The Body of a Young Man

by Mildred Walker, Sharon Bryan (Introduction)

James Cutler, a high school physics teacher, is shattered by the suicide of his most promising student. Hoping to gain perspective and peace of mind, he travels with his wife, Phyllis, to Vermont to spend the summer at the farm of old friends, Josh and Lucy Blair. 
The Body of a Young Man is a deeply moving story of four people whose friendship asks more than they can give and offers more than they can take. Only in observing another tragedy does James begin to see vulnerability as a virtue and ambiguity as a source of strength.

Genres: Fiction, Literature

186 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1960

About the author

Mildred Schemm Walker (May 2, 1905 – May 27, 1998) was an American novelist who published 12 novels and was nominated for the National Book Award. She graduated from Wells College and from the University of Michigan. She was a faculty member at Wells College from 1955 to 1968. Walker died in 1998 in Portland, Oregon.

(from Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Bethany · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a finalist in the 1961 National Book Award Fiction Category. It's interesting to note that To Kill a Mockingbird, A Separate Peace and Rabbit, Run were also finalists that year. The 1960s produced some incredible fiction.

This is my second novel by Mildred Walker. The first one I read, Winter Wheat, is by far one of the best books I've ever read. It still stands as a favorite. The Body of a Young Man is one of her later works and you can see Walker's skill of writing perspective and internal conflict fully developed. The book is about two couples, four friends staying together at a Vermont farm for the summer. One of the men has just experienced a horrible tragedy and the hope is that returning to a favorite childhood place surrounded by good friends will help him recover from the loss.

The setting has all the nostalgia and sentiment of childhood summers- it's an enjoyable read just for that element. The real value of this novel is the way Walker captures both the internal turmoil and outward appearance of the characters. It's a fascinating look at what goes on beneath the surface of human behavior. It's not always an easy read- you feel the tension and frustration of the characters and how they're torn between speaking their minds and maintaining polite conversation. As a reader, you're both in the story and reading between the lines and that can be uncomfortable. Each personality handles situations differently and I felt I could relate to all their feelings at one time or another. This is a wonderfully written study of how people are complicated and multi-layered.

Mildred Walker is under-appreciated but she is, in my opinion, one of the finest Western writers in America. If you read only one of her books, I'd definitely recommend Winter Wheat. But she's talented enough I know each one of her books has something good to offer.

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's a certain resonance about mid-century American novels, set in a time of post-war prosperity and finding under sun-lit surfaces darker ironies and sometimes a ringing hollowness. Richard Yates' "Revolutionary Road," Saul Bellow's "Seize the Day," and John Updike's "Rabbit Run" come to mind. This one, nominated for a National Book Award when it was published in 1960, is among that company.

It tells of a summer reunion among old friends in an idyllic setting in the mountains of New England. There are two married couples with their children, and one of the husbands, a physics teacher, has been deeply saddened and unsettled by the suicide of one of his most promising students. The reunion is supposed to help him through his grief. Instead, it becomes a difficult trial of crossed expectations, and the author expertly explores the psychological and emotional dynamics of this foursome as experienced by the two women.

Walker is a master of describing the shifting moods and perceptions of her characters as they navigate the dissonances that the years have introduced to what used to be an intensely close friendship. As mature adults now, they discover that the demands of friendship have become far different, and not all of them are up to the task. Choosing the two women as point-of-view characters, Walker deepens the mystery of the relationship between the two men, so that we wonder along with them about the true nature of the conflict that develops between them. The youthful behavior of both couples' sons adds another dimension to this outside observer's perspective of male behavior.

Although a short novel, it continues to fascinate in its deepening layers of irony - allowing us to see often the unspoken realities behind the surfaces of polite conversation - right to the very last line: "You did everything you could for them." Thanks to the Unversity of Nebraska Press for keeping this fine book in print.

[Joshua · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1960, Mildred Walker's novel "The Body of a Young Man" was not only published, but was nominated for a National Book Award. In truth, I wish I could talk to the judges or whoever it was that nominated the novel all those years ago. I do maintain that it is a fine piece of literature, but I wish I could see if I like the book for the same reasons they did. Reading the novel in 2023 is perhaps a different experience than reading in 1960, although I can only say that based on intuition.

The basic plot of the book is that husband and wife James and Phyllis come to stay for the summer with old friends Josh and Lucy. It's revealed fairly early on that Phyllis was the catalyst for the staycation, as she is deeply concerned about the mental well-being of James, who is mourning the suicide of his student Leonard. So, Phyllis contacted Lucy and Josh to seek help with James's depression and grief. Their staycation unfortunately comes to reveal that the friendship, particularly among Josh, James, and Lucy, is not nearly as deep as any of them hoped.

