The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-02-20
SOME NEW BOOKS.
Ora mas Of RUssimu Life.

ing the Russian character is summed
up Concisely by ASTON TcnEkorF in
the SECOND series Of Plays ,~Scribners).
why" says vcrshinin in the play of
the Three Sisters "why is a Russian
sick of his children; sick of his wife"
We Russians are extremely gifted in
the direction of thinking IN an CN-
allied plane. but, tell me. why do we
aim so low in real life? Why" II Is
precisely this terrible divorce between
the intellect and the will which makes
Russian literature really more foreign
to the Anglo-SaNon mind than even
Japanese literature of the twelfth cen
fury. We can better understand the
hero Of "A Japanese novel who solves
tho everlasting triangular tompiiCa-
ton by marrying boil the ladies q:
once, to the complete satisfaction Of
both. than we can understand the never
Ceasing clouuencc of the Russian, end
ing in nothing.
The second volume of Toliekoff plays
contains eight plays. the remaining
four were translated by Marian Fell
and previously published. The two
volumes contain all the dramatis work
Of Tchckoff. II is reported that Her
Hdlu NlltN hiN NdIus ''N'ls INV .
see a play by Tchckon | want to
throw all my stun into the fire" The
world should Ice profoundly grateful
that destiny controls Mr.. Shaw's hand.
For surely. IL The world and not only
Russia is to he considered. shaw gives
more universal types. Neither the
comedy nor yet the tragedy of Tche-
kon reaches the general heart. First
place the continual vodka drinking has
. no equivalent in English or French
life and literature. Not that there is
no such thing as drunkenness, but
in much Russian literature It is the
unhrokcn rule and the most continue
ous occupation "f all life. Moreover.
H. other countries the utterances OF
the man drunk either with spirits or
emotions are not apt to be chronicled
as his most valuable contributions to
thought and life. Julius West. who
has made the English TRANSACTIONS in
this volume. SAYS: THE Russian nov
elist or dramatist takes to psychology
o. some of his fellow countrymen take
60 drink But it is. after all. the psy-
chol, y of futile questioning of the
infinite that the Russian takes 70. uot
the sVthology which solves the laws
Of min TchekoT. says his trans
lator. just escaped the tragedy of sui
eide by i~ntrospection 10y the possess
eion of II sense If humor.
In the present volume. THE Pro-
posal.' THE Welding "The Bear"
"A Trdgedian in Spite Of Himself"
"Thc Anniversary" are comedies. ION
the High Road is "A early onc-a"t
tragedy. vaguely recalling Gurky's
"Night shelter" although il is not com-
parable in fore and reality; The
Ifsee Esseis" ana 'iie cherry or
Chard" are dramas and considered the
authors masterpieces. .'utn deal with
the typical Russian problem "f in.
action. The three sisters have hu'
one desire. L. give zap Their BROWN
Cial home ana To 20 To- Moscow 10 Eve
Tile changes are runc AGAIN and agair
upon this theme. To e. To- Mos, ow
There IL apparently no earthly reason
sentimental or economic. why. il they
CHI use. tbs, should not 10 80. but witt
tho true nusslan piralS sis of the vii
th', cont fluc to talk and 10 nothing
In The Cherry Drcharl' the solution
of all the financial difficulties may h,
solved 10y selling the orchard: hu
again the tragedy lies in hesitation
n seniimentality.
"On the High Road" * the onl,
profound tragedy. and a. it once NOR
HI. ses u ~ drunkenness it * har,
to enlist -" .Anglo-SaNon s~ynrpHthic-
BOrfsOr. VINO has been for>lken by hi
70 ~ married wife and iinancldll'
r. ned l., his hrothcr-in-law. "a
vi ON lty went surety, is drinkini
mr. self 90 death. lie * in an inn ~
the high road. Offering his cap am
his coat and everything else he ha,
even his Young wife's miniature. f.
di INK of vodka Tho sympathics q
the crowd arr against him until
former coachman enters, recognize
Bortsor and tells his story to IL
assembled multitude. Then all IT,
sympathics are with HIM. The wifi
likewise is driven in 10y the sturI
and takes shelter in the sam" mn
n such Is the resentment agains
her that she narrowly ESCAPES muI
der. Doubtless the zatioi
ar vivid ana well diff rentiatcl. IL,
the motif * alien to MS. only on
who has stocl,ed himself in Russia
literature, in D"stoi"vsky and Cork
can feel that To take to ,irink and
tdlk IL u satisfactory Shllillbii ~ ne
SORROWS.
Nor can u" feel that the coined
OF Tchcknff is worth SlIaw's. 1t
Infinitely less subtle and refined. |
"Thc Proposal Lomor. whose hcdli
Is ailine, calls upon Iri6iun St'p'
norma to propose. The lady. untW3Il
Of his intentions. falls into Il vinlci
quarrel with hin As to whom crrtu
meadows belong to. When the SUITE
PUSHES ont in anger the lady's ftth'
divulges his intentions and the la,
screams for his return. L pom n
return Il new quarrel is started as
the respective merits Of the couple
% and the scene ends with II
bctrbthal and the prospective fathc
in-lHw plying the newly hetroth'
with champagne. In 1.-THE Weddin.
the plot turns on the payment
Is ruhles to a guest 10 produce
real General at tho wedding. r.
guest attempts to palm off Il retir'
naval captain as the General and 90
fusion results. THE Bear" is an a
count Of II b"orish courtship, wi
not a little of the touch which max
"The Tanning of tn" Shrew'
anachronism to-day. 'Tha Tragedia
tells the sorrows of the ominu
much as on comic papers tell the