New-York tribune., 1921-04-25
Books u.yv.,1 By o,...

In taking US to task for remarking
that John Barrymore seemed no more
than runrer-up in the passionate por-
tons OF Clair de Lune," l.. r. D. as
sures US that this was the intent of
Hugo in "The Man Who Laughs
"Victor Hugo" she writes, "makes
Gwymplaac doubtful, irresolute, un-
certain in the scene in the duchess's
chamber. He was fascinated by her
beauty and the animal appeal which
she made tc him. Also, he was drawn
by the fact that so exquisite being de-
sired to surrender herself to him with
his frighttul deformity. He is, how
ever, simply clay in her hands. The
scene is hers.
"You say: The duchess, on the other
hand, was a lady deformed Of SOUL
etc. She sure was.
Victor Hugo makes her say, with a
1rightful smile: 4 love YOU not only
because yol are defoxmed. but because
you are low. love monsters and
love mountebanks. A lover despised,
mocked, grotesquc, hideous, exposed to
laughter on that pillory called a thea
ter, has for me an extraordinary at
traction; it is tasting the fruit of hell.
An Infamous lover, how exquisite, etc.
Then again, 4 am unbridled desire. i'm
maculate. lam vestal bacchante' u
rms, we believe, is good place to
stop. 1t seems to US that L. Il. D. has
made her point.
In reading The Chestermarke In
stinct, by j. S. Fletcher, published by
knopf, we were impressed with the
thought that it Is a great pity that Gus
tom requires an author to offer an ex-
planatlon tor his mystery story. Up to
'he point where the mystery is revealed
the tale holds place among the most
exciting detective novels we have read.
steering happy middle course, the
young man from Scotland Yard is pre-
sented neither as a worker Of uncon-
Vincing miracles nor as thorough dun
derhead. He tackles the problem before
MN mucn as good police reporter
might. Some of his guesses are good
and others lead him quite astray. Much
hard and diversified work avails more
with him than inspiration
Moreover. The Chestermarke In
s'lnct is written by an author who
possesses a sense of character and for
background as we'll. A pleasing and
persuasive style does not detract for
an instant from the exciting onrush
OF the story. But by and by the time
comes for the explanation. Since the |
missing cashier is neither dead man
nor rogue it becomes necessary that
ne should be produced. And under these
Obligations and necessities the story
cracks WIDE open. Wild, impulsive and
thoroughly unconvincing facts are Of
Tered as the foundation of story /
"h'ch renamed an excellent mystery
just SO long as it was mysterious.
10 be sure, j. S. Fletcher ought not
TO be held up to censure for this with.
out the admission being frankly made
that he is not whit worse than b;s
fellows. Ninety-nine mystery and de-
tectlve stories out of hundred SAG
most dreadfully when the cards are
lald upon the table &nd the trick is ex-
planned. We wonder why the custom
OF clearing up the fctonal mystery has
come INTO being. In real life all the
best police cases are those which are
stlll unsolved. Personally, we were
greatly relieved when the recent con-
fession about the Elwel murder proved
20 be spurious. The yarn that two
hired gunmen had waited in the sit
'lng room for the bridge whist expert
and shot him there upon his return
vas totally lacking in artistic features.
Iver so many more attractive theories
lad already been offered
AS matter of fact, if the case ever
s solved we may depend unon II that