Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-04-25
BOOK REVIEWS.

VICTORY: An Inland Tale. By Joseph
Conrad, author of THE Niger of
the Narcissus." etc. New York:
Doubleday. Page Co.
- AMBURAN. lonely island OF the
South sea. Axel Huyst. living
on this deserted island. The
girl, Lena. rescued by Huyst
from the Ladies' Travelling Or
chestra and brought to the security OF
Sandman These are the elements
with which Joseph Conrad weaves
romance of SURPRISING beauty and
charm. Huyst is a curious fellow. de-
tached and impersonal. given to re-
Election. in love with solitude. glad TO
let the world go by leaving him to the
Joy of his hermit way of life. Samburan
IS a heavenly retreat to him. An ur-
bane and kindly man who. through
mere impulse of pity, rescued the girl
from q frightful situation A strange
ly silent girl. this. without pretense or
coauetry or other feminine artifice. Her
beauty of a clear transparency, cool
and unprovocative beauty. The island
was her sanctuary and Huyst her
providence. Solitude and time changed
this so that the island took on some
thing of the later character of the Gar
den of Eden. In the course of events
three ruffians came to TINS retreat,
their lure the reputed wealth of Huyst
Murder was in their calculations and
worse than murder finally took Its
place within their plans. The COM
mon danger of these two turned the
girl into a motherinS. Watchful pas
sion for the man. into dauntless cour-
age for him, into the highest arustry
of Discrimination for his safety, and
into final self-sacrifice for him. Right
here is the marvel of this story. This
is the instructive female in her chief
role of protection. Freed here from
the clutter of civilization this role be-
comes paramount, as it is in fact The
adventure of this story is exciting and
breathfesS- 1t is with the people, how
ever, that its great power lies. Each
is a human being, consistent with him
self, a perfection OF dramatic insight.
Even SO minor character as the VIE
OF the brute SchomberS is a mastery
creation. woman made out of jeal-
ouSy and clothed in fear, weird and
stealthy personality that looks like an
eastern idol. With all of his remark
able doinSS Mr. Conrad has never done
better than this.
THE HOUSE Of THE DEAD. BY Fyo-
dor Dostoevsky, author of Crime
and Punishment, etc. Translated
from the Russian by Constance Car
nett New York: The Macmillan
Company
This is book of personal memoirs
giving Dostoevsky's own experiences in
q Siberian prison. Its high Importance
as prison literature lies in its truth, its
sincerity, its devotion to the full detail
of prison life, its freedom from the
distorting effects of personal bitter
ness on the part of the writer. Its even
higher place as a record of the human
at a certain stage and in d certain
nl.tI-a in, ll-sc nfar md
Ing and sympathy. which are perfect
and complete. With surprising detacn-
ment, much as il ne were an oniooker
rather than part of the hldeous LIE
Of the place, ne describes in photo
graphic fidelity the barbarous regime
of the prison in its day-py-day awful
ness. His fellow prisoners are muir
derers, assasslns. briSands. bad
lot. Yet, bad as they are, they stir
Dostoevsky to pity over their child
Ishness, their helpleSSness i'll their own
hands. He tells OF their small trick
cries and receptions, of their brutal
habits and low speech. of the dis
proportioned and futile punishments
dealt out to them, OF the utter misery
of their lives. About the only CLEAN
Of brightness that appears here is
through Dostoevsky's friendship for
the prison horse ana dog and the dumb
happiness OF these creatures in him.
Dostoevsky is man of the Christ pat
tern. There is no hatred, or scorn, or
eensure here, but only great pity for
these prisoners, wonderful sympa-
thy, complete understanding. 1t is a
long story. big and loose in Its make
up. all of this writer's books are.
Ii this be a defect, one is willing to
leave it with the critics and tecnni-
.ians. The story Itself is a great story,
tremendous in its appeal, as II is pro-
found in its penetration and broad in
Its human sympathy
THE PRETENDER: \ Story of the
Latin Quarter. BY Robert w. Serv-
ice, author of Trail of 3o, etc.
New York: Dodd, Mead & Co
The envious said that it was only a
lucky huke that turned Maddens first
novel into best-seller. They added,
moreover. that silly public. having
Mce indorsed him. was too lazy and
TOO vain to reverse its decision in his
.avor. In consequence, they said. Mad
len had gone on with something like a
loZen rotten" performances that had
Aopelessly swollen the fortune and the
aead of this mere fakir and literary
,retender. Naturally, this hubbub of
:he high-brows got on Madden'S nerves.
So, to convince them, and perhaps in
sidentally to convince himself, Madden
vowed that he would show them"
Abandoning his questionable glory, he
disappeared The next thing about
Madden is that he is in London. There,
he, in most theatric fashion, picks up
! wife. little French girl on the edge
IF letting the Thames settle her score.
Then the two set out for Paris. And
here the charming story begins. 1t is
bnly an account of the ups and downs.
.he ms and outs, of literary mans
ight for life. But, somehow. in Paris,
where art is the be-all and the end all
" things. the story takes some of
me ineifable glory. and grace of the
tiren city itself 1t is d buoyant story,
rith chances of humor i'll il, and even
pits OF farce. But. all i'll all, its web
. that Of grace, of a simple and init
nate touch very fine and deep-seat-
I'd affairs. one reads ii once in com
tlete bond to its light beauty and then
he reads il again to resavour the anne
tharm.
OUTDOOR STRETCHING. By F. Hop
kinson Smith. author of In Dick
ems London etc. Illustrated by
the author New York: Charles
scribners Sons Washington: Wood
ward Il Lothrop.
Addressed to art students with in
Hruction as their chief intent. these
Essays are calculated, nevertheless. to
appeal to very many outside this spe
nal class For they possess in full the
qualities that have so endeared Hop
kinson Smith to the public through the
touble medium of art and letters. In
asy vein the writer gives here his
twn happy experiences in outdoor
york. expanding along the way his