The Abolitionist of Clark Gable Place

by Charles Webb

197 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 1975

About the author

Charles Webb (born in San Francisco, California) was the author of several novels, mainly known for his most famous work, The Graduate. The novel was eventually made into an enormously successful film.

Reviews

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm officially smitten by this author. This book, along with the others I've read by him, are by no means perfect, but there is a buzz and tremble to them that I find undeniably compelling. There's a bald (often flatly ugly) humanity to them that evokes Richard Yates at his rawest, as well as Philip Dick in the non-sci-fi mode that he forever wanted to be truly known for. No offense to PKD, though, Webb is far more adept at getting out of the way and often letting the despair speak for itself. With this book in particular, things are pared way down to extensive back-and-forth dialogue that makes you hunger for a stage or film version. Once again, we have multiple individuals trying to be better and move forward through the tripwires of the multiple societal systems that rule the day. Present day writers take note: there is little need to go about skewering the white savior. Webb apparently did that handily here in 1975. Protagonist Kenneth Ward wants to "help" a young african american family so badly, that he is completely blind to how disruptive and offensive he is. Ward too has his own over-eager sponsor in the form of his recently returned landlord Mrs. Fellows, and Ward finds himself running out of directions to scramble. Webb does eventually traipse out his own version of Chekov's gun from act one, but it's his killer bracing, sobering final sentence that really ends this thing with a bang.