Which Kenneth Roberts novel is your favorite? For me, it’s always been Rabble in Arms, followed by Northwest Passage and Oliver Wiswell tied for second. While Roberts published his first novel in 1930 (Arundel), he did not gain notoriety until after the publication of Northwest Passage (1937). So popular was the novel that it made the silver screen starring Spencer Tracey. (If I’ve read Roberts correctly, he was none too happy about his novels being set to movies. Within the first three pages of I Wanted to Write, Roberts made known his dislike of Hollywood producers butchering perfectly fine novels).
Way back in 1938, however, George Tucker, in a column titled “Man in Manhattan” in the Prescott Evening Courier (3/19/38) wonders aloud why Roberts’ first two novels weren’t more popular than Northwest Passage:
Never was fame more illusive or unpredictable than it is now. Take the case of Kenneth Roberts, who wrote “Northwest Passage” and became “discovered.” Everybody is reading it and the money is rolling in. Yet, despite these enjoyable royalties, Roberts must turn his back occasionally and indulge in a private chuckle. For, it seems to me two earlier books, “Arundel” and “Rabble in Arms,” are so much better than “Northwest Passage” that comparisons are ludicrous. It just doesn’t belong in the same league with either.
While I think Tucker is a little hyperbolic, I do agree that Roberts’ first two novels can stand with Northwest Passage.
An interesting little read from way back in 1938.
Filed under: K.R. in the News, Northwest Passage | Tagged: Arundel, Northwest Passage, Prescott Evening Courier, Rabble in Arms | 1 Comment »
Kenneth Roberts - The Unofficial Site 