Many of Brinig's early novels depicted the settlement and development of Montana, the state he grew up in. These novels include Singermann (1929), Wide Open Town (1931), This Man Is My Brother (1932), and The Sun Sets in the West (1935).[3] Brinig based the main character of these novels, Singermann, on his father, Moses Brinig, who was a Romanian immigrant and shopkeeper.[3] Brinig's novels often depicted miners, labor organizers, farmers, and businessmen living in Montana.[4] These usually became bestsellers in the United States and were praised by critics of The New York Times.[5] One of the best-selling novels, The Sisters, was adapted to a feature-length film in 1938, starring Bette Davis and Errol Flynn.[3]
Brinig's novels often dealt with homosexuality.[1][6][7] It was a common theme for Brinig because he was a homosexual himself (although he was publicly closeted all his life).[1] According to the Gay & Lesbian Literary Heritage, Brinig was the "first American Jewish novelist to write in any significant way about the gay experience."[5]
In 1951, The New York Times Book Review said Brinig's "sentimental streak and his sympathetic touch with characters usually lend his books a warm glow of humanity, if not of art."[3] At the beginning of his career, Brinig was praised by critics for his "artistry and inventivenss in narrative, character and incident."[3] In the early 1930s, he was described as one of the leading young writers in America.[4] Brinig's last novels, however, were met with mixed reviews from critics, who criticized them for their "verbosity and banality."[3] Brinig died on May 13, 1991. The cause of his death was gastrointestinal hemorrhage.[3]
