Spotlight on Books: WFM’S All Time Best: “The Studs Lonigan” a Trilogy by James Farrell
Sometimes a literary recommendation from a friend can fundamentally alter your understanding of what fiction can accomplish. When John Conway urged me to read James Farrell’s Studs Lonigan trilogy during our studies in Rome in 1973, I discovered a work of such uncompromising realism and moral clarity that it has remained with me ever since. I read the entire set on our lovely Loyola Rome Center campus balcony when I should have been focusing on learning to speak Italian. A difficult, but worthwhile tradeoff. This is a monumental work- three volumes- spanning Young Lonigan, The Young Manhood of Studs Lonigan, and Judgement Day- all written in the Depression era 1930’s. I scanned my dusty copies before doing this review. I needed to confirm some character names, but the prose still resonated with me. I loved the books then because they were a brutal “take no prisoners” examinations of how urban life and problematic social circumstances can undermine the pursuit of happiness. Unlike some of my previous “BEST BOOK” selections, the Lonigan trilogy is off the contemporary literary radar screen, but it remains a compelling read.
Farrell charts a trajectory of William (Studs) Lonigan journey of personal destruction. Studs lived a short life. The books follow Studs decline from his graduation from grammar school in 1916 to his death in the early years of the depression in 1931. The “STUDS” story uncomfortably checked a lot of boxes for me. He was an Irish Catholic from an ethnic Chicago neighbourhood. The Catholic parish church and school was the centre of the community. The fierce tribal nature of daily living reminded me of my own neighbourhood. Money was tight. Studs has choices but they are circumscribed by the limitations of his environment, including his family and friends. When we meet Studs, he is a sweet if unfocused kid. He is sensitive. He has some dreams beyond his immediate neighbourhood and has a tender relationship with a teenage neighbourhood girl who encourages him with kindness and insight. Alas, we then witness 15 years of bad choices and Stud declines physically, intellectually and emotionally. He becomes small minded and bigoted and totally squander this potential.
Stud’s negative arc is devastating to the reader. Farrell is brilliant because he doesn’t hit us with one tragic and or seminal moment leading to Studs’ downfall. Instead, he ruthlessly depicts the hundreds of compromises and surrenders that create the pathway to Studs’ degradation. Stud chooses the path of least resistance repeatedly: alcohol over sobriety, racism over understanding and curiosity, tough guy bravo over sensitivity, sexism over intimacy. Each bad choice creates a prison that he will not be able to escape. Basically, a primer on how not to transition from adolescence to adulthood. It certainly caught my attention, back in the 70’s although the differences between his environment and mine were enormous; I was born under a lucky star. Thank goodness!
What makes the trilogy so powerful is Farrell’s unsparing “just the facts” description of Studs’ surroundings. His family is well meaning, loving but intellectually narrow and socially complacent. The father has some business success, but his vision is provincial. The Mom is emotionally supportive but clueless about the wider world. There is a “who do you think you are” component to the home environment. Studs was not equipped by his home life to be ambitious or stretch the envelope. The neighbourhood itself- the insular South Side Irish American community doesn’t fare particularly well. It is a closed system that rewards conformity. There is deep seated prejudice against Jews and African Americans. There is an aura of defensive hostility against “the other.” The street corner culture celebrates surface toughness, casual violence and drinking while frowning upon intellectual ambition or any form of artistic sensibility. The Catholic Church is ineffectual and hypocritical. It is a prominent cultural force, but to what end? Social hierarchy is embraced by the church and sexual repression is a pervasive message. The Church produces a very confused flock. The priests are rules arbiters, rather than values driven actors. Unsurprisingly, the Chicago Archdiocese banned the trilogy from school libraries and instructed the parishioners not to read the book. There is no sentimentality here. We see glimpses of community warmth, resilience and loyalty but cant ignore the racism, anti intellectualism and social limitations. The neighborhood is insular, a trap that impedes personal growth. Studs has positive qualities - decency, tenderness, but he is complicit in his own destruction by going along to get along.
Farrell is not a beautiful writer or an accomplished stylist. His prose is not beautiful or elegant. However, his power of observation and exposition were extraordinary. The books are social history. He effectively documents the rhythms of Depression era urban life- the street action, the saloon cultured the economic pressure. The outside world, specifically the Depression inducing stock market crash destroys an already fragile community. It is also depressing because very few characters escape the dire reality surrounding them. One guy, Danny O Neill is ambitious and driven to succeed in school, but he is peripheral to the main male characters group. The girls are more admirable, but their destiny here is to offer opportunities to Studs for connection and intimacy that Studs is destined to reject- because he is Studs! The overall merit of the trilogy is its breathtaking sociological accuracy, psychological insight and moral clarity. It remains relevant today. Cultural narrowness remains a problem and we continue to look for new targets of our prejudices and fears. Conformity still rules the day. I like the books because they made me uncomfortable and they still do! It is brilliant an valuable because it is heartbreaking. READ them. Farrell was admired by his writing peers greatly. Both Ernest Hemingway and Nelson Algren named him as their favourite author. He is deserving of those plaudits.
