The Clang Birds : A Novel.

New York : The Macmillan Company, 1972., 1972. Very Good. Green cloth with gold lettering, in colorful dustjacket featuring a design by David Palladini ; similar to 014015227X, 9780140152272 ; LCCN: 72-77652 ; OCLC: 481411 ; slight foxing ; a satirical romp through the lives of the members of a pseudo-religious commune ; "An uproarious novel about a progressively progressive group of priests and nuns who cavort around Cambridge, Mass., plotting the downfalls of governments and themselves. The male members of the mythical but almost credible Thomasite Order, led by the beautifully elegant Reginald, exchange the rather luxurious if inhibiting quarters of the monastic house for the relative austerities of Somerville, where they intend to lead lives of ""radical Christianity."" Shunned by the neig hbors, who consider them Commies, their lives are more fraternity than fraternal; they occasionally attend classes, but really wait for the parties and the chicks with whom their fumbling techniques gradually improve. The ""Lollipop"" priests' radic al commitment extends as far as an accidental albeit successful draft-card raid, after which nearly everyone gladly retreats into ""domestic bliss,"" exchanging monastic vows for those of another sort. The juxtaposition of short, zippy scenes create s a feeling of speedy breathlessness, appropriate for conveying the amiable disorder of what are, au fond, people whose aims and ambitions are not much different from our own. Mr. L'Heureux is the priest-poet who wrote The Tight White Collar. "--Kirkus reports ; VG/VG