Salt: Or, the Education of Griffith Adams

by Charles Gilman Norris, Louis Auchincloss, Matthew J. Bruccoli

“A finely significant novel written with deep understanding of the facts and with a spiritual insight that does not flag even for a moment as it throws light into the dark corners of human na­ture”— Boston Evening Transcript (1918). A naturalist novel writ­ten in the tradition of Theodore Dreiser and Upton Sinclair, Salt has interesting and provocative things to say about the educa­tion of American upper-middle-class males and about the power of sex to overcome a man’s deep distaste for a woman’s personality. As a “criticism of life” the novel today seems simply the herald of a day when loud voices are less noted because all voices are loud. Today its vivid characterizations are its primary inter­est. Lester Adams, Griffith’s alcoholic half-brother, whose days and nights are mired in an unchanging routine of newspapers and whiskey, manages to preserve a semblance of heart and an odd little spark of integrity. F. Scott Fitzgerald considered Les­ter, along with George Hurstwood and Tom Buchanan, the three best characters in contemporary American fiction. Griffith’s paramour, Clarisse Rumsey, is cheap, lazy, and pre­tentious; she is dull and almost illiterate; she is absurdly affected, but she has two qualities that enchain her reluctant her obvious passion for him and her skill at dancing. As Auchincloss points out in the Afterword, “Today, her dancing would be love­making, but before 1914 a girl who tried to be respectable would endeavor to put the latter off at least until she had hooked her man.” Griffith and Clarisse are married and Clarisse bears him a son then dies of a pulmonary embolism as Norris manipulates the plot to redeem Griffith and to denounce the American boarding school and university.

400 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 1981

About the author

brother of Frank Norris and husband of Kathleen Thompson Norris

Reviews

[Paul Bauman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, published in 1918 by Dutton, is the coming-of-age tale of Griffith Adams, whose life is charted from childhood to the age of 30. The story opens with Griffith born into wealth, cherished by his mother, and soon dumped swiftly at Fairview Military Academy, a school for boys in Massachusetts, complete with solitary confinement. The pacing moves right along at the beginning, then slows down for Griffith's time in public school in Cambridge, the Concord Family School in New Hampshire, college at St. Cloud in Minnesota, employment at the N.Y., N.W. railroad line managed from New York City, and his marriage in NYC.

As you can see, by lack of reviews, this author has been relatively lost to history, save for a few English scholars and the letters of F Scott Fitzgerald. In a September 1919 letter, just after This Side of Paradise is accepted by Scribners, Fitzgerald writes to a friend in St. Paul, Alida Bigelow, to "Read Salt young girl so that you may know what life B." After reading it myself, he was right.

The book, for being 101 years old, ages well. Without spoiling anything, it’s about drifting in youth and finding your calling in life, something many people can relate to. Along Griffith’s journey, you’ll feel embarrassed for him, then call him names, then root for him.

The quote from Matthew which precedes each of the 4 segments in Salt becomes a metaphor for Griffith throughout: "Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted?"

It means that when Griffith has upstanding values his good can contribute to society. When Griffith is loafing and drifting, wherewith shall the earth be salted?

(3 side notes-this book may explain why Fitzgerald misspelled Ernest Hemingway's name as "Hemmingway". A Jack Hemmingway is a character in the book.

Norris probably borrowed the name Rumsey from Mary Harriman Rumsey, the daughter of railroad magnate EH Harriman. Fitzgerald attended parties at Mary's estate, the inspiration for "East Egg" in Gatsby.

Passages in Fitzgerald's work, such as in Gatsby and May Day is influenced by Norris. The two authors also corresponded briefly in 1920 whereby Norris gave Fitzgerald some business advice and may have met at least once in person.)

Charles Gilman Norris (1881-1945), critically acclaimed in life, was overshadowed in death by his wife, Kathleen, who wrote dozens of romance novels, and by his brother, Frank Norris, who died at 32, known for his novel McTeague. Charles Norris wrote in a style similar to William Dean Howells, and leaned more toward realism than modernism.

Salt wasn't in my city's or my college's library system. If you can find a copy and like old books, it's definitely worth the read. I got mine from ebay for $17. It smelled like an old barrel. It was great.

[Arthur Pierce · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the fourth Charles G. Norris book I've read, and they've all been exceptionally good. It took awhile for me to recognize what his target was this time because, for the most part, his books do not come across as "preachy," even though it eventually becomes clear he does have an ax to grind. Inevitably there IS a preachy section in the later portion of the novel, in this case attacking our system of higher education and the useless and damaging things that are experienced through it. But this book (548 pages long in its original publisher's edition) has a great deal more to discuss than so-called "higher education." Its alternate title, "The Education of Griffith Adams," it becomes apparent, is not just referring to the protagonist's formal schooling.

[Chloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprisingly poignant and relatable given how long ago it was written.