The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-08-10
BY N. P. D.


Il ZangwiI lets it be known that Jimmy
the Carrier is in response to request
for ''bland' novel, by bland meaning
something "to be read in bed with sore
throat DIR. Johnson's definition Of a
novel is also quoted by Mr.. Zangwill in
excuse or explanation of his own, as "a
story mainly about love-" The johnson
definition, as we recall it, is "a smooth
tale generally of love" But by what
ever definition, smooth or bland, Jimmy
the Carrier is beyond all doubt a novel;
Some Novel, it could even be said, since
it is COZ pages long. DR.. Zangwil must
have contemplated sore throat with pos
sible serious complications leading to a
long illness and even longer convalescence.
The story could be recommended even to
a person in consumption, if the disease
were the slow and not the galloping
kind.
Jimmy the CARRIE is story of rural
England in Essex more than half cen
fury ago in the leisIrely days of the late
dear Queen. In drawing his story out so
long, Mr.. .Zangwil says be is only en-
deavoring to suggest the spirit and the
speech OF his Essex scenes and types. IN
his "epistle dedicatory," be writes: "Even
the slowness and minuteness Of my
method-imposed as it is by the attempt
TO seize the essence of Essex--are I'M
measurable velocity and breadth COM
pared with the scale of reality"
But if it takes COZ pages to seize the
essence of one year of Essex, it may be
wondered how many pages and volumes
might have been justified in case Mr..
Zangwill had chosen to make his story
cover longer period. Everything is ex-
pected to be speeded up a little In a
novel, as on the movie screen, to give the
semblance of reality. But Mr.. Zangwill
has preferred to describe tilt cart day
in tilt cart way. Perhaps the effective
ness of his method could only be fairly
tested in bed with sore throat.
IL
rural post, so exasperating in reality, is
always so amusing in fiction. The fact
remains. One of the stock comedy char
acters of the stage OF fiction is the country
postmaster, or preferably mistress. Mr..
Zangwill's opening chapter describing
Bxndock on His Beat (Jinny's rival,
with letter, which might as well have
been a bomb, for Frog Farm-where he
gets stuck in the bog, thereby defling the
Queens breecbes--is one of the most
amusing chapters in the book. The
Flynts, old Caleb and Martha, have been
a little wary of letters since the letter
had arrived from their son, Daniel, some
years before announcing his marriage to
the coffee-colored Kaffir lady; moreover
they cannot read. The letter brought by
Bundoek land read by jimmy is from
their son, Will, presumably from Aus
tralia, although with so many sons seat
tered over the globe they cannot be too
sure:
"Caleb scratched his head. Now, which
would be WIFI
"'Will was the freckled, good looking
one said jimmy.
"'Oh, jimmy said Martha. They
were all good locking after Flynt. Dear
heart, you can't ha' forgotten our tot after
all that furry. IT'S only seven or eight
wears since he
GAY, ay,' cried Caleb. Him that
moved the eats whiskers'
"'No, dear heart, that was Ben
"'To be sure. Ben's the barber in New
York-or some such place
"NO, Caleb, that's Isaac
"1saae? Then VIII nd be the one
what married the coffee eolored lady
al told you the other day that was
Christopher
6GAv him IN Australia