Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-09-23
BOOK REVIEWS.
TIKI. DANGEROUS AGE: Letters and
FRAGMENTS From a WOman'a Diary.


Fragments From q Woman's Diary.
Translated from the Danish of
Karin Michaclis. New York: John
Lane Company.
- NE takes up Karin Michaeiis
Dangerous Age with all man.
ner of anticipatory thrills me
press has been its active ah-
vance agent critics. In specs
and-cap-and- gown. have solemnly Weign-
ed IT, and the public in spasm OF las
cinated curiosity has virtuousiy denied
any desire to read it. In pleasant m
PRODUCTION. its translator. no less cTiuc
than Marcel Provost. grave'y announces
that this novel has stirred all Europe
With Europe. up to date, the Worio
treasure house of letters. stir in this
quarter over any book sets up SUD-
s,antfaI thrill all by itself. Again. the
novel is cast in the form OF concession
Another stir here for a confession is the
supreme lure of literature. The human
so instinctivelv seeks self-reyeiation, is
so eager to tally experiences with his
kind in the urgency of getting acquainted
with himself. that he seizes hopefully on
what looks like peep-hole into his own
aloof and uncommunicative soul. He quite
fo-cets that a full confession-for in
stance such as this of Karin Mlchaens
purpcrtS to be-is among the impossloil-
tiles. He forgets that one. even snoulo
he desire 10 make free avowal-which ne
never doeS-at his highest can only baD-
BILE baby-wise, about his dimiy Nsioned'
vaguely OWNED life drifting over I'M
6harted seas
In An hour. or thereabout, the book Is
read the great confession made. Closing
II. one feels as the yokel at the country
show looks when he energies from the
airy miniStrationS of the travelling nyp-
naz ShOoieSS
stocking in hand since this is faTorite
climax with these magic men-he droops.
grinning yacuously back at the shouting.
laughing crowd before him. such to-
do. Such TODD, Europe rocking. Crit
ics of their heads Excitement wax
ing every second. But the merely aver
age non-literary reader stands disor-
eanized like the pumpkin, stocking in
hand so to say, wondering what the up
roar is about.
AS an opening of the human heart it
is surpassed by many confessions in Ut
erature. One grants it the firm structure
and the muscular hrevity OF style &C
corded 1t. One comedies and enjoys its
purity of phrase and its pungent turn
elimination the only unique feature left
to this novel is its subject. And 1t is
this subject. without doubt. that Is at
the bottom. creating the hubbub. For
whose age is forty. or thereabout. Upon
this basis of years in woman. she
builds a story that moves chiefly in the
manifestations of physiology and psychoi.
ogy. To serve the assumed intimacy OF
this exposure. the novel advances oy
means of confidential letters and per-
sonal journal The mechanics of the mat
ter is this Elsie Lindther. the mature
heroine. under ply steal and emotional
stress. turns rebel against the habits or a
lifetime. Leaving her husband. she be-
takes herself to remote and secluded
spot, there to reorientate herself. and
from that point to set new paths for her
feet. In this retreat she writes letters to
friends. to her husband. to her lover.
These letters and diary contain many
interesting disclosures. many not at all
interesting. many that point to either
half-knowledge of the feminine or to dis
stimulation in pOrtraying her. The upshot
of the matter. however, is, that after all
this travail of soul the poor woman finds
that there is not enough of her. alone. to
go around, even for herself In this di-
lenma she summons. first. the lover. But
has found a compensation for this fit
ting lady. fact which he owns. shame
facedly,. and goes away She then calls
the husband. But he. husband wise, has
taken to himself another wife. Her letter
to him upon this announcement is the
most honestly feminine thing in the book.
What the merely average. non-literary
in order to keep either her husband or
lover. or both. she must-despite soul
problems-stick to her job and not ca
d
where there is no peace.
A PoRTENTOUs HISTORY: 4 Novel.
BY Alfred Tennyson New York
Dufheld * Co.
A new author Alfred Tennyson by
name. Grandson of the first Alfred Ten
nyson, nephew of the second Baron Ten
nyson. stepson of Augustine Birrell-yet
he dares TO take his pen in hand. More
over, he is gloriously justified of his cour-
age. for strong and beautiful story
stands here to his credit. Its theme is
big with significance. the loneliness OF
the UnusuaEthe secret terror and be-
wliderment OF the man woman who
must lace a world in which conformity
alone counts for quietude of mind, clad
III some strange motley of body or mind
IL depicts in amazing pattern the outla W
~ or the Unlike, In "A scheme of things
that welcomes and shepherds by kinships
alone. The tale grows in obscure cor
ner Of Scotland, around the boyhood and
youth of Jim MacDonald-(sargantuan
child-whose astounding size at birth and
subsequent gigantic growth constitute
both puzzling affront to parents and
an unfailing source of brutal glee to- the
others roundabout Jim Macdonald. out.
law, by the Interchangeable, though unrea
soned verdict OF the great Like The boy
is the very soul and body of an awfu
Loneliness, an awful terror. Ii is stor,
to break the heart for pity in which q
which any one differs from the rule, to tina,
degree is he fashioned for the lonely life
The story reads along, like many another
OF boyhood days wherein single ode
one offsets the mass OF even ones. Al
first, one smiles. little, now and then
but only at first. and even then with
dsquieting prescience. Little by little
the monstrous fact of Jim Macdonald
emerges and grows, and stands stark ir
supreme isolation. The commonplace
Scotch hamlet life looms tragic in il.
power, unreckoned but none the less
power. to shut Jim Macdonald quite out
from Its affairs and to exile him to Some
iiimitable unpeopled Sahara Of aloneness
Were not the author himself 50 good
friend TO Jim. The story would be set
aside. too bitter to read. Bat he is this
good friend. becoming a nomad in spirit
hike the boy. talking out 10 him from little
tents Of parenthesis: t"Never mind
Jim: and go Jim in playful expos
tulation, in good companionship wher
the child is quite distraught at his owr
monstrous strangeness In world made
for all-alke folks. This new Alfred Ten
Byson has tho passionate feeling for thi!
lorn boy that Charles Dickens has FOL
his lone children. He suggests Dicken.
not only in his heart. but In his powe
of portrayal as Well His outlook upoI
matters and things, as he goes along will
Jim. calls up the playfully ironic, indu!
gent philosophy of Charles Lamb. Thes