Erik Dorn

by Ben Hecht

1921. Ben Hecht, a Chicago journalist, went on to become a screenwriter, director, producer, playwright, novelist, regarded by some as the Shakespeare of Hollywood. He received screen credits, alone or in collaboration, for the stories or screenplays of some 70 films. "Erik Dorn" is his first novel. Its sexual explicitness brought notoriety to Hecht. The book begins: "An old man sat in the shadows of the summer night. From a veranda chair he looked at the stars. He wore a white beard, and his eyes, grown small with age, watered continually as if he were weeping. Half-hidden under his beard his emaciated lips kept the monotonous grimace of a smile on his face."

Genres: Fiction

233 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1921

About the author

Ben Hecht, an American, wrote short stories, novels, such as Erik Dorn in 1921, dramas, including The Front Page in 1928 with Charles MacArthur, and screenplays, such as Gunga Din in 1938.

Ben Hecht, a journalist, directed and produced movies. A journalist in his youth, he went to 35 books and entertained most people. He received credits alone or in collaboration for seventy films.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Hecht

Reviews

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of those books that reminds you how great writing can be. Hecht has quite a vocabulary, and, like his character Erik Dorn, holds a special place in his heart for words. Too bad people don't have quite the same importance (to Dorn). The historical aspect (much is set in Germany just after World War I) is fascinating--it's not a time and place many Americans know about, and yet the spirit of the era--putting ideas before people--led directly to World War II. There's also enough political intrigue and womanizing to keep it interesting (though the women get little to do and seem to exist only to become heartbroken). But in the end, it's the skillful use of language that it's really all about, and Hecht can sure use language.

[Leah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Slow-moving, rather tedious tale of a selfish and unlikeable Chicago newspaperman with an unaccountable appeal to women. He abandons his adoring wife and elderly father for a young, single woman, ruins her life, and goes on to Europe, where he destroys a few more people. Hecht's prose is good, but the plot is heavy-handed and rather pointless.

[Jim Woolwine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was "introduced" to Ben Hecht through the theatre production "Moonlight and Magnolias." Hecht was hired by David O. Selznick for a crash rewrite of the movie script for "Gone with the Wind." Writing under intense pressure was one of Hecht's fortes - in addition to being a prolific, creative writer. I wanted to dig deeper into his oeuvre.

Hecht is considered a "Chicago novelist." Chicago's winters come through loud and clear in Erik Dorn. The protagonist is a troubled man, especially in his relationships with women. To me, the plot was not as interesting as Hecht's writing style. Dense narrative, vivid descriptive prose, and lucid insights into Dorn's perpetually ill-at-ease mental state made this book a wonderful read.