The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-08-03
By N. P. D.

erset Maugham's extraordinary novel. But
few of us, even if we would. can express
exactly what we think or feel or see, which
is probably the reason why more Of US are
not authentic" geniuses like Charles
Strickland land Mr. Vaughan himself,
undoubtedly in this story. Even the
dreariest Dresser only succeeds in saying
what he wants to think, or what he thinks
his friends will applaud and consider ex-
ceedingly courageous and clever in him for
thinking. As Mr.. Maugnam says, among
q great deal that is acute in his book: at
is not difficult to be unconventional in the
eyes of the world when your unconven-
tionality is but the convention of your set.
1t affords you an enormous amount of
self esteem"
The ordinary alleged truth-telling novel
is almost inevitably dull, even if it is sup
posed to be enlightening. The reason for,
the absorbing interest and vitality and ex-
citement of Mr. Maughams grotcsque but
tragically real study of an artistic genius
must De just this-that he has come near
to saying what he thinks, and to showing
a man as he is, stripped of every conven-
ton and romantic trapping or realistic
drab. The result is alternately shocking
and celebrating; and again moving. Mr..
Vaughan has found the bleeding wound
in the artist; otis hell to paint" says
Strickland. He has also found the cloven
bOof, and it is ugly, ...... ..-.
Charles Strickland wants to do only one
thing in the wOrld-paint The sooner we
get this into our heads the nearer shall we
be to understanding him. Mr.. Vaughan
makes the narrator of the story observe
that it seems strange even to himself, after
he has described man as cruel, selfish,
brutal, sensual, to say that he was great
idealist. But the fact remains Strickland
was brutal, sensual and all the rest, be-
cause he was an idealist "He was single
hearted in his aim, and to pursue it he was
willing to sacrifice not only himself
many do that-but others. He had
vision. Strickland was an odious man, but
l still think he was a great one" This is
the remarkable fact of Mr. Maugham's
accomplishment. He makes his artist
odious enough, heaven knows; but he also
makes the reader believe in his genius,
and to he little in awe of it.
Wells rang bell in one Of his novels a
few years ago with the astonishing dis
covery that sex is not the whole of life,
but only part of it, and not very big
part. The news made something of SEN
sation at the time, since fiction for many
years had been passionately proving the
contrary. But it is just here, as Mr..
Vaughan would say, that fiction is unreal.
"There are few men to whom love is the
most important thing in the world, and
they are not very interesting ones"
Perhaps it is because Charles Strick-
land, a successful London stock broker
when the story opens, was not considered
interesting, especially by his charming
wife's artistic friends, that when, after
having been married seventeen years, he
suddenly bolted and went to Paris to
paint, without making any provision for
his family (and seeing no reason why he
should), another woman was taken for
granted girl in the tea shop at least, if
not French dancer. The friendly ennis
sary who followed Strickland to Paris to
tell him people do not do such things, es-
pecially if they are 40 and have charm
ing wife and two children, was cut short
by Strickland, who asked, why not? give
supported her for seventeen years. Why
shouldn't she support herself for a
changer
AS for the other woman, the friendly
emissary, upon his return to London, when
the charming wife breathlessly asks him,
"Who is shef7 knew that he had a. bomb
shell when he truthfully reported, "There
isn't any woman"