First drafted when Spender was 19, this novel has lain dormant in the archives at the University of Texas since 1962, whence it was ferreted out and brought to Spender's attention again a few years ago. Spender rewrote it during 1986-87 and has now published it for the first time. Set in Germany in the Thirties, it combines aspects of Bildungsroman and roman a clef; thematic concerns include sexual mores, naturism, and fascism. Any new publication by Spender is an event, and this item's peculiar history will cause additional stir. That said, the novel has relatively little to recommend it; the plot meanders, the effort at experimental fiction is uninspired, the dialogue is stilted and the prose flat. It will be read primarily by students of Spender and his circle. Robert E. Brown, Onondaga Cty. P.L., Syracuse, N.Y.
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