Mildred Walker tackles the theme of grief with compassion and understanding. She writes these very sympathetic people. Phyllis is lovable because of her concern for her husband, and she may be my personal favorite character in the novel. James of course is hurting, and you feel for him certainly. Out of the four main characters, I do find Josh to be the least sympathetic (which is ironic because my name is Josh). Sharon Bryan's introduction puts it very eloquently, in that "Much of the pleasure in ["The Body of a Young Man"] comes from reading between the lines. The novel is propelled not by dramatic events but by the subtler internal shifts that . . . shape [the character's] lives." In other words, our cast of characters are insensitive to the feelings and values of each other, and that ultimately causes the conflict. In my opinion, Walker does this very well.

Walker may disappoint some in that she doesn't offer a solution to James's grief, at least not beyond the idea that one will not be found with Josh and Lucy's company. The idea of James seeing a psychiatrist appears a few times in the novel, which while valid, doesn't quite offer the wisdom I wanted for the novel. I will be the first to say that I wish James's relationship with Leonard was given the focus and care it deserved. It is for this reason that I will assert here that the book does not fully live up to its full potential. But Walker seemed to be much more interested in writing a novel about how friendships are tested, and unfortunately, how often our friends fail us despite our desires. To that I say, fair enough, that is a completely valid theme. However, that is not what I personally desired from the novel.

"The Body of a Young Man" demands a reread from me in the future. As of now though, I'm still thinking I really like it.

[Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was written in 1960 and reflects a time where it seemed people cared more about what other thought and did. It is wonderfully written story about two old colleges friends, now adults with children of their own, reconnecting over a summer visit while one man is in crisis. It left me nostalgic for a world that no longer exists and I plan to read other books by this author

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and introspective, as all Mildred Walker's books are. I really enjoyed the relationships and cross currents in this one - lots of complications and depths.

[Nora · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 1/2 stars

[Micebyliz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was up until 2am finishing this well written and insightful book. I have read many of Mildred Walker's novels and i appreciate her style and story telling ability. Her novels have women finding their strengths but this one not as much. It's more stuck in the 50's somehow and i am not sure why that bothered me since it was only a novel. I wanted the characters to speak up and say what they really meant instead of thinking to themselves. I wanted the women in particular to be more assertive. It was a time before seeking counseling was considered an everyday thing, a time before women had a say in their children's futures (college, etc) when men made all the decisions. All of it got under my skin. I was talking out loud to a novel. And yet it was beautifully written and i enjoyed it very much. The scenery of Vermont in the summer...

[Shirley Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

!I think Mildred Walker is an excellent author, and she wrote an great story that seemed so read. The body of a young man was a student, and his mentor pushed him hard to succeed, and he couldn't take the pressure and he committed sucide. The mentor becomes depressed and his wife is a a loss of what to do do help him. She calls his best friend from college and they go and spend the summer, hoping that he will be able to help him. The interaction between the two couples is much like reality, and the children have their situations too. I think it's a heavy story, and one needs time to ponder all the hidden inuendos.

[S Sande · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mildred Walker's books chronicle events over nearly a century. This is one of her last novels published. I have accomplished my goal to read all of her books (except her children's novel). I wish I could have met this woman in person. She was the wife of doctor. Times required her to be known as that and act accordingly. I sense her repressed self reflected in her writing. This woman understood perseverance.

[Tom Cowan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting novel of long-time friends and how lives change and evolve over time. When the wife of one of the friends comes between them out of love and concern for her husband, a wedge is driven that may never be removed. Mrs. Walker demonstrates a sure hand with dialogue and her descriptiveness is excellent.

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was first published in 1960. The author is adept at dialogue that goes to the heart of each character. A high school physics teacher feels responsible for the suicide of his best student. He and his wife spend the summer in Vermont with his college friends, hoping to heal. Their differing ways of viewing the world make for tension and growth for all.

[Michele · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was the last Mildred Walker book I had left to read. Mildred Walker is one of my favorite authors. I did not like this book at all. A little disappointed. But I still have Winter Wheat and the Curlew's Cry.

[Alice · Rating 1 out of 5]

Absolutey horrible. Written in a complete narrative, difficult to read and boring. I didn't finish it.

[Colleen Lahey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent classic.