2 The Wctkcnda- Friday, September 1,1978
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Where Pigeons Go to Die, by R. Wright
Campbell. Rawson. 157 pages. $6.95.
"I am 10 years old again, the cardinal year
of my life, and it is a day that marks the end
of my childhood."
The speaker is Hugh Baudoum. Hugh is
the narrator of this lyrical, touching novel,
one of the most memorable to come along in
quite some time.
Where Pigeons Go To Die has a deceptive
plot. It is relatively simple on the surface, but
under this layer lie deeper levels of meaning
and these deal with the enduring things such
as life itself. ,
The story is spun out by a Hugh who now
is approaching 50. Returning to the once
lovely little home his grandfather had lived in
for years but which is now unoccupied and
in poor repair, the older Hugh remembers
what life in that home was like when he was
10 and his grandfather was still alive and the
major influence on the lad's life."
Despite the great difference in their ages,
Hugh and his grandfather were comrades,
they understood each other on everything.
The grandfather was a zealous breeder of
racing pigeons, and Hugh also became a
breeder, although not until his granfather
decided he was ready.
Then, the boy was given a pigeon of his
own to raise and train. The bird was called
Dickens, and on the day Dickens sets out on
his greatest race the grandfather suffers a
serious stroke.
... R. Wright Campbell skillfully
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counterpoints the perils the pigeon suffers
as he streaks through the sky, with the perils
the very sick grandfather is going through.
Holding the two narrative threads together
is-the love Hugh feels for both his
grandfather and Dickens.
PHIL THOMAS
Acts of Love, By EUa Kazan. Knopf. 436
pages. $9.95.
The publicity department bills this book
as Elia Kazan's first novel about a woman.
Well, it might be. But in the perspective of
today's liberation movement, that can be
misleading. For many, it will be translated as
"a woman's view," or "the woman's side of
the story."
Not so. It is more accurately portrayed as
a man's attempt at an intimate view of-a
woman. And it might be better described as
a man's fantasy about a woman.
The woman is Ethel Avaliotis. The
daughter of a wealthy doctor, she has had a
sleep-around life, but finally marries and
becomes dominated by the father of her
husband.
Despite an overemphasis on sex, there
are elements of this novel that are
interesting. One of the major ones is the
strong characterization given the father-in-law;
.,- Costa Avaliotis. He's a "Zorba the '
Greek" type, steeped in Greek tradition that
includes near sacred respect for the family.
He is blustery, simple, firm, and has but
one desire when Ethel marries his son, that
he be given a grandson. He constantly talks
about things being done "proper."
Kazan's skill makes this aging man cornea
alive throughout the novel. His desire can be
tasted, his motivations understood. This is
not the case, however, for the other
characters.
Because of this difference in the strength
of the characters, there is an uncomfortable
conflict passed on to the reader. Parts of the
novel , are believable, others unbelievable, '
and the inconsistency inflicts a permanent
scar on the whole work.
DUDLEY LEHEW
By the Rivers of Babylon, by Nelson De
Male. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. 391
pages. $10.
Novels about, terrorists at work are
usually engrossing and this one'dealing with
Arab extemists who hijack a delegation of
Israeli leaders is no exception.
Two airliners carrying Israeli diplomats,
aides and military attaches are bound for
New York for an unprecedented peace
conference with Arab leaders at United
Nations headquarters.
The mission is a challenge Arab terrorists
cannot ignore. If it succeeds, all they stand
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Chapel Hill
15-501 at Estes Dr.
On the bus route !
From Study: Lamps to Satin Pants.
From Hobby Needs to'Music Reeds.
From Home Cooked Meals to Fantastic Deals.
We've got it all at University Mall
Shop 10 am - 9 pm Mon-Sat
" for back to school values.
' ' " Some stores -open Sunday -
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Open Monday Sept. 4
10:00 AM - 9:00 PM For
Labor Day Sidewalk Sales!
Apartment Living Week!
Sept 7th - Sept 9th .
for is destroyed; they will lose face in the
bargain. '
The challenge is accepted by Ahmed Rish,
a brilliant psychotic whose one goal in life is
the extermination of IsraeK Despite
elaborate security precautions taken by the
Israelis, Rish actually manages to hide two
radio-controlled bombs in the wings of the
two airliners.
The flight has hardly gotten underway
when Rish appears in a small jet plane and
notifies the skippers of the two airliners that
he can blow either ship up by pressing a
button. He orders them to send their fighter
escorts home and follow him.
The pilot of one liner tries to speed out of
' range of the radio control beam and is
promptly blown up with some 50 persons
aboard. The pilot of the second plane
t . ii. . rn o- i i '
historic Babylon.
i he rest ot tne dook deals witn attempts
by Rish and his commandos to storm the
grounded Israeli ship whose occupants are
much better armed and prepared for an
emergency than the" terrorists had
expected.
The Israelis are led by Jacob Hausner , the
airline chief of security, and Isaac Burg, head
of an Israeli anti-terrorist group whose
capture would be a triumph for Rish.
Author Nelson De Mille has had no first -"
hand experience in the Middle'East, but he
did command troops in Vietnam and knows
guerrilla tactics which apparently are pretty
much the same the world over.
- . TOM HOGE
A Pubic Service af
newspaper & The Advertising Cbunrii CmJ
If Red Cross hadn't trained
young Lars Alecksen in
Ufesaving techniques, last .
summer Adam Gauthier
just might have ended up,
one more drowning statis
tic. (Adams alive and well
today, thank you, and in
the first grade in Man
itowoc, Wisconsin.)
We're not asking for
medals (Lars is the one
who deserves those). But
we do need your con
tinued support. Help us.
Because the things we do
really help. In your own
neighborhood. And
across America. And the
world.
-
counting en
ReiCrosTlteCoodr&shbor.