Virginia Schoolboys

BEFORE THEY WERE MEN--Charles Wertenbaker-Liveright ($2 ) .* To the small number of books that are not silly about schoolboys Author Wertenbaker has added one. These eight short stories about a Virginia boarding school which he calls "Blackford" should please even graduates of Virginia's Episcopal High School, "Blackford's" prototype. If you do not think this is high praise, ask any fairly recent old boy of St. Paul's what he thinks of Arthur Stanwood Pier's Boys of St. Timothy's.

Before They Were Men records the school careers of Sleepy Carter and Shadow O'Neill, intermittent enemies but mostly pals, from the greenness of "rats" (new boys) to the ripe old age which will land them in the University. At outs with each other, either was a guileful foe; together they considered themselves invincible. Typical escapade: When Shadow nearly won the reading competition by a dramatic recital of Poe's "The Telltale Heart" Sleepy stole the show by surreptitious drumbeating, by launching a large heart-shaped balloon at the climax. But Author Wertenbaker does not always load the dice in favor of his heroes: the victory as often as not is with Mr. Peyton, only slightly-idealized figure of a good headmaster. Before They Were Men does not pretend to tell the whole truth about a boys' school; but it tells a part of it very pleasantly.

Author Charles Christian Wertenbaker, newspaperman, Satevepost writer, is a weekly contributor to TIME. He has also written: Boojnm', Peter the Drunk.

Published Oct. 3

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.