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Keeper of the Flame
THE WOMAN HE LOVED WAS SWORN TO GUARD THE LEGEND OF THE GREAT LEADER—HE WAS HONOR-BOUND TO DESTROY IT…The governor of a New England state has died suddenly in an unwitnessed automobile accident. He was the coming man, widely mentioned for the presidency, a champion of the underprivileged, and especially of the younger generation, who had formed Robert Forrest clubs the country over. The shock and the sorrow over his death is nationwide. Steve O’Malley, ace war correspondent, whose passion for truth has got him kicked out of all the warring countries abroad, is at a loose end at home and is assigned by his paper to the job of writing the life of the man as he really was. Disastrously, he falls in love with Forrest’s young wife. What he finds, the development of the love affair, the rumble of great events in the background, make a tale of rare intensity.
- GenresFiction
190 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1942
20 people are currently reading
73 people want to read
About the author
I.A.R. Wylie
59 books8 followersIda Alexa Ross Wylie, known by her pen name I. A. R. Wylie, was an Australian-British-American novelist, screenwriter, short story writer, and poet. Between 1915 and 1953, more than thirty of her novels and stories were adapted into films.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 30, 2019
Where do you draw the line between a brilliant, charismatic public servant and a messianic dictator? Could such a man flourish on American soil? Written in 1942, Keeper of the Flame proposes just that. In the light of today's political situation, Wylie seems prescient. The book reads like a movie script - no surprise - it was made into one starring Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn., and I'm sure it rang true for audiences in the midst of WW2. But I found Wylie's life more interesting than her novel: during WW1, she was a sub-editor of the British Magazine The Suffragette; she lived openly as a lesbian her entire life; and of her 50 novels, thirty were made into Hollywood movies. You go, girl!
January 12, 2025
I first watched the movie not knowing it was a book. I have to say that the book is better than the movie. It seems to always be that way doesn’t it. The book gave a lot more background information on each character and was a joy to read. Now the movie is good too I totally recommend it but the book is magnificent. I love the way it’s written and you hardly want to put it down. It’s one of those books where you have to find out how it ends. It certainly keeps you on edge. Read the book then watch the movie. They are both great. ❤️
January 26, 2026
Note: This review is an excerpt from a longer review of both the book and movie, which I posted on Trakt.tv
I became aware of the movie 'Keeper of the Flame' in early 2026, and after reading a little about it, I discovered that it was based on the novel by I. A. R. Wylie. Given the political and cultural climate in the United States in 2026, that coincidence felt oddly serendipitous — perhaps even unavoidable. The story’s reputation as a warning about demagoguery and authoritarianism made it feel like one of those works that periodically resurfaces because history insists on rhyming. So, before watching the movie, I decided to read the book first — a decision that, in hindsight, I’m not entirely sure improved the experience.
To be fair, the novel does offer considerably more background on the characters than the film, and in principle that should be an advantage. Wylie takes her time establishing Christine Forrest, her guarded emotional world, and the reverence surrounding her late husband, Robert Forrest. However, the book is glacially paced, and that patience is rarely rewarded. Crucially, it takes far too long to engage with the central question of who Forrest really was and what he was doing beneath the surface of his public persona. For much of the novel, Forrest exists as an absence — a revered statue rather than a man whose ideas deserve scrutiny. Instead, the narrative seems disproportionately fixated on Stephen O’Malley’s melodramatic, almost adolescent infatuation with Christine, which comes to dominate the emotional tone of the book. As a result, the political heart of the story feels oddly sidelined until very late in the game.
Overall, I didn’t enjoy the book. Its pacing issues and misplaced narrative focus dulled what should have been a sharp and unsettling story. The film is better, largely because it understands — and foregrounds — what the story is actually about. But that’s not saying very much. For all its historical importance and flashes of insight, Keeper of the Flame ultimately feels like a work whose message remains relevant, even urgent, but whose execution — on page and on screen — never quite lives up to its potential.
