The New York herald., 1921-10-16
BOOKS AND THEIR AUTHORS

only reviews we READ are those of our
good friend Xavier Lyndon, the bald
critic of The West Bronx, and Xavier
didn't review those books)-but we
are pretty sure they liked 'em If
there is critic who didn't and our
readers will furnish his name and ad-
dress we will see that he is expelled
from the Reviewers Union We have
something on the president of that or
ganization and he will do anything we
| say.
We don't know why we like "Out-
whiting Our Nerves." We oughtn't to-
IT exposes us as a faker. 1t laughs
at all of our pet symptoms. 1t ridi-
cules our insomnia. 1t refuses to take
our favorite aches and pains seriously.
We don't like this. A year or so ago
we read book (we've forgotten the
title) which sought to prove that most
of the great geniuses of the past have
been sickly guys, and we found con-
ISOLATION in the thought that the pains
that regularly shoot through us might
be an indication that we are a genius.
"Outwitting Our Nerves. contends
that we are buffer that as soon as
we stop coddling ourself like king
We'll be all right again-and we are
afraid the book is right.
1t is disturbing to think that we no
longer have cause to think we are a
genius. But we find comfort in the
thought that it is better to be a healthy
boob than sick genius.
"Outwitting Our Nerves" is-that rare
thing, a sound, scientific work chattily
written.
AS for Hamsun's PAN" we think
it the most thrillingly poetic yarn we
have read since Hudson's Green Man
sions." 1t is the kind of story A. E.
Housman would write if that great
poet were novelist.
Among other things, we are grateful
to Hamsun for giving his hero. Lieut..
Claim, a grass eating dog. We have
been insisting for months that our dog
Sambo eats watermelon. Nobody be-
lieves us. Now that Hamsun has es-
tablished that dogs eat grass we ought
to be believed. Any sensible dog
would as soon eat watermelon as
grass.
Here we have Anna Wickham's
"The Contemplative Quarry" the best
book of poems to come out of England
in a long time. There is an introduc-
ton by Louis Untermeyer. Louis
oughtn't to be permitted to write in
Productions to books of verses. He
picks out the best things to quote, and
the reviewer who likes the same things
best and quotes 'em also is suffused
with the guilty feeling; he has the un-
comfortable thought that he is imitat-
ing.
We wish Louis weren't so good a
critic. 1t would be good fun to quarrel
with him about something
But hold! We are, going to quarrel
with him. We don't like such sem
tences as: MRS. wickham's spirit
burns and twists in the flame of her
passionate appeal" That is so strenu-
Gus an effort to say something strong
that it sounds weak to us. Well fight
this out with Louis some day and re-
port TO you.
We have now praised three books.
IT is time we knocked something.
What shall we knock? Let's see.
Here is Arthur Guiterman's "a Ballad
Makers Pack" (Harper). We can't
knock that. 1t is too good. By
the way, why isn't Guiterman's 'Betel
Nuts" paul Elder) better known? If
we lost our copy we'd commit suicide.
Here is a chance for some dissatisfied
reader to get rid of us by stealing it.
We must find something to knock.
Every good critic knocks. Here we
have Hall Gaines THE Master of
Man" GippincotD. 1t is safe to
knock Hall Caine. Everybody does it.
But ii wouldn't be fair. The book
uplifted us. Honest We have the
feeling that we have done something
for our soul.
Hall Caine is the Billy Sunday of
novelists. He uses strong language.
He is frank with his characters: he
tells 'em what he thinks of 'em. One
he calls a poop" another a mum
skull" and still another "booby." We
hope the book will not be suppressed
An author sometimes has to use strong
language to get his message across.