The Penciled Frown

New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. Very Good. 1925. First Edition. Hardcover. (no dust jacket) DETAILS NEEDED. The author's first novel, a satirical tale about a young college graduate, a rather supercilious fellow who, by a fluke, lands a post as the drama critic for a newspaper in a midwestern burg called "Indian City," a job which he proceeds to take as he takes himself: way too seriously. (The book's title alludes to the facial expression he adopts that is designed to convey his thoughtful and so-oh-critical nature.) The novel was very widely reviewed upon its initial publication, a sign perhaps that Scribner's had put a little extra oomph into its promotional efforts, maybe on some expectation that Gray was destined for bigger and better things. The critical notices were by and large positive; although a few suggested that the then-25-year-old author hadn't quite lived enough to justify the air of sophistication with which he attempted to imbue his prose, they gave him credit for his acute social observations and some sharp dialogue. (Both "Main Street" and "Babbitt" were invoked by various critics, as were the names of Oscar Wilde and Aldous Huxley.) One writer speculated that "Indian City" was located in Iowa, but looking at the author's biography (in "American Novelists of Today, " published in 1951), it seems more likely that it's a fictionalized version of Minneapolis -- which was not only his hometown, but also where he went to work for the local newspaper in 1920 (fresh out of college), remaining there for the next 25 years as an editor, columnist, drama critic (aha!), and book reviewer. Additionally he was a playwright, whose works were "presented by professional and amateur groups in Minnesota communities." All of which strongly suggests that there's more than just a whiff of autobiography (or at least personal experienced) baked into his artsy-frowny protagonist. . (Inventory #: 28835)