The San Francisco call., 1907-06-02
'NOther''

ftOtuJls
81 Maxim, Gor.y. with eight illustrations by
Slgmund de lvanOwski. D. Appleton a Co
p. = p. New York. Price $I.5o.
his novel viii do more to estab-
lish Maxim Gorky'e place in lit
erature than any of his previous
works. With one long novel and
many short articles to his credit, he
had done little to make his name well
known until he indulged in that indis-
Greet lecturing tour in America few
seasons age Now again is his name
IN the papers, for he is reported. near
death IN Rome of tuberculosis
This latest work from his pen is un-
doNbtedly worthy and artistic. Even
trough the groundwork is sordid and
painful 10 a degree. there is much
poetry and beauty in it and on the
whole it may be called a work of pure
tdeasism. The plot OF the story is
briefly this- Mother is Russian
peasant woman whose life has been
one long misery. Like many other
women IN her class, she has been beat
en- and abused and downtrodden to
sueh an extent by a british husband
that she has scarcely more intelligence
s animal instinct she adores her son. AS
an example of the depravity in which
she has lived may be quoted what is
called her wooing by this same brutal
husband.
Al one OF the parties he had seized her IN a
csrk porch, snd pressing her with his whole
> body 70 the wall asked in gruf, vexed voice:
-. .sWAl you marry mef''
She had been pained and had felt offended.
hat be rudely dug his fingers into her n@sb
heavily
breath into her face. She struggled to tear her
Hold on, he roared. Answer me, well.''
Out o. breath, shsmed and insulted, she re-
mained silent.
~Don't put on airs now. you fool. know
your kind. You mighty pleased
Some one opened the door. He let her go
\ win send match maker to you next
And be did
She is 40 years old when her husband
dies and she is left with son about
IL years. The son asserts his inde-
pendence and becomes the. bread winner
Of the family. Away from his home he
finds interest in the doctrines of social
ism Slowly he becomes a convert.
soon a leader; then his home is the
meeting place of an ardent little band
of believers. This poor starved mother
becomes interested in the young men
and women who are giving their lives
TO the cause of uplifting their fellow
men. They each and all become very
dear to her. She is mother" to every
one
r She tries to follow the reading and
talks which take place in her little
sitting room, and gradually an almost
entirely forgotten knowledge of read
Ing which she had in her youth comes
hack TO her and she studies night and
day 10 keep abreast Of the little band.
The development of her character is
Interesting. From the weak trembling
mother. whose only interest in life is
fn her son, she becomf the pillar of
strength upon whom " whole band
rests. and finally. when .r son is ban
efshed TO Siberia. she can sook upon that
d disaster almost with a snile. and takes
up his work OF printing the socislistic
pamphlet; and, at the end, dies a
martyr 10 the cause.
The book is hardly a story; what
little there is could go into a few
pages. It is more like tract-a de-
scription Of the Russian situation from
f1e extreme socialistic point of view.
Very few OF the doctrines of socialism
are given Tt seems to be a sort of re-
ligion with these poor fanatics to get
into Jail and be sent into exile.
The reason for this may be that
Gorky himself since he has made al
most a million by his writings, is not
quite the rabid socialist he was when
rSo0r and hungry. The book is well
done. much stronger and mSye positive
in style than the work frWA Tolstors
pen but far less artists.