The Washington herald., 1915-02-12
THE TURMOIL,
BY BOOTH HARRINGTON.
By BOOTH HARRINGTON,

Cldtlon lof story SO gratefully enter
tanning. so genuinely lifelike. as Booth
| Tarkington's The Turmoil GIarper &
Brothers.. After reading this tale it
seems banal to speak of Mr.. Tarkington's
| humor or pathos. an impertinence to
comment upon his skill in portraying
character. Humor and pathos, after ALL
are literary words. and we seldom think
OF them in connection with real life; no
more do We think of them in connection
with Mr.. Tarkington's story. though in
| reading 1t we are always sympathetic
and often greatly amused. As for the
characters in the story. we are inclined
to accept them as actual persons. To
inquire whether they are well drawn"
or not seems absurd. because they are
so obviously alive. The fact is that be-
sides an unusally lively sense Of humor.
special tact In elicitng sympathy. and
rare Gift for expressing in words the
elusive traits Of men and women. Mr.
Harrington has in much larger measur>
than most story writer's power that
underlies and gives support to these vari-
Gus kinds of ClevcTncss. 1t Is a power
not very easy to cxplain-a knowledge
OF the ways of life and an intutive un-
derstandinE of human nature: Il superior
degree OF that faculty for recognizing
What is most fundamentally human and
for feeling what is most distinctive i'm
personality of which all Of us have a
little. This is the power that makes the
1g-, s4r~t--
Turmoil than in anything that Mr..
Harrington has previously written.
Fundamentally Real.
1t is because he possesses this power
that the author is able to write in so
easy and ingratiatng a mdnnrr-to give
free rein to a versatile clcvcrncss with
out ever seeming prctentious or super
fetal. His story and the people in it
are fundamentally so real that he can
we'll afford to write whmslcaIIy about
them II he chooses. His conception Of
character Is so clear and vital. his in
tcrcst in the human problems Of the
story is so genuine and contagious that
he can let humor and fancy play about
them without eudanEoring the effect Of
reality. And so. if one must attempt to
analyze the charm OF story that is so
satisfying as a whole. probably one can
do no better than say that It has in
unusual measure both the fundamental |
elements of a good novcI-i deep and cul- (
tIvated appreciation Of the realities OF
life and character, and the distinctive /.
quality of a lively. entertaining, sympa- /
thetic personality. How often one Of ,
these elements is missing in the common /
er kinds Of fiction. it is needless TO re- |
mark We are all familiar with the story |
Enthusiastically based on realities but ut !
terlv undistinguished. lacking in origi- /
nality OF viewpoint or freshness OF eX- !
preston. and We have all read with in |
dulgence but withOut entire contentment. |
the clever tale in which brilliant wit and !
faciIe feeling play around characters and !
events that are merely conventional or !
shadowy. But when. as in The Tur- /,
moil." both elements are present. We
feel that We are dealing with that not /
very definable but immensely worth |
while product OF the human mind. a good !
novel II the story have essential real |
ity and the flavor OF personality in |
thought and feeling. We really care Ht7
tie whether it be caIlai realistic or ro- |
mantle. or what the authors literary /,
methods may be. In The Turmoil
which is too intimate a picture Of life !
to be called mere romance. and which !
is too far superior in interest to ordi- |
nary experience to be called realistic in |
the narrower sense-it is the effect Of a !
refreshing personality that first strikes |
us. Every sentence has a surprising |
freshness OF expression; each embodies .
some shrewd observation. or some keen
realization or Quaintness or naturaIness:
each has = characteristic flicker Of hu- /
NOR or feeling
Convincing and Imperative.
One would say that the authors whole .
subject was to write entertainments .
Never do we catch Mr.. Harrington in the .
act Of drawing character. of building .
up an illusion. of sketching life with con-
scientious exactitude: never do We feel |
that he is trying to give his story a .
uniform tone Of feeling. Never. in
short. are We compelled to think Of him
as an artist seIf-Consciously at work.
In a perfectly frank and friendly way
he appears to he telling US true and
interesting things that have Interested
him sufficiently to engage all his powers
in the task of writing about them.
And yet for all this apparent lack of
strenuous purpose and the predominance.
on the whole, of the note Of amusement.
the story is convincing and really i'm
pressive. Its characters are something
more than real enough to make accept
able imaginary companions for a few
hours. Sheridan-the big man OF a big