I found David Hajdu's book singularly diverting, entertaining, and informative. Most of all, and I can't quite define how or why, I found "The Ten-Cent Plague" to be downright cozy. Perhaps because I think of that era that way; nostalgia, I suppose.
I applaud Mr. Hajdu's unquestionable ability to vividly introduce the reader to (or remind him of; depending on one's age) an extraordinarily different era; a better time than this, in my humble opinion. He's a wonderful researcher and writer. But....
First, an intelligent and reasonable argument can be made that certain comic books were bizarre and lurid, and that their influence upon the young and impressionable wasn't exactly wholesome or salubrious. Mr. Hajdu's sneering dismissal of this viewpoint hardly indicates sophistication (as much as he may want to think that it does). Mind you, I'm not necessarily making this argument. I was an avid comic-book reader myself, and look how I turned out! My point is that such an argument isn't groundless, nor is it inherently evil. After all, contrary to what many people believe, there is nothing even remotely anti-American about a given community insisting on certain values and standards of conduct, and in employing censorship as a means. Until the egregious 1970s, the only form of censorship the courts would condemn and prohibit was government censorship; each community had the right and duty to establish and enforce its own standards.
Second, despite Mr, Hajdu's best efforts, he doesn't persuade (he certainly didn't persuade me) that the great comic-book scare was particularly scary. And this "scare" changed America? Oh, please.
Mr. Hajdu is more successful as an observer than as a commentator. And it is the hyperbole and silliness of some of his comments and historical claims that cost him a star. Still, four stars is nothing to sneeze at and I do indeed recommend this book. |
The Ten-Cent Plague: The Great Comic-Book Scare and How It Changed America Books In Print, Audio Books.