["Bright Center of Heaven"] is a bright fragment from the lives of an oddly assorted group of people on a Wisconsin farm. It begins with breakfast and carries on to bedtime. That short space of time is crammed with penetrating glimpses into the characters of the twelve people on the farm that day. The point of view shifts from the inner consciousness of one to another, and each inner view sheds light on the individual and reflects on his house-mates. The scope is deliberately narrow, and in its field the book is remarkably well done. The writing is pungent and sure. The humor is adult and original. The author's attitude is one of impartial detachment tinged with a human fondness for his characters….

The book is a sort of literary snapshot—clear-cut, incomplete but satisfactory. Overwrought emotions are portrayed with clean, swift strokes, and there are rapid transitions...