The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-04-22
GORKY AND HIS
TRANSLATOR, ROSE STRUNSkY

A slight, dark wonan with wide. smil-
ing ewes rose from a writing desk AT
the Women's Ciiy cub on the eighteenth
floor Of tho Vanderbilt Hotel and adj
vanced with outstretched hand. This
was Miss Rose Strunsky. an American
girl OF Russian ancestry. a graduate o.
the Leland stanford University. a friend
o. Russian revolutionaries. the transla-
tor OF Maxim Gorky's novel The Con-
fession." which has been retrieved from
dusty newspaper files and recently pub
lished in book form by Stokes
Miss ~Strunsky led the way 10 a divan
al III. end - tie room. The place was
filled with sunlight and capricious brcezes
entered the oIen windows, which exposed
a striking view OF the East River and
the eastern ha,f Of Greater New York.
Il do not know Gorky personals"
size explained in answer Ia an initial
question. Il know him only through
mutual acquaintances. ! translated his
The Confession with enthusiasm be-
cause i, is a good novel by one OF the
greatest Russian writer's"
"Of all time"
"No.' she replied dec!sively. "Not
that. But Gorky is one of the greatest
living Russian writer's II superb In
his embodiment Of the character OF the
Russian reoPle-a crude, elemental force
that does not guess It's W purposes,
that is no, conscious OF all It's own
workings. that does not dream its own
destiny.
There is not the universally about
Gorky's work that there is about Toll
stoy's, for example. Tolstoy il m OF
those immortal muse who have writ
ten for every race and every age. In
doing this he has not sacrificed the Rus
sian character Of his tales. They could
have been penr'd by ne man OF an.
other race. None but "A Russian would
venture such simplicities OF sclf-reve
lation lest he appear childish and naive.
"The point about Gorky Is that he rep
resents so well the Identification OF po-
litical theories and national conscious
ness with literary art, This identity ex-
lists more in Russia thar anywhere else.
possibly. In France, in England, In Ger
many, the rest Of Europe We neither fnd
nor expect to find anything OF the sort
In those countries there are not so many
points OF ontac between literature and
the life OF the people. In England We
may find a faint parallel in the case Of
II. G.. Wells. whose fiction does largely
concern itself with what IL going to be
COME u HIS IN'l'.c "iAu VI ~
general. But when We read n Russian
novelist we expect him, from expert
ence Of past reading. to throw light on
the national character by his %por,raya'
OF individuals and to convey in his
story truths and principles that can b,
identified with the needs and aspirations
Of hts nation to-day"
Miss Strunsky. visiting Russia at the
| time OF the revolutionary movement tina
followed the Russo-Japanese a had
memorable experiences. She travelled
among the peasants OF tine VoIga anc
Finland. studying their life. She was 8
student at the university In Helsingfors
and at the Woman's University In Petro
grad. With her brother she met mos
OF the revolutionary leaders, Her arrest
in October. 1907. while she was study
ing In the capital OF the empire. ma!
have been the result OF these assocla
tions. Liberated after a while through
the Intervention OF Secretary OF stat,
Elihu Root. Miss Strunsky never foun,
out tho motive in her imprisonment.
II have thought Of "a good DEAL sh,
said. "Of course l have several theories
The n that seems to me most likel,
WAS that Azen could not satisfy h!msel
about me.
las tho officer Of the empire charge
with the duty Of knowing all the vevo
lutisaiaia and REAGIaalx &hAt GaGh m