A Novelist's Faith

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29246, 2 July 1960, Page 3

A Novelist's Faith

nil Ii My GW. By Herman Wenk. Cape. 3M pp. Mr Wouk has composed a remarkable book in “This is My God." Not that it is surprising in coming from the mind of the author of “The'Caine Mutiny" or “Marjorie Morningstar.” What is truly astonishing is the fluency with which it is written. Here indeed is what the Psalmist mentioned—“the pen of a ready ‘writer.”

While still a young man Mr Wouk was unusually successful. He reached “what many people consider the dream life of America: success by my own efforts, a stream of dollars to spend, a penthouse in New York, forays to Hollywood, the companionship erf pretty women, ail ■before I was 24.” However, this life seemed rather thin, although no-one would say Mr Wouk was sated or revolted by his success. It was just that "people who chase pleasure and money and have no other dimension are interchangeable ciphers, more or less.” It is characteristic of the author that he felt “conventional smart existence” lacking in two things. The first was his grandfather, “the most impressive man I knew.” The second was the fact that “it left out most of the sensible books I had read.” As a boy of 13 Herman Wouk had already received the -benefit of a Hebrew schooling. He considered his religious learning accomplished. Then his grandfather, a doctor of the law, arrived in New York. “He had not been in America a week when he came to me carrying a vast brown book. ‘Za rabotu!' he said. ‘To work!’ ” Then “he sat me down at a table before the 'book and stood over me as he opened it I stared in stupefaction at the massive columns of meaningless consonants. ‘Read,’ said by grandfather." The book was the Talmud, which, with the Hebrew Bible, is considered by Jews to be the authoritative guide and companion to the-spiritual life. These are the influences which have made Mr Wouk what he is. To explain his faith and to a lesser degree his own attitude to it, he has written “This is My God.” Thoughtful readers, whatever their shade of opinion, will find in its pages much that they will wish to ponder. Incidentally “the book with all its earnings belongs to a fund for charity” established in memory of Herman Wouk’s son, Abe.