New-York tribune., 1920-11-01
Books u.yv.sS ss s,...

The doctor said that nobody knew
what tonsils were good for anyway
and that he might IS we'll take ours
out. But now after swo days Of review
ing in bed it seems to us that a change
has taken place. Something of the
forbearance and tolerance has gone
with our tonsis. Back in the days
when we had them we might have come
across an adjective like "dolichoce-
phalic" in Henry Kitchell Webster's
Mary Wollaston with no more than
passing irritation. Now that the word
necessitates getting up from a bed of
pain to hunt for the dictionary our re-
sentiment is deeper and more lasting.
We are also filled with an unreasonable
anger against f. Scott Fitzgerald be-
cause he insists in saying in one Of the
stories in Flappers and Philos pliers
that when somebody or other came out
into the hall it "was quite empty" We
have had no solid food for two days
and we are empty, and that's just as
bleak and devastating as if we were
"quite empty" or even very empty"
Still, of the entire batch of new
books which we have on hand Flappers
and Philosophers is the only one
which we can stand without tomsils
Not having liked This Side of Para
disc we were prepared to find con-
firmation for everything we had
thought and said about the novel in the
new collection of short stories. We
found it in the first one, which is
called "The Offshore Pirate" A re-
belious fapper, who refuses even to
meet an eligible young man who has
been picked out by her uncle, is kid
mapped in a yacht and spends de-
lightful ten days on an island with
stranger, only to find when the res
cucrs come that he is none other than
the approved suitor who has chosen
this method Of meeting her unconven-
tionalIy.
We are told that in spite of the slli-
ness of the plot the story is among the
material which shows Fit.gcrald's 5
amazing knowledge of the talk and
thought OF happers. 1t may be, but
the formula seems absurdly easy.
Arditas vocabulary consists of "Oh,
shut up" Shoot" Put it in writ
ing" and once, when she has exhaust
ed this entire repartory Of snappy re-
marks she varies her system of charm
by hitting her uncle in the eye with a
lemon. We are not at all certain that
we have ever seen tlappcr% We once
lectured on "The Tendencies Of Drama
In America To-day" before girls
boarding school and didn't get hit with
anything. Still, Fitzgeralds observa-
tions may be entirely accurate. We
only doubt whether they are important
But after we had finished The Off
shore Pirate" we came to story called
The Ice Palace" which brought sud
den conviction that after all +. scott
Fitzgerald did have something to say
and knew how to say it. THE Ice
Palace" is q skillful study OF character
in environment. 1t is extremely sue
cessful in making the reader see places
and persons, even though those per
sons are types. 1t is good enough to
make as fear that Fitzgerald may yet
find a more powerful springboard asd
&c on to write something which viii
make us eat all the prophecies we nave
ever made about him. There is also
something disquieting in his story The
Cut-Glass Bowl" in the same volume.
Although 3his is one of those tales of
horror and Of mystery which generally
do not matter much, its technique is
sure and highly developed. II ever F
Scott Fitzgerald manages to make q
complete getaway from happers and
such like we may have to abandon 9
fixed position and run for our life.
| Some Of the other nav books may