The sun., 1916-01-29
CRITICAL REVIEWS
OF THE LATE BOOKS
Henry X. Wpbster's New Novel
Of Married Iife-YOung
Love and an Aeroplane.
WAR. BIOGRAPHY. HISTORY

tlonS between husband ana wife is
discussed fairly and entertainingly
though with a leaning to the womans $
side, by Henry kitchell Webster in
"rhe Real Adventure THE Bobbs
Merrill Company. Indianapolis a
novel that can be read with pleasure.
1t could have been made shorter.
which would have been an improve
ment, and the point would have been
made clearer IL the author had re-
sisted the temptation to digress into
long exposition of theatrical life.
The heroine is nice and good look
ing girl. somewhat indolent mentally
and morally, but amazingly energetic
when reused 10 action. She marrics
after a whirlwind courtship rich
and eccentric lawyer of high social
position in Chicago she basks in the
new luxury and society. into which
she fits with the adaptablity Of the
American girl. She loves her husba nd
and he loves her. After "A time she
wakes up to the fact that she forms
no part Of his active professional life:
things are made easy for her and
she is not allowed to act for herself
She determines to strike out for a
life Of her own and after giving her
husband several chances TO help her,
she leaves him. Thus far the story
Ia extremely entertaining. for the au-
thor'S observation of married life is
keen and the talk of the many people
that he tells about is bright and sem
sible. with no striving To bc epigram-
matte. The girl has no special gift
{ ha .Fs t.. IL. t,,s
ing: the chance that comes To her is
Ia become a chorus girl in musical
comedy. This IL unfortunate. for Mr.
Webster feels that he must tell how
such a production Is put on the stage
ana what the chorus girls life is like
lie does ii very well. hut ii requires
.1o pa aGes Ia do justice to the heroine's :
unsuccessful stage experience. enoagh
for the reader almost to forget why
she is undergoing II. Luckily she has
knack of directing others and taste
In costuming. which secures her
sort or mana Gerial job and this makes
her successful financially. Her mem
Ial processes are described minutely
ana satisfactorily. those Of her hus-
band are sketched in more roughly.
With the amiahility of an American
husband he lets his wife have her own
way by repeated violent shocks she
finally makes him understand and
agree with her point of view Then
che goes home with him and thcv
make a new start as friends as well
as lovers. II is AN honest piece of
work, the girl Is a remarkable study
"l character and the story is kept in
teresting In spite of its length The
reader Will like the stage manager.
The aeroplane by this time has be-
com" commonplace in iiction and eN-
cites less Interest than the girl IN Rer-
Ia Ruck's The Boy with Wings"
tDodd, Mead and Company. This
Is delightful idyl in which the au-
thor describes without restraint but
with the lightcst touch the growth of
young girls .oye for "a boy and the
more awkward awakening of the pas
son IN MIN. That she j. "A stenoc-
rapher and he an aviator is not ma
teridi for the author brings them to-
rether without much regard for prsb
ah'ntY' using a cynical bachelor girl
with a weakness for cpigram as tho
agent. The girl wants TO ny bur is
put off again and again til after her
marriage. II is pure comedy till the
very end. The war Is brought IN
and German spies: the girl at last
files with her lover The end Of the
story comes Ike shock, bu+ II is
poeucal When the reader thinks Il
over ne viii see that It is what the
author was leading up to from the be-
ginning
The war is the occasion for Carlton
Dawes 'oThe Super Barbarians" 1John
Lane Company. A young English
rnicer is taken on board the German
submarine that has sunk his ship. be-
cause the commander wishes 10 f,aun,
his exploits before AN enemy. A
great passenger ship Is sunk later and
young woman. who understands Ger
man. is rescued by the Englishman
thus providing love story that is
hardly needed. The authors ohicc,
- IN exhibit several types of Germans
IN the most disagreeahlc light: the
IDEAS expressed by them may be ex-
aggerated but are in substance those
put In print by mild college pro-
'essors and uttered by many peace
ful persons OF German descent
who are at safe distance from
the danger zone. The deeds Of the
submarine ara familiar To all news
paper readers, The story is told with
good deal Of dash and when the Ger
mans have been properly exposed the
lovers are rescued. The distinctive
mark is that the author seems to know
the Germans pretty well and makes no
mistakes in his characteristics.
Part of "'rhe Iron Stair" by Rita
&c. J.. Futnam's Sons), is pretty. but
much of II IS muddled. An idle young
l.ondoner Is induced by his clever
valet to visit the criminal courts,
where he hears jury declare youth
guilty of forgery, though he is con-
WINGED that he is innocent. He sub
souu"ntly takes n motor trip and runs
across IA charming and extremely un-
conventional young woman, They
have very pleasant times together.
which the reader viii share, till the girl
announces that she is to marry the
twin brother Of the convicted forger.
who is the guilty man. She mar
r!es him in a way that allenates the
readers sympathy, but induces her
admircr to aid her in helping the con-
Wet to escape from Dartmoor prison.
Tie two show as little knowledge of
English law or proceedings as the
anthor does, aud every one is tangled
up in stupid mess that is intended to
he melodramatic, The Londoner and