The idea is a good one, especially in light of the events of recent years. However, it has some problems - some of which are due to it being written in the 1970s and others due to lazy plot contrivances.
The worst example of the latter is how the characters of the children are written. These kids are allowed to know confidential things to be kept hidden from visitors to the commune, yet mix freely with said visitors and tell the visitors exactly what the adults are keeping from them. Children have free range to play with guns too, despite the adults always having a problem with this.
The kids are gullible enough to believe a female character is an evil witch when encouraged by the cliche that is the character of Hubert; worse, two of the adults are swayed over. Fine if this was set in the 1370s but in the 1970s?
The death of a male character is par for the course, while the death of a female character is seen as a tragic event. Women here are generally not fully-fledged adults; they are there to support the men. I guess that is perhaps a reflection of 1970s attitudes though.
Also has a very, very slow plot progression.
The worst example of the latter is how the characters of the children are written. These kids are allowed to know confidential things to be kept hidden from visitors to the commune, yet mix freely with said visitors and tell the visitors exactly what the adults are keeping from them. Children have free range to play with guns too, despite the adults always having a problem with this.
The kids are gullible enough to believe a female character is an evil witch when encouraged by the cliche that is the character of Hubert; worse, two of the adults are swayed over. Fine if this was set in the 1370s but in the 1970s?
The death of a male character is par for the course, while the death of a female character is seen as a tragic event. Women here are generally not fully-fledged adults; they are there to support the men. I guess that is perhaps a reflection of 1970s attitudes though.
Also has a very, very slow plot progression.