The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-24

A good portion Of W. Somerset
Naugham,s "Of Human Bondage
George II. Doran Company Is, in a
manner, photographed, and that
portion will probably interest the
reader most. II is an exercise long
drawn out. 6is closely printed pages,
in what It is the fashion nowadays to
cali realism. This consists in reviewing
the events of ones life, not In the spirit
nor With the enjoyment OF h time
Whsn they happened. but in the light
OF the dfsappointments and disillusions
q later life, laying stress on what
maturcr analysis makes out to be sor-
did and base and neglecting what was
youthful and hopeful and fine. Mr..
Maugham's hero Is a supersensitive
boy, rather self confident until he de-
cides that his talents are only second
rate, who drifts from n thing to an
other ~nd from childhood Is pained be-
caxue tho object he strives for proves,
afesr he has attained IL. less delightful
than he anticipated. He is burdened
al~o BY the need of exposing the false
nsav OF tie various philosophical, liter
AIRY and artistic idols that have been
worshipped in succession during the
past thirty years. With That purpose
in mind he is put through an English
public school, the occasion or peda-
xogical criticism. a German university
town. the art circles OF Paris ana a
London medical college. giving MT
Vaughan the opportunity FOR bright
and caustic remarks. Hes relations
with women are peculiarly sordid: the
long drawn out affair with the wait
resa who does not are for him may
he n masterpiece of psychical analysis
hut we have found it tiresome. oc-
csdonally Mr.. Vaughan forgets him.
seff and is humorous or cheerfui' nu'
ne eoon buckles down again 10 ms
peanmism. His book is a lever II
carefully written essay in a style mat
has tempted other English authors be-
Sore him: he has done no worse tnan
his predecessors.
That lust as much realism may he
eGmbined with cheerfulness ana pleas
ant aiRhts is proved by Paxton Ho'-
~ IN ..From the Shelf IL. p. Dutton
Ana Company, a delightful succession
a impressions held together by the
eNRhtest thread OF story, An Ensnsh-
man, worn out IN mind ana spirit
.esks rest in an nut Of the way span
ian island. He finds n hut near a niue
vtiIare. where the people are
Ana amends a year in II. The pictures
- tNs ouiet agricultural lie. "here
~. busv world outside is wholly un-
xnnvvn. OF the gentle peasants ana
their ways. are charming anu SNOW d
true understanding of lies unuer
,hs Sparish character. Some OF 'he
incidents are delicately poetical, some
AZ. umorou the author never
.trikes a false note. He has taken
in fully the charm OF the land OF rest
ana makes his readers feel it :,
The reader in search or thrills VIII
meet with them in rapid succession IN
stephen Gaillard's THE Pirates OF the
Sky" Grand. McNally and Company
chicago. In so far as II deals Win
the exploits OF aviators the story Is
excellent: IL IL harder to be interested
IN the intrigues OF the mysterious ana
ubiouitous malefactors or in the con-
v,,lsions OF nature. while the young
women who are dragged In to provide
love Affairs are wholly out OF place
The story, however. is exciting n the
beginning Is promising.
An attempt to describe the way in
which the English people are taking
the war IL made in Evelyn st. Legers
.The dollhouse (E. i. Dutton ana
Company. The tragic and pathetic
incidents are treated with restraint;
the humor IL rather forced and the re-
markable weight attached to the utter
ances Of the central figure in the tale
IL rather ludicrously ingenious. we
imagine that the real events OF the
war are too serious in England to
leave room ,for fiction OF this sort
however well meant.
In "The Last Ditch" tRand. Nc
Nally and Company, J. Raymond
Elderdyce crudely sandwiches in de-
scriptions OF the Panama Canal with
accounts Of college athletics. The
mixture is not improved by the queer
psychology Of the " wrongheaded
youths who are reformed in the course