The Worlds of Robert E. Sherwood: Mirror to His Times, 1896-1939 by John Mason Brown
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The Worlds of Robert E. Sherwood: Mirror to His Times, 1896-1939 is an odd book that is crafted by the author to do his best to reflect the authors politics. It’s far too over written by an author whose favorite literary device is the comma.

The book does do the job of presenting Sherwood’s life. It’s just in such detail it can be confusing as to whose life you’re reading as the book wanders off into to pages of others lives. There are further details rolled out involving events, weather and various other happenings. I love details. I just with this writer was good at presenting them.

What the writer is bound and determined to present are his liberal political leanings and to dress Sherwood in them in a straight jacket. Because I came into the book already knowing quite a bit about Sherwood I knew this presentation was off balance. Along the way I found I had to separate Sherwood from the writers opinion of him. The book tees off with Sherwood making a presentation that tells of his early days involving war and the like. The author takes that to be a strong stand of pacifism and adds his view of Sherwood’s view.

The book is fraught with the author’s opinion of what is happening, instead of basing the narrative of Sherwood’s documented life. He waaaaay over does this by making lengthy lists that is obviously the author’s opinion than fact.

Certainly an author’s view has to be basis for a biography. In this instance the view was the foundation and the effort was to build a life around it.

Adding to this is how this book is assembled for publications. Why did the author draw a line at 1939 for Sherwood’s life? It’s not half way. There’s not much more before Sherwood’s death in ’55. The book is already nearly 400 pages. Why not wrap it up? Or split into two books.

Best idea would’ve been to severely edit this book.

The book is full of good Sherwood information, but poorly realized into a book.

Bottom line: I don’t recommend this book. 3 out of 10 points.

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