Greencastle and the Denizens of the Sacred Crypt

This novel by the author of One Hundred Times to China is so good that its lapses are the more regrettable. Kropp's many characters take possession of the reader's mind, so vivid are his descriptions of life in the small town of Greencastle during 1951. The leads are Roger, 15, and his buddies Dennis, Frank and Harry. The boys' ""otherness'' makes them outcasts in the rigidly conforming community. In compensation, they invent fantastic worlds of their own, taking their inspiration from the tales they read in Norman Pangborn's second-hand bookstore. Pangborn's hospitality and his support of the imaginative youngsters draw fire from bigots who accuse him of supplying harmful material to teenagers. As a consequence, local hoods are incited to commit outrages. Roger is badly beaten but brilliant Harry's fate is worse. The author masterfully evokes adolescent angst in his sensitive and often slyly humorous story. Unfortunately, one finds the quick capitulation by the community's moralists a dubious resolution. (February)