Richard T Gill

The Taking of Farnham Hall: Searching for Reality in the 1960s. Richard T Gill

It is often said that the 1960s are still with us, though understanding that complex period remains a mystery. Thus the importance of The Taking of Farnham Hall, which not only describes a typical student rebellion of the time, but also offers clues as to what underlay that rebellion - and this in a basically comic novel! The humor notwithstanding, this book, like its central character, is ultimately searching for 'reality' behind the wildness of the 60's. Why did students take over so many universities in the late 1960s? The Vietnam War fails as an explanation since the student riots began in Berkeley long before Vietnam was an issue, and also occurred in countries with no involvement with Vietnam. The Taking of Farnham Hall, presented from the vantage point of Jonathan Billings, a would-be revolutionary, suggests a different explanation: the search for real commitment in an otherwise blah world.