Black Oxen
by Gertrude Atherton
This novel is a real genre-bender. Take the premise of a woman who undergoes a rejuvenation treatment and loses about 40 years and you should have the basis for a good science fiction, fantasy or even horror story. Instead this concept is dressed up as a Romantic Drama with large dashes of 1920's New York society, European aristocracy and Battle of the Sexes.
To give a feel of this book; for every passage dealing with the rejuvenation angle such as:
"As I said, the application was painless, and if no benefit results, neither will any harm be done when the Rays are administered by a conscientious expert. My final consent, as I told you, was due to the desire to regain my old will power and vitality."
there are many, many more such as:
"But Clavering, watching her anxiously, had seen an expression of wonder dawn in her eyes, quickly as she had banished it. It was evident that whatever the secret spite of these women, this was the first time they had given it open expression."
The first quote is by Madame Zattiany, who left America as Mary Ogden for Austria in her youth only to return years later just as youthful. "Clavering" is the aspiring playwright who falls for her.
Well, I guess that this isn't a bad piece of literature. It was fairly popular in its time. It just "ain't my cup of tea". I'll chalk this up as making my reading a little more rounded and leave it at that.
After reading the novel, I tracked down the video of this 1924 film. It was being sold by a Clara Bow collector. Clara Bow had co-starred in a supporting role as a young flapper. The footage I managed to get is missing the last 1/3 or so of the movie. (Note: as a word of warning, no excerpts are to be found on the DVD entitled "Discovering the It Girl" despite mention in the DVD notes to the contrary.)
Judging by the photoplay stills throughout the book and the parts of the film I viewed, there were very few fantastic elements in it. In fact the closest thing that I could detect was where Corinne Griffith, playing the central character, is shown in a flashback as the "old" Corinne.
As final note, apparently Atherton herself tried to find the Fountain of Youth via something called the "Steinach method".
Addendum: For a story that I'm not really that fond of, I've managed to acquire a bit of Black Oxen memorabilia. I picked up a nice little herald (handed out by hawkers on street corners I guess) and also the sheet music to Black Oxen. The herald is nice little collectible. The music sheet has an o.k. shot of Corrine Griffith on the cover; but the words to the theme song "When Romance Wakes" is more icky pukefied, romance stuff!!
written: 11/1/2001
revised: 11/20/2002, 3/9/2004