Plot: Told from the perspective of three young men, this story begins in a police academy and winds through the lives of new policemen in the early 1960's. Serge, Roy, and Gus individually encounter racism, sexism and alcoholism, attempt to discover their personal reasons for fighting crime, and struggle with life in and outside the job.
Comments: The New Centurions is a realistic tale of the struggles of young policemen in the 60's, and it is not to be considered light-hearted reading. The language is certainly sophisticated and slightly old-fashioned, as the novel was published in the 1971, but the content is also rather dark. After all, the policemen work in areas with desperately high crime rates and face the most terrible aspects of humanity. Therefore it follows that these young men change as they grow older and more experienced. This book marks the evolution in personality and character of these three policemen as influenced by the world around them.
It's interesting to see the stories through the eyes of each policeman. Though told in the third-person, the reader has access to the thoughts and emotions of each character, and the differences between the three are intriguing. I loved watching the men change, though it was challenging to see them developing darker sides of themselves, having quickly grown attached to them. Through the violence and choices in the riot towards the end of the book, the reader really finds an understanding of each man, just as the men find an understanding of themselves. Though there isn't a solid plot or storyline, this story gives the reader a good look into the lives of three policemen.
Rating: I rate this book an eight and a half out of ten.
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