by Stephen Becker
Kindle Reissue Open Road Media 2016
Originally published 1964
240 pages Literary Fiction
I had no idea what I was getting into when I began reading
the copy of A Covenant with Death, provided by the publishers, except to
note that it was a reissue of a novel by a popular 20th century author, Stephen
Becker. Imagine my surprise when I found it to be a profound meditation on the
nature of justice and of capital punishment in the guise of a courtroom
procedural.
It is summer 1923, and a small town in New Mexico is rocked
by the murder of a young housewife, Louise Talbot. She lives in the same block
as Ben Lewis, a 28-year-old, who has just been chosen by the governor of New
Mexico to be a circuit court judge. The governor owed his life to Ben's father,
and out of respect, gives the honor of a judgeship to his son, a recent law
school graduate.
Of course, Louise's husband is suspected immediately of her
death and is arraigned for the murder. An older circuit court judge takes the
case, and Ben attends the court sessions to learn what he can about courtroom
routines. However, Ben has a lot of things on his mind. He is living with his
widowed mother, which for the most part goes well, but he also has a lot of
romance problems that his mother keeps trying to solve. We only know the case and
the trial from Ben's point of view, and
his view is clouded by his worries that he is not worthy of being a judge and
his ability to dispense justice, when he is so young and untried.
A shocking event occurs just when the older judge is going
on vacation, and Ben is now faced with a life or death situation on which he
must rule. As we read his actions and his musings, we see him mature into a
fine judge who is able to understand the nature of justice and dispense a
decision that is awe inspiring.
One reviewer says that A Covenant with Death is "one
of the finest fictional explorations of the nature of justice in the history of
American literature." Others compare it to Anatomy of a Murder and To
Kill a Mockingbird as an outstanding courtroom drama. On the other hand, it
is much more than a courtroom drama. It is also the depiction life in a small
New Mexico town, which adds greatly to the storytelling. Most tellingly, it
relates a young man's journey into maturity and responsibility. That, to me,
was one of the most magnificent parts of the novel—how Ben's understanding of
justice matures when he is faced with dispensing life-or-death justice.
Stephen Becker died in 1999 after a long career as an author,
translator, and professor of English. He concentrated on the "moral and
social complexities of law and justice. In his books, the rigidity and
absoluteness of law collides with human values—especially the need for
expiation, mercy and compassion." (in Gale Contemporary Authors). Frankly,
I was so pleased to happen upon this book. It is definitely one of the best
books I have read in a long time. A Covenant with Death is only
available for download. There will be no hard copy in this reissue.
There is a movie version that was released in 1967. Many of
the movie reviews, however, say that the book was much better than the movie. I
think that I just want to savor the memory of this outstanding novel, and not
bother my brain with an inferior movie.
The publisher has shared an excerpt of the novel. This
passage sets up the initial mystery of who killed Louise Talbot.
1 comment:
Miriam,
I just discovered your review of Stephen Becker’s “A Covenant with Death.” The timing couldn’t be better. I’ve been carrying a hardcover edition of this novel around with me since the late 1960s and as far as I can recall, I’ve never read it. I figured it was time to decide whether the book was worth keeping or a target for downsizing. I’m about 100 pages in and I’m finding it fascinating. I guess I’ll keep it.
There’s no mystery to why I have the book in the first place. I grew up in Yonkers NY and our neighborhood drug store was owned by Stephen’s father. I have no idea what his first name was – I was a child and he was simply “Mr. Becker.” After all he was a pharmacist, and a business owner – both magnets for respect. I vaguely knew that his son was a novelist which gave even further allure to the father’s reputation.
The comparison to “To Kill a Mockingbird” is quite apt. America was just beginning to come to terms with social justice in a mass market way, and both books drink from and feed that well. I realize that Covenant is likely to appear quaint or perhaps dated to readers today. I grew up in another era however so I am not put off by that quality. Think of it as historical rather than contemporary fiction (it takes place 100 years ago), and you won’t have any such problem.
I remember “Mr. Becker” the Elder as being very dignified. Perhaps the word “dour” comes closest to describing him – but then these are the memories of a child from long, long ago. I wish he or his son Stephen were alive today. I’d love to get in touch. I was just a neighborhood kid to the father, so there’s no possibility he would remember me. Although I never met the son, I was vaguely aware that he had some kind of celebrity status and lived half a world away from Yonkers NY.
Since this is a blog of book reviews let me just offer this: If you enjoy courtroom procedurals, this book is for you. Sort of “The Roots of John Grisham.” If you’d enjoy a regional glimpse of 100-year old America, this book is also for you. It is witty and insightful in ways that were not the norm when it was written some 60 years ago.
- Hank Davis
hdavis@uoguelph.ca
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