Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, April 9, 1995 TAG: 9504070024
SECTION: BOOK PAGE: F-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: REVIEWED BY LYNN ECKMAN
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
James A. Michener, now 87 years old, left academe when he was 40 and has cranked out about one book every year since then.
Some of his early works, "Tales of the South Pacific," "The Bridges of Toko-Ri" and especially his love letter to Spain, "Iberia," deserve prizes, plaudits and praise. For the rest, mostly best-selling blockbusters, a groan suffices, and his latest opus provokes the same response.
Set in an elegant and expensive retirement home in Florida called "The Palms," "Recessional" features a large cast of senior citizens and their families. Andy Zorn, a dedicated pediatrician ruined by malpractice suits, undertakes the management of the complex, and he adapts well to his career change. He learns to respect and to love his tenants, many of whom can indeed charm readers. And well they should. How many 90-year-old dancing couples, former congressmen, DNA researchers, Colombian statesmen, etc. do we meet every day?
They entrance us, but some of the children! Well, vultures would be more welcome.
Meanwhile, Andy, who acted as good Samaritan en route from Chicago, must deal not only with the oldsters but with a 24-year-old paraplegic whose life he has saved. Betsy comes to The Palms for therapy - and can you guess with whom she falls in love? Naturally, Betsy is no ordinary mortal - oh, no - she is the daughter of a business mogul from Cincinnati, and beautiful, too.
Poor Andy, bereft of the opportunity to practice medicine; poor former judge, chaplain, socialite, etc. ... All have their problems and their high moments.
Michener strives to balance the two. However, his efforts are strained and too evident. While recognizing his wealth of experience in both living and writing, one cannot help but regret that his effort proves unworthy. Verdi wrote "Othello" in his eighties, so we know that practice can make perfect. Not so in "Recessional." We can only hope that Michener will live to fashion another tale worthy of his talents.
Lynn Eckman recently retired from Roanoke College.
by CNB