The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1921-03-31
BOOK NOTES
FROM THE LIBRARY

review of some of the notable fiction
recently added to the library. "The
Valley of Silent Men" by Curwood
is plot thriller, of the Canadian
northwest are adventure and
romance plenty, red blooded hero,
a beautiful heroine, a satisfying vii
liam, trappers, brigade captains and
voyagers, and thruout all an I'M
guessable mystery.
Floyd Dell's "Moon-calf" is .
subtle character study accomplished
by narrated episodes rather than de-
tailed analysis. A sickly childhood
has isolated Felix Fay from the
world of games and scuffies and has
led him thru fairy tales and ro-
mances to a youth spent in dream
and filled with things in books. In
an intellectual revolt against the
grating realities and small mean
nesses of the little Illinois town, he
experiments with altruism, socialism,
poetizing and unconventional sex
relations and finds happiness in none.
He is left disillusioned and about to
enter upon literary career.
"In Chancery" by John Gales
worthy, is a continuation of the
Forsythe family begun in "A Man of
| Property" (This book is ranked 'by
Ponys, the great critic as one of the
/ hundred best books of the wOrld.)
The passion for property dominates
the Forsythe clan and wife and child
rem rank with house and lands, hav-
ing no individuality of their own as
persons. This leads to tragedy
Grey's Mysterious Rider" centers
around one mysterious figure, ter
rible gun fighter with strange
history yet gentle sympathetic
] friend to man and companion of
1 flowers, birds and animals. This
hero solves the complexities of the
tale by making the supreme sacri-
/ fice
You have doubtless in the past
two months, in looking over the
magazines and newspapers found
many references to Sinclair Lewis
Main Street" In this book the
small town of today has been done
with mighty, an exhaustive, a
definite doing. "The Main Street"
| of Gopher Prairie, Mimi, is a con-,
tinuation of the Main streets every
where. The Atlantic Monthly says
"There is simply nothing more that
can be observed or written down
about it--about it's provincial mar
rowness, it's materialism, it's malice,
it's servility, it's SNUG egotism, it's
childlike curiosity, it's blind cruelty
and on the other side of the ledger
its basic goodness of heart its ten
acity Of character, it's logged and
snail-like progress along the path
of self Improvement"
But Mr.. Lewis has serene faith
in the future of our Gopher Prairies.
They will be saved not from with
out by TRANSFORMING an alien and
city-bred culture, but from within by
a latent greatness Of their own.
Edith Wharton's age Of limo
cence' is a picture of New York in
the seventies. A triangle situation
makes the plot and though conven-
lions are victorious the reader like
the hero is left doubtful whether the
end is triumphant or futile. Those
who like artistic work and social
studies will enjoy this book.
Notable, non-fction added to the
shelves include two biographies:
William Dean Howells' Years of My
Youth" which tho not new in point
of publication is splendid chronicle
of boyhood in Ohio in the days "befo'
de wah' and we'll repays reading.
The Americanization of Edward
Box" is the finest autobiography of
the year and like Riis' Making OF
an American" and Mary Antin's
"Promised Land" quickens a sense
of pride in our institutions and in
stills a deeper patriotism.
The student of literature will be
interested in Steadman's Victorian
Poets" which tho published many
years ago still ranks with the best
critical essays and will give the
reader keener understanding of the
beauty of great poetry.
"Our Fellow Shakespear" by
Bridges was primarily written to
show us that Shakespeare is as close
to humanity today as in the brave
days of Elizabeth and that his char
acters are not just for discussion in
literature classes, but will live and
breathe and walk with us If we so
will.