The Walls of Jericho

by Paul I. Wellman

Fictional Novel

Genres: Fiction

Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 1946

About the author

Paul Iselin Wellman, newspaperman, writer of popular history, novelist and screenwriter, is best known for his books set in the Great Plains of the United States and Kansas. In addition to his books several Hollywood movies , Cheyenne, The Walls of Jericho, Jubal, Apache, The Comancheros, and The Iron Mistress are based on his novels.

Links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Wel...
http://www.washburn.edu/reference/cks...

Reviews

[Kay Iscah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked this one up in the free bin. If I'm being charitable, it's a cautionary tale about marrying too quickly for lust instead of waiting for someone you click with on multiple levels. The writing is reasonably solid, but the ending is not really satisfying.

Less charitably, Dave is an awful person who creates problems for himself. He assaults a woman, marries someone he doesn't actually like, quickly tires of her, allows her verbally and emotionally abusive mother to move in with them, then brings an orphan into their home (without consulting his wife) to try to "fix" her, when that goes badly in the worst way, he uses it as the vindication he needs to cheat on his wife, and when these things come back to bite him, he acts like he's being assailed by outside forces instead of really admitting how much he screwed up.

This is one of those books where the main character sort of drifts through his own life most of the time, so the peripheral characters are more interesting than he is. There's the charming sociopath Algeria, the unfortunate Edith, the lovely Julia, who really deserves a better story, and Gotch McCurdy, who manages to be both hero and villain. The slow build eventually pays off with some action and drama. But again, the ending just seems to fall a bit flat.

Particularly given Julia's big revelation at the end and the amount of time spent on the town, Jericho still feels more like a force of nature that Dave must struggle against/for, than a collection of people with their own goals. I'm a little divided on whether that works in the context, since Dave's political career is a big focus and general opinion is more important than individual opinion to a politician.

Not a painful read, had a few moments. If I recommended it, it would be as part of a general study on period attitudes (published 1947, story take place early 1900s and stretches over a decades or so) and sexism.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it but it's because I enjoy reading stories of this genre. It is more of a story about political commentary on society and women's rights rather than a story about the characters. (Though Julia is really fleshed out and well written). It is meant for young adults wanting change within their society during the 1940's, so if you don't enjoy themes like affairs, marriage as a institution, or political activism, this is not for you.

[Jonathan Beeson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this at the back of an old bookstore in Odessa, Texas while traveling through a few months back. It’s a wonderful little place called Ye Olde Bookworm so go check it out if you’re in the area!

Now for the story:

The story is part western, part political drama, part classic Greek tragedy. It is broken up into 3 parts (Belle, Algeria, and Julia) which reference the woman who is currently the primary driver of the main character’s
story.

In part 1, the story follows the up-and-coming small town lawyer David Constable. While David is a brilliant lawyer and public speaker, he is best characterized as a tragic victim of his own inept decision making. He marries a woman (Belle) out of part lust and part inexplicable desperation to “save” her from her mother, which goes south nearly instantly.

As the story advances to part 2, Belle takes a backseat and the focus shifts to Algeria Wedge. David has established a reputation as a competent lawyer by now, and is beginning to gain momentum in the political arena. Algeria is the highly intelligent and manipulative, albeit shortsighted, wife of Tucker Wedge, editor in chief of the town’s paper and David’s best friend. In order to satisfy her insatiable desire to live in Washington, she uses her cunning abilities to drive a wedge (ha ha nice play on words by the author) between Tucker and David while at the same time elevating Tucker into favor with the Kansas Republican Party.

In part 3, Julia Norman enters the picture as a new love interest of David. She appears briefly in part 1 as a teenage girl left adrift by her alcoholic father whom David takes under her wing before disappearing until the 3rd part. When the reader is introduced to her again, she is a much older East Coast Lawyer who is returning to Jericho to practice law. Her and David reconnect and sparks fly between the two, leading to explosive consequences for nearly every main character towards the end of the book.

The lesson I personally took away from the book was choosing a marital partner out of lust and desperation and not genuine connection is a quick way to complete disaster. David’s ineptitude in this area haunts him for the entire novel and paints him as a tragic figure who never is able to get out of his own way despite his legal and public speaking expertise.

The novel also serves as a survey of small town high plains culture as well as the early evolution of feminism in the early 1900s.

TW: Sexual assault or attempted SA occurs a couple of times throughout the book.

[Christie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my grandmother's book. She was from Kansas. I've had it for a long while and wish I had read it sooner. I got a great deal of insight into my grandmother and the life she lived.

Literature styles have changed greatly since the Fifties. Perhaps I am odd, but I enjoy reading old books. The characters were made real, and the times explained well. Many times, I just had to stop and savor the sentiments expressed, the politics (that haven't changed much except to be worse), and the rise of feminism.

I will read this one again. It will stay safely on my "keepers shelf," just as my grandmother is kept safely in my heart.

[Linda Gaines · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had this on my bookshelf from the house I grew up in. It's set in the early 1900s and was written in 1950 so maybe a little ahead of its time. The characters were quite well drawn but the plot jumped around a bit. It had something to say about politics in the Midwest at that time. I kept reading to the end to see what would happen for the major characters.

[Gaylon Holder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Had read this book many years ago. Still a very good read. Sometimes, some of the older books are the best books.