Evening star., 1921-12-04
Reviews of New Books

the outstanding mark Of Mr.. Adams
new novel. Having chosen an tntri-
cate and complex field for the deyel-
opment Of q young mans career. Mr.
Adams gives to this field the knowl-
edge and handling that its nature de-
On the trail Of success, young Banne-
ker. from the far southwest. finds 1t
coming his way by leaps and bounds
through his work on particular New
York daily. IT comes to pass grad
ualiy that Banneker is driven to a
tually paying for his swift succession
Of professional triumphs. This &C
counting sums In the course OF the
story to realistic, to photograph
study of the methods and practices OF
an unscrupulous paper. Interesting.
most interesting. as Banneker turns to
new standards Of measurement for his
life values. A spirited romance OF
clever and attractive implications ac-
companies the character study that
throws the professional career OF this
young American into a series of bril-
liant high lights. An unusually sub
stantial and worthwhile novel OF Ameri-
can life.
THE ROMANCE OF BUSINESS. BY
w. Cameron Forbes. Illustrations
by A L. Ripley. Boston: Houghton
Mifflin Company.
Those things that come along as a
matter of course-tlle food we eat,
the clothes we wear, the houses that
shelter US. the conveniences about
US. the ways of going from place {"
place-these to the thoughuess mind
appear to be as devoid of romance,
as free from poetry. as a pigs foot
BY way of these nine sketches Mr..
Forbes takes US in hand, however, To
show that we are all wrong, that tho
| very esserce of romance produced
these common things His way is.
for instance, to seat US at the break
fast table. There, by way OF the
fruit and cereal and cocoa and toast
before our eyes as the sources OF
| this varied food. He pictures proc
| esses. step by step. from field TO
table. not forgetting the marvelou.
adventure OF transportation. So.
with each Of these essentials. he
preparation for our needs and com
| fort Electricity is better than a
| fairy tale. Finance and Banking is
a new marvel OF treasure that out
does those Of Captain Kidd and
miracle. And 30 on. and SO on, one
is set to q realisation of the wonders
of the common life. Interesting for
young and grown alike. il is espe-
cially the kind Of story to set be
for the open and eager minds Of
children.
THE sHEIK. By E. NJ Hull. Boston:
Small, Maynard & Co.
| The Sheik." in print, provides a
corridor for the passage Of this ad-
venture to the screen, its proper place.
Print b cold-blooded stun. Impair
TALLY 1t lays out for rejection or 40
ceptance both the thin spots Of raw
invention and the solid substance Of
convincing creation. The screen
spectacle, on the contrary. nils the
eye without turning . wheel in one'r
hs mseeinsny shsS .Gshlns stsE on ssh
Reading, one scowls over the feeble
| device that sets this stirring matter
afoot: An Arab sheik abducts an
| English girl in the desert That is
tho foundation Of the adventure. An
absurd plan gets the girl into the
desert - abductively present. SO to
speak. Beyond this maladoit begin
| ming the picture and the story are
one in the whirl of colorful action and
circumstance that Follows. Around
| the Arab chief and his captive the
fierce life OF the desert unfolds in one
| spectacular moment after another.
These desert scenes are vivid. Some
Of them have beauty. All Of them
| nave strength. Ana tnen, Deyonu
them. the reader falls to grumbling
| again-that a high-grade English
| girl should be made over into an oda-
! lisQue of the orient. the mistress OF
| an Arab chief. and, worst of all. that
| she should appear to like the role i'm
posed upon her. There are some pretty
bad breaks. you see. in this dramatic
| adventure
THE WORKS OF SATAN. By Rich
ard Aumerle Maher, author of THE
Hills Of Desire" etc. New York:
The Macmillan Company.
| In a farcical hilarity of spirits the
| town Jester Of an average New York
village here let's himself go of into
q riot Of antics that are calculated to
turn a star film comedian into green
bundle Of sheer envy. Satan-this is
the funny mans nickname-taking
How great a matter a little fire kind
leth" as inspiration and guide, touches
of his little flame with a single word
of gossip. judiciously placed. In no
time at all, to be sure. the town is in
a blaze. Respectability is in disgrace.
lifelong friends sundered, families or
the edge Of breakage. general chaos
\ follows, with Satan dancing for JOY
meanwhile. Farce is likely to kill
itself by its overopulence. This one
does.