With so many present-day authors cutting flirtatious eyes, not to mention the patterns of their stories, at the market of Hollywood, it might be discreetly suspected that Nevil Shute was shooting straight for that mart in retelling the saga of Leif Ericson in movie-scenario form. That, at least, could be one explanation for the structure of his "Vinland the Good." But, in due and considerate fairness, it must be presumed that Mr. Shute would have written his "script" with more regard for formula if he had been angling directly for a "buy." He would, for instance, have paid more attention to the aspects of boy-meets-girl; he would have tossed in a great deal more business of freebooting, feasting and fights. It stands pretty much to reason that the author chose the movie-script form because he felt that it was eminently appropriate for drawing popular interest to a bleak...