The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-06-06

THE FOOL AND HIS HEART: Berg
Ry 3 %orreys Cornell New York:
George Fl. Richmond IL 90.
The Fool ana Ills Hear Il hy no mans
afr. p. Norrays ConueEFs first venture into
literature for re- mas already attracted IA
.arabIe attention by his former novels.
I'm me Green Parg'' and '-The House 90
the Strange Woman" But this ia'eSt book
il destined 20 widen the field Of mis- read
ers and place his name among the noysiists
Of the day.
Coupled with Mr.. connen's wonderful
command 81 language ard s1nootnness o.
cicg!on there f. y quality and power ia
this story. with It's subtle analyses os the
motives and influence. OF life. that enehains
the attention Of the reader NTH uniiagging
interest 10 the close OF tire book.
IL il the story OF life. oftentincs fool
isflly and reckiessiy mIss9snt. out ~ithaI
q life OF fascinating interest told Win
frencnant pen.
So strongly and graphically are events
and experiences depicted IN Basil Thimr's
struggle to become recognized tn the lit
.rary world o. London that one is tempt
Cd TO believe that the story IS AT least
partly autobiograpetcai.
Basil ThEmfu is the youngest son OF SIR
francis T'himm q distinguished and fash
ionable physician III the city o< Dublin.
Regarding BaF4i's childhood the author.
with gessimlstic philosophy. says. The
first thirteen years OF n human entitys
existence consists az four years moral
GS.Tnaua and nine years 50 striaingiy vivid
that they sometimes seem TIE only real
hours of lie. as they are almost inyaT-
iabiy unpleasant. this arrangement APP
pears To the cynic n little thoughTless-"
so Basil merely shared the common lot
OF most Snortals when unhappness had
predominated In his brief life. He was q
prscecious innocent and highly intellect
uai hey. of a sensitive religious nature.
tortured by doubt. In religious belief he
had been trained by 4. deyout mother.
whose ancestry for 300 years had been rigid
Catholics. She Installed into his youth
fui mind much OF that deep. revereni. al
truisiic devotion 10 the cross and Roman
Catholicism, which the Irish hold In a
more marked degree than any other pa
ton
Rut. unfortunately Basil. with his quick
inguiring mind and thirst for knowledge
and truth. was allowed the freedom OF
his fathers library and when NewTaans
"Apoiogia" and yoltaire's 'Iiistoire Ec-
clesastiqae" and kindred other works fell
in the way OF the youthful hookworIn ii
was small wonder that the seed of doubt
v'as soon sown and the lad made rapid
progress on the road 10 unbeiief
II was at this period that the philosophy
OF the author gives the keynote OF the
stormiest and most degraded passages OF
Basii's iife. He says: There is a NOM
entary epoch i'm every mans life. 1t comes
somewhere about the sixteenth year IN
inost-an epoch when the slightest in
fnencc for good will bear fair fruit. but
II the trail of the evil shall cross his path
instead then has sin found an easy vo-
tary: and he that had that In him whtch
passeth virtue will sink 10 the level OF the
sot.
Basil Thimm, who was precocious. had
at. af thirteen.
THIS critical time which Basil thus en-
countered at so tender an age, was
desperate battle with his cousin, in the
midst OF which he was grasped from be
hind by the entwinng arms Of some I'M
known at whom. In his blind rage. he
struck and curscd-only TO find that 1t was
his girl sweetheart, Helen Hunter for
whom he cherished the deepest alteration,
and love which was the absorbing pas
sion % his life.
The revelation of his mistake Is followed
BY a severe Illness, and iielcnS marked
averston causes thu lad after GONZALES
cence To leave his Dublin home for two
years OF school. The death Of his father
uecessitates the finishing Of his education
under tile care OF an elder brother. He
had hegur 10 read law mi Dublin. when
the dishonesty of his uncle~one of his
fathers executors him of his little
patrimony. forces him To abandon the law
and sends him 10 London To support HIM
self by literature. to struggle. 60 starve. 10
despair almost to the point of Sui''ide.
II is this portion Of Rasil's life that is
drawn with such eonsummate power and
rleYerness We are given alimpSes Into
rrai bohemia; the shady side of the lite
rary lfe Of London Is portrayed with no
uncertain pen. There are interviews with
greedy unscrupLtous publishers and ac-
counts Of literary workshops that bear the
imprint Of realism.
But above and beyond all the misery and
DEGRADATION that threatens 90 engulf Basil
Is shown the power and influence of his
first and last love: the love whose very
hogeiessness Is often the cause Of his
reckl@sSuass hut II is also the motive Of
his most unseiiish and nohlest deeds.
Il Is the mind and soul and life Of Basil
Thgrnm that the author has esSayed 10
present So us. with is romance. its
uroglie8ey. igs hArtships struggles snd al
fiutlte triumph.
Mr Council has allotted IN himself
great variety of scene and subject. as we'll
as a wide range of philosophy. hat hts pen
possesses descriptive quality and faCtle
pictuvesausneSs which makes him entirely
master of tny whole Nowhere IS this bet
ter seen than TIA tho characterization Of
his mon. who are Strongly and definitely
drawn. bat his women are not as salts
factory. although Helen IS 3 charming. x
rather roloriess personality.
Tho narrative moves swiftly. the action
~ viEofous and at times highly dra matte
and from first to last there Is not dun
page IN the book The stirring and pa
thstic account 90 tbe battle 90 MatuhA Hil
gives tU insight into The descriptive power
al the author It's brightness ani humor
gre shown iu thv sketch cf Fastts inter
view Wwh 4 distinguished actor. an old
friua of BATS fathers upon whom be calls
Win ihg horc OF work and again, ia the
rir<trnses of she outline description of the
hcroa first latVndu uou 20 Bohemia.
i,ut withjn the trrits of hrief review
q Is Impossible So give an adequate i'm
PRECISION og thls book vh3ch is not a sun
c8Y ,chool oue Neither i= IL milk for
htb,a but msst for meu eu1 women. sor
even aS 9hs Nf~ &c seeks ta portray IL dies
not atwiY~ present Whst ly unrest and
rieSt e}ryaGsuc but ~ rs Hudeulshis clever.
And be- is ALSO net withoat }ts moral AL
'sou~h ir ts not $40 sharply pointed rs 90
prevent ths STORY ending happily. - per-
bare fftr atI W WUst seek FOR tha motive
e. the ts1ok ia tts prnew-
There Nes }Eed ia thc stormy ocssp
81 lije uhich roots fttuk IS a (rt, country.
les faHshltsnts are WrIHkiesl Youths csl-
leN ~2fvts ans sad women. fts pfeazur,
srv t7tle-= tts sorrows desperate. tys
u5-.Nfa' fcasts are cotaurAeS Of drpr4V-
eN. tt~ ias~s afv shameful. lrs unarrtsxss
$500 untuu~ ~ harrles ana erubreos ~ is
~spujrars rot Whtted. Aus painted ta
EaHtN snls~hcz, $s shores sra studded
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ttE. sin&seE sirens ara yVnet we>' 80 fha
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