The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-08-24
MIR. Cha mbcrs ON Divorce.


1t is rarely hat Robert ". Chambers
fails to be entertaining. and his stories OF
adventure and burlesques are a welcome
relief from the respectable commonplace
fiction Of the day. He Is. unfortunately.
anxious to exhibit his versatility and to
demonstrate that he can write in any style
that happens to be the fashion as well as
others instead of developing his W in
dividual talent, and IL is to be regretted that
he has taken up the realistic painting OF
our present besmirched and corrupt society
az in The Younger Set" Appletons), where
he follows feminine leaders who might also
be engaged in pleasanter work. Long as IL
in. the story retains the interest; the bright
places outnumber greatly those that are
dull, and the author makes his reader &C
auainted with more delightful people who
seem real than Questionable dreadful OK
amples
He seems to nave two chief objects in
view; first, to explain his deas on the sub
iect of divorce, which he does at great
length and with perhaps an excess Of preach
ing and next, to describe in detail the process
by which a young girl makes sure that
she 10 in love with a middle aged man. In
cidentaIly he paints New York society
in strongly marked lights and shadows
and in rather crude and glaring colors,
after the modern style. The reader will
be panied at the viciousness and vulgarity
of social leaders, but will be treasured by
Mr.. Chambers's confidence that. had as they
are, these people are bringing their children
no in physical and intellectual perfection
and concealing from them their own wrong
doing so that there is everything to hope
from the younger set which gives its
title to the book.
The hero ia naturally the modern Amer
lean ideal OF male perfection az depicted
bv Mr. C. D. Gibson, but improved by added
years and a mustache. His perfection makes
him appear rather colorless and the reader
may feel that a little more decision and a
httio less sentiment would have saved him
much trouble. That, however, would have
lone away with the self-commupings and
the discourses on the subject OF divorce
and with the careful analysis and discussion
with the heroine Of their sentiments re-
earding each other, n II it were not for
these Of course there would be no reason
at all for his existence. The heroine is a
very nice girl indeed, athletic, with violet
blue eyes and a mop OF bronze hair, but
with n fancy for i~ntrospection and self
analysis, leading to frank and long CONVEX
sations with the hero, which the kind reader
must hope she will outgrow.
A lot Of other pleasant people will be
remembered, for Mr.. Chambers draws them
distinctly and does not allow them TO change.
There ia a batch OF boisterous children
and logs and cats; there are bright and
amusing matrons and debutantes: there is
a sensible fdus Achates: there is a malicious
talebearer, who seems diabolical but turns
out TO be merely silly. Most Of the men
are rather absurdly bad, but their manners
are worse. People from out OF town might
get into trouble II they tried to initiate them.
For the first time. we imagine, the o OF
social ~etiquettes when divorced persons
meet in New York Is set forth.
In the main the book Ia a good love story
and therefore readable. II would be far
more enjoyable II so much we're not made
of the brutal sides OF social life. and, perhaps
II II we're cut down omewhat.