described baldly, like this, the book appears a mass of unpleasant,. twisted love affairs and gory deaths-but' actually. its author .has. succeeded. in capturing much that is pleasant and happy in the 400 pages of his book. St.° Kitt’s is the happiest of schools, the...masters, some.of them dry old. fossils, are typical of schoolmasters: the’ world over, the boys throw their’ nearts and souls into their cricket, their

swimming and the.annual Hay Rag, one of the big events. of the. school year. Denis Boyle. was-happy, too‘life just dealt him some unkind blows, ’ that’s all, "The Last. Enemy." Le A. G, "Strong. Victor Gollancz. Our copy from ‘the publishers,