The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-12-04
Literary Lights And Shadows
nY s. MA Ys BALL

Williamson. Doubleday, Page 6 Co.)
 It is difficult thing, indeed, to remain long, even for the nonce, so to speak, or sufficient time within the atmosphere of books, even those already perused if not admired, when one happens to come from me country to a big hustling city, the mecca of the south, as a gentleman on the Birmingham Special" called Bir- m1ngham last Saturday. Bewidered by tall buildings the lodging, not to men, tion "cussng' of the motor-mad mutts who seem to infest every community, no matter what size these days, to pull or push, as it were, ones self back to quieter less exciting things say the dis cussion of books, is not easy.
 To gradually get within or without the atmospheres (two) mentioned-take your choice-"The Motor Maid is a good step- ping stone or bore, or rock or pill, as cultivated friend of this reviewer desig- mates such things sometimes
 Mr. Wright of the Los Angeles Times says that if anyone should ask him to name the most inane and worthless piece of fiction he had ever read, he would nominate without hesitation 'The Motor Maid" In making that statement Mr. Wright wishes it understood that it is not his intention to detract from the hard-earned reputation of MT. Robert Chambers. For MT. Wright realizes, as do others, that MT. Chambers has for many years striven honestly in the midst of much ambitious competition to write the silliest book in existence, and that when we look over the field of his en- deavors we must confess that this mas ter of banal drivel has succeeded re- markedly well.
 But like the politician in Washington some years ago, disgusted with some high official on account of this or that, ap- pealed to his senatorial conspirator for confirmation of his opinion as to the blankety-blank condition of the high of ficial aforesaid, ''the biggest blank in America!' Got this reply: "Fd like to help you out on your tirade and belief, but am, for the time being, pledged to Hoke Smith, Mr. Wright while pledged, as this reviewer is, for the time being, to MT. Chambers, the latter agrees with MT. Wright that in '"The Motor Maid' the Wflliamsons have gone the limit.
 ''But here is a book so positively atro- cious," says MT. Wright, "so utterly de- void of point, purpose or interest, that the honorable author whom I have just named will have to gird his Joins and try again. Tn these fair United States there are many lifeless and positively worthless books written. And so fagitious are some of them, so dia.bolically skillful in all the miracles and ramifications of inanity that they give the Williamson novels mighty close run.
 For instance there are Anna Kath- crime Greens detective tales, the great est fictional example of anserinety among all the contemporary female output. Then there are the outings of F. Hopkinson Smith, the human an- aesthetic the ungrammatical claptrap of George Barr McCutcheon, the steh- ographer's delightI the hectic murmer- ings of Upton Sinclair, the paralogica] poet of the milk can; and the 100000 page literary marathon of Judge Grant. In addition The Century and The Atlantic support a staff of writers alongside of whose work the "Origin of Species and Rants "Critique Of Pure Reason" are highly exciting.
 "But in all this vast army there has not yet been book produced that could equal The Motor Maid for downright atrocity.
 "What is the book about, you say?" MT. Wright replies, and in this DOT tion of his discussion speaks with full power of attorney from this depart ment:
 "As near as I can remember. 1t Is about an automobile. In fact, the au- tomobile is the hero of the novel. Gun able to make men and women stupid 
 ingenius and resourceful Williamsons make their principal characters differ ent brands of automobiles.
 "There are minor characters in the present book such as the people who own the machine, the chauffeur and the maid. The machine owners are money snobs and the chauffeur and maid. who are really aristocrats, be- long to that contemptible and depress- ing class of snobs who become offen- sively arrogant because they have dipped artichokes in butter with some body or other of social importance. The book is without plot so far as the naked eye can discern, except that in the last chapter I believe the chauf- feur and the maid get married. Several Of the pages are done in color."
 There is hardly any excuse whatever for "The Motor Maid" "The Golden Heart" by Ralph Henry
 Barbour. c. B. Lippinsott Coo
 Filled with lovely pictures, not all bound round with a pretty string but placed in pretty box ready for you lovers, at Thanksgiving time, Christ mas or any old time (when you have the sweetheart) is "The Golden Heart.
 The lovely box carrying the book may save 1t in your eyes and those of your sweetheart But the fact is that there is nothing in the book worth much; MT Barbour seems to be writing too much.
 You may find the plot amusing, the ,t not love- l