The sun., 1919-03-16
/" The Flail."

FuesSle's novel, The Ftnil, Will come
with the greatest effect of surprise viii
be the two or three persons who had
glimpse Of its opening chapters in man
uscript, with merely an outline of the rest
of the book. To one of them certainly
the published book is surprisingly and de-
cisively better than ever appeared likely
in prospect. For first novel The Flat
is rather impressively good work; with
some unimportant exceptions it is much
better written than many second, third, or
even later novels. Mr.. Fuesslc has the
instincts of an artist and that other thing
that artists sometimes lack-a thing which
indeed some artists rcpudiatc-;l willing
ness to express in his picture an idea or
ideas which can be extracted by the reader
rs the moral if the reader chooses. And
all Of .his does not handicap his other in
stinct to tell a straightout, gripping
story; so that those who want the story
can "take the cash and let the credit GO
Rudolph Dohmer is the son Of German
born parents The Flail is the narrative
of his boyhood, youth and manhood up to
that moment when certain inherited traits
in him were overcome, first by love and
secondly by the atmosphere of America
at war. The opening chapters, dealing
with the boy from ten to sixteen. portray
in 4 way that is equally convincing and
depressing the horribly drcary existence
of o German American community in one
Of the poorer sections Of Chicago. Moth
ing more narrowly and hideously ugly il
easy to imagine; but the evident knOwl-
edge of the author and his sclective skill
as well as his precision command the read
er's respect though hardly his interest.
The second division of the novel, which
has to do with young Dohmer from l6
to %, is much more interesting, though
the record of his rather unpurposYe col
legc life and amOurS may not seem 10 lead
anywhere in particular. The fact is the
first working years and The college years
Of majority of mankind seldom seem TO
lead anywhere in particular. On the
whole we think that Rudolph DOhmer as
an intently earnest youth would be rather
dull-as intently earnest youths who "do
things" so early usually are.
But at % Rudolph Dohmer strikes New
York and, almost by accident as it were,
his opening. Then, as is always the case
in life, what has hitherto seemed so pur-
poseleSs takes on color and significance,
becomes background" and very i'm
portant background at that. Moreover,
all those latent qualities 10 the man bud
and branch amazingly. Young Dohmer
drifts into advertising, to find himself as
much at home as a young eagle in the cir.
To any one who has the slightest knowl-
edge Of modern advertising we sus-
pect to the many who have not-the chap
tiers grouped under the heading The Char-
Iengc will be absolutely cngrossing read
ing. Their sheer novelty would engage
the reader, for though the heroes of mod
ern fiction are placed in many lines Of
work this particular role comes pretty
near being something utterly new. Again
Mr.. Fuessle knows what he is writing
about. He has the technique of his hero's
business at his finger Iips-and so he can
afford to tell it uniechnically and easily.
The story goes here like the crack of
whip.
A brief last section deals with Dohmcr's
awakening, in 1918, to the fact that the
Prlssianism in him which lac had stunned
and hated all his life has crept out and
mastered him in a new and subtle guisc
The ending of the book Is perhaps rather
REALISTICALLY inconclusive. but should on
the whole be reasonably satisfactory to
most readers, who viii. We think, share
our impression that complete conscious
ness Of his own inner enemy was all that
was necessary to enable 80 determined a
man as Dohmer 10 throttle the I'hlan in
him forever.