New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-12-08
A Brilliant Novel
English Society Before and Since
the Outbreak of the War


soNIA, R-ss-een Two wo~ia. BY s..g''1a No, Ne,
Cozpszy,
Thh n q courAgeously writton book.
The author pays TO regard whstever to
current conventions Of story telling. he
has, indeed, not infrequent moments m
which ne seems almost unconcerned
with telling q story al all. There Is
romance IN "Sonia," and Il IS, we may
say in passing, a beautiful romance, but
again and again II IL pushed aside IN
favor Of pages upon pages Of talk about
politics. Gould anything be more for
bidding 70 the reader who wants in his
action constant love motive, plenty Of
action, q generous measure Of mystery
and. in short, AL the ingredients Of an
absorbing yAIn?" Well even such a
reader win, in the lnng run, be reward
I'd BY Mr.. McKennG, be may bslk at
me latter's Hscursive manner, but
sooner or later he must yield to the
xpen OF a book that may not be
yarn but is unquestionably "ab-
sorbing"
Most writer's Of war novels take us
as soon as possible 20 the front They
deal in the immediate properties Of the
drama, with spies and soldiers, With
events OF recent date Mr. NcKennA
only brings in the echoes Of battle
toward the close Of his narrative His
essential purpose is 20 illuminate Great
Britain's present situation BY exposing
is origin in the social history OF the
last fifteen OF twenty years Sonia
lie above al things the Interpretation Of
a state Of mind. the analysis Of that
mental attitude which not even the
Boer War could quite readjust 70 the
conditions an the time being insidi-
ouslv promoted by German policy.
There is a Young man in the BOOK,
David O'Rane. whose life history We
are asked 70 follow from boyhooo 10
he shock Of conflict n the war nov
raging OF Irish blood, and initiated
bv early vicissitudeS into the secrets o.
European temperament ne serves as
Toll 10 the typically British men ana
women crowdinc these pages Or, arc
,hev foils 20 him? His wit and srdor
certainly dominate throughout lie Is
he spokesman for al those ldeSs OF
which the England Of his time STANDS
ia need. Original, picturesque, as 1as-
cinatinc and endearing hero as VIC
have encountered In modern fiction IN q
long time. both his personality and ms
adventures are somehow kept subordi.
nate 70 his ideas The book Is tull OF
IDEAS That Is why u Is worth reading.
Mr.. McKenua differs from the ordl-
nary run Of novelists IN that be writes
with what we can only describe as an
Intellectual margin, rlch reserve OF
thought He abounds IN arresung IN
ridert- Life at Fton, life at OXFORD.
lie in London and OF the Continent,
rolitical debate, and then, at last, inc
scene Of war-all these matters be IL
lpytrates with sympathy and a piqusnt
incentive touch. But the important
noirt is always his steady, searching
,rouirv into the ills of the body poll
tic which discounted the sterling VIZ
tues Of the British people and led them
into the war before they knew II. ana
these ideas of his are never pedantlcal-
~ handled. sonia is not tract. IL
Is thrilling with emotion, while 1t Is
steadied BY cool, philosophical thought;
Everybody has read Mr.. Drifting" and
has been grateful for that disclosure Of
an Englishman's point Of view. Every
body wishing for a deeper, broader dis
closure of the whole national outlook
through the period that had It's crisis
In 1914 will do well TO read Sonia.
II is profoundly instructive book.
And Il is, in its imagination, its humor,
its traits Of sheer human nature, an IN
qualified delight.