Charles Morgan (1) (1894–1958)

Written during the height of the cold war and the fear over the bomb, this play looks at a new weapon, the burning glass, that can destroy from afar by using the sun's energy to burn up the ecosystem. A nice allegory for the late 20th century, though no doubt not exactly what the author had in mind. The chief concern in this work is to prevent the weapon from falling into the wrong hands; the scientist retains total control of the code that will start the reaction, holding out in the face of the Prime Minister's insistence. In the end, the resolution might be questionable in terms of its ethics and morality, but it could certainly start a good discussion going.… (altro)

3738. The Fountain, by Charles Morgan (read 21 Oct 2002) This won the 1932 Hawthornden Prize and is the 11th winner of such I have read. It is laid in Holland during World War One, and concerns interned British officers. (The author was an interned British officer in Holland in WW I.) The central character carries on an adulterous affair with a German officer's English wife. There is much examination of the emotional turmoil created by the affair, and a lot of philosophical talk of little interest. But by the last third of the book one is interested enough to keep reading to see how it all turns out. The author apparently had a considerable reputation in the 1930s and 1940s but is now largely forgotten, though this book was republished as recently as last year. The book is well-written but not engrossing.… (altro)