Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-12-30
Reviews of New Books

of the tremendous things that GO
ing on in Russia. to set him down with
eyes somewhat clear to the most obvi-
Gus of the prodigious impulses that,
from beneath. are producing this en-
pire-wide awakening. 1t is a keenly
psychological study that permits one
to look out over the Russian people
with something of their own feeling.
something of their own appreciation
Dealing as it does with vital and mo-
mentous matters. the book is notwith-
standing. one that possesses real
charm of manner for the average read
err as well as for the more special
student of Russian affairs.
ROMANCE OF OLD JAPAN. BY Eliza
beth w. champney and F'rere
Champney illustrated. New York !:
c. p. Putnam's Sons.
In manner similar to that in which
Mrs. Champney has already pictured
the romance of Belgium. Of France and
of Italy, she here goes back over the
legendary and romantic days of Japan.
From many sources there gather here
the old stories. the myths, the legends
of the island kingdom. These. in the
orderly arrangement of their appear
ance here. show the companionship that
romance ever gives to history. Mytho1-
ogy, chiTalry, adventure, religious fer
vor. discovery, art. architecture and
modern national equipment reveal them
! selves in turn. under these ancient and
modern tales of Japan. just as cores
pondng periods mark the development
1 of all nations. The book is abundantly
| Illustrated from photographs, from
sketches by the Japanese artist,
Hokusai. and from painting by Frere
| Champney who also contributed the in
terestine and important chapter on Jap
anese architecture. as supplem men I
/ to the study of Japanese history, the
book is well worth while. AS in
| thought of the people il i.s valuable.
As an exquisite literature rejecting the
| subtler aspects of japanese develop
ment il is SURPRISINGLY fine.
LIFE; AND LITERATURE. BY Lafcadio
Hearn. Selected and edited by John
| Erskine, Phi. u. New York: Dodd
| Mead g. Co
This volume constitutes a selection
the third selection--from the lectures
given at the University of Toxic by
I.afcadio Hearn. Il, with its two com
panion volumes. presents the writer in
the role Of teacher II is, in part. the
/ obligations Of this role that give 10
these three volumes their special charm
In an effort to make a new language
carry its fun content over to his
! students, Hearn chose the simplest o!
, speech made the clearest Of arrange
meuts. selected the most picturesque
and striking of illustrations--in a
| word, converted his thought into a con
crete body OF expression. The effect
Is as delightful upon western readers
as il must have been Illuminating ia
Uearn's eastern pupils. In and of itself
this volume stands unusual body
of literary iticisn--rema rkable in the
Independence and originality of it's sub
stance and no less so III the iinpid
| beauty of it's form. i.afcadio Hearn
the critic, is an Interpreter of the writ.
er and his work-the sympathetic anG
hospitable Interpreter 1t is this fact
coupled with the fact of his own liter
AIRY personality. that gives this book It'll
claim to distinction and sets it will
the few other books on critical analyst,
that are worth ones serious consider.
alton.
THE ADIRONDACkS.. BY T. Morri.
Longstreth. illustrated. New York
The Century Company.
This is an admirable guide book
and ii is much more than that AS Z
guide 1t marks out routes from poin
to point in the Adirondacks. giving
maps to insure against missnderstand