I became aware of the movie 'Keeper of the Flame' in early 2026, and after reading a little about it, I discovered that it was based on the novel by I. A. R. Wylie. Given the political and cultural climate in the United States in 2026, that coincidence felt oddly serendipitous — perhaps even unavoidable. The story’s reputation as a warning about demagoguery and authoritarianism made it feel like one of those works that periodically resurfaces because history insists on rhyming. So, before watching the movie, I decided to read the book first — a decision that, in hindsight, I’m not entirely sure improved the experience.
To be fair, the novel does offer considerably more background on the characters than the film, and in principle that should be an advantage. Wylie takes her time establishing Christine Forrest, her guarded emotional world, and the reverence surrounding her late husband, Robert Forrest. However, the book is glacially paced, and that patience is rarely rewarded. Crucially, it takes far too long to engage with the central question of who Forrest really was and what he was doing beneath the surface of his public persona. For much of the novel, Forrest exists as an absence — a revered statue rather than a man whose ideas deserve scrutiny. Instead, the narrative seems disproportionately fixated on Stephen O’Malley’s melodramatic, almost adolescent infatuation with Christine, which comes to dominate the emotional tone of the book. As a result, the political heart of the story feels oddly sidelined until very late in the game.
Overall, I didn’t enjoy the book. Its pacing issues and misplaced narrative focus dulled what should have been a sharp and unsettling story. The film is better, largely because it understands — and foregrounds — what the story is actually about. But that’s not saying very much. For all its historical importance and flashes of insight, Keeper of the Flame ultimately feels like a work whose message remains relevant, even urgent, but whose execution — on page and on screen — never quite lives up to its potential.
September 23, 2025
I can’t put my finger on it, but somehow this novel, published in 1942, and soon made into a movie starring Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn in a rare non-comedy story, seems incredibly contemporary today.
The story concerns a man named Robert Forrest, a much lauded American ‘hero’, political leader and role model to younger Americans through a number of “Forrest clubs” that have sprung up around the country, and likely candidate for high office. When Forrest dies unexpectedly in an automobile accident, the entire country goes into mourning, and his funeral becomes a national event. Enter a man named O’Malley, a hardboiled newspaper man, who arrives in Forrest's hometown, intending to write a biography that will lionise the great man. Unfortunately….O’Malley soon discovers that, far from being the hero all America believes he is, Forrest, backed by a cabal of anonymous millionaires, was secretly plotting to overthrow the United States government and replace it with a fascist dictatorship. O’Malley’s position is made more difficult by his falling in love with Forest’s widow, the only other person who is aware of what a rotter Forest was, but who is also “the keeper of the flame”, pledged to protect her late husband’s legacy. Does he reveal the truth about this hollow ‘hero’? Or does he remain loyal to the woman he loves? This relatively short and well-written novel is certainly worth the read, and the movie is pretty good as well.
The story concerns a man named Robert Forrest, a much lauded American ‘hero’, political leader and role model to younger Americans through a number of “Forrest clubs” that have sprung up around the country, and likely candidate for high office. When Forrest dies unexpectedly in an automobile accident, the entire country goes into mourning, and his funeral becomes a national event. Enter a man named O’Malley, a hardboiled newspaper man, who arrives in Forrest's hometown, intending to write a biography that will lionise the great man. Unfortunately….O’Malley soon discovers that, far from being the hero all America believes he is, Forrest, backed by a cabal of anonymous millionaires, was secretly plotting to overthrow the United States government and replace it with a fascist dictatorship. O’Malley’s position is made more difficult by his falling in love with Forest’s widow, the only other person who is aware of what a rotter Forest was, but who is also “the keeper of the flame”, pledged to protect her late husband’s legacy. Does he reveal the truth about this hollow ‘hero’? Or does he remain loyal to the woman he loves? This relatively short and well-written novel is certainly worth the read, and the movie is pretty good as well.
January 5, 2026
Really enjoyed this and watched the movie with Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. It would make a great book club selection as it is a short read and has many societal issues that are still relevant today.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews