As a fan of Southern literature, I looked forward to reading "The Dog Star" but was let down by the slow, meandering pace of the book. There is really no plot at all, and to top it off, Blackie Pride is not the least bit likable. His supposed alienation seems like one big whine after another. Windham's overblown, overly descriptive style does nothing but add more confusion into the mix, and the resolution is completely predictable. Other than the fact that it takes place in Atlanta, there is nothing that feels "Southern" about the story, and the positive attention it has received because of this classification mystifies me.

Donald Windham's fame has been elusive over the past half century in comparison to his legendary buddies: Tennessee William, Truman Capote, Gore Vidal, Carson McCullers et al. But that doesn't make him any less of an artist. THE DOG STAR is dark and forboding. Written in amazing eloquence the novel has aquired a nostalgic flavor but in many ways forshadows the current problems of today's teens. So The Dog Star should also appeal to the Dawson's Creek crowd. One day, it will be required reading and Windham's hero will stand along side other American teen anti-heros such as Holden Caufield and Huck Finn and Windham himself will gain the respect and noteriety he so deserves. Donald Windham is one of the great unsung masters of twentieth century American Literature.

This is a wonderful book, too long out of print. Blackie is a complex, dark character who is like so many young people today. Windham's style, at least as compelling as his friends and colleagues Tennessee Williams and Truman Capote, is dense and well crafted. This is a lost classic.