The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-03-06
MAIN STREET"


 yesrs-sinclair Lewis has been gath ering the material for his new novel, Main Street." The book is a defini- ton not merely of one Main street, but of all Of them. from Syracuse to San Diego The citizen of any town of from ' LOGO to 5000 will recognize his neigh bors and his own aspirations whether his town happens to be in Ohio in Kansas, or in Montana--that is, if Mr Lewis contention is correct His con- tention is that in this age of standardi- zation--of Fords, movies syndicated | newspaper features, national brands of ready made clothes and ready made ideas-all our Main streets are becom- ing amazingly and perilously alike.
 Whether or not he is correct. cer- tainly Mir. Lewis has observed the American scene with unusual broad ress He was born in small town lu the middle west; he went to Yale: he was during 10 years a newspape perman ! in Connecticut, Iowa and California a magazine editor in Washington, D. C.. then editor for publishers in New York That made seven quite varied phases of American background for beCilt ming.
 Z Mr. Lewis conclusions are likely to arouse both wide approval and wide | antagonism. He concludes that all our American life is threatened by a coma l of respectable mediocrity; that we hay. shut our eyes to the eager thoughts running through Europe; that our self. satisfaction is a dangerous drug; that for all our proud "boosting," the typi- l cal Main street town is phystcatlv ugly and spiritually doubtful; and that in each town there are a few people who-often unconsciously-are waging a battle for beauty which is at once more dramtic and incomparably more important than any of the melodra- matte Struggles of war and finance and psychic mysteries.
 certainly whatever opposition his thesis arouses his picture of the eager girl imprisoned in the snugness of the small town will be to tens of thou sands of men and women a revelation of their own problems, their own re- bellion against safe tediousness and a hint of possible ways-out.
 But-4Main Street" is not in the least progapandist, problem" novel. The problems are inherent in the hon estly sketched background, but the heart of the book is the living picture or certin people who are to be met on every Main street, and therein the book IS not mere polemic discussion but distinctly a work of art
 Main Street, is novel about the real American small town of today, Not horse-trading deacons and pink romance in sunbonnets. but farmline. telephones, Fords, land deals, the movies and trips to the metropolis or Los Angeles-and responsibility like vast wall shutting out gaiety aud wonder.
 Carol Kennicott comes from the citv where she has been happily inaon- l spicuous. to the fish bowl existence of the small town doctors wife. She is young, eager, aware of the great world, fighting for graciousness aud 1 laughter.
 Her truggle-suffusing village com monplaceness with the beauty of high courage and the unconquerable will to live Then her bewildered discovery of love.
 A revealing picture of the American scene, by far the most important novel 1 by the author of -The Job"
 Heywood Broun dhe clever "critic,' of the New York Tribune), says: Main Street. is novel about Amer ican life which is good enough to stand l beside Miss Lulu Bett' and My An- tonia In some respects it is a better book. An amazingly fine. job
 almost disconcertingly good It is good enough for us to declare unoual- ifiedly that Main Street is an achieve | nent of the first rank and probably as important book as anybody is likely to see this season. In fact this reviewer IS almost ready now to depart in peace. DICK ARNOLD PLAYS THE CAME | By Earl Reed Silvers. D. Appleton & l Co, Publishers Nex York City. l A true-to-life college story brimful of athletic prowess, fine sportsmanship, and clean fun. Dick Arnold, crack cross country mile runner, sacrifices the medals and glory he is sure to win in 1 the track meets, and goes in for bas- | ketball because the team needs men Dick has many handicaps to overoome as basketball player, but in the spirit of loyalty to his alma mater he sticks them out, and in the face of everything makes good for himself and his college. In his time Mir. Silvers was member of the varsity team-he knows from first-hand | experience what he writes about The hazing episodes. the hat rush and the time Raritan college threatened to strike are made very real. The book gives straight-thinking, manly and courageous youth that wins through '.to the right kind of success"
 "REcREAT1oNs OF PsYcHoLo- CYST,
 By c. Stanley Hall. I.L D.. Ph D. Ap-
 pleton & Co. Publishers New York
 City.
 Dr. Hall is ably and entertainingly do- l ing his part in upholding our social or | der In "The Fall of Atlantis he pic- | lures an ideal state in which our social | and scientific concepts reach their per lection and then fall into slow but com plete decay. The story might have been entitled "The Strikes of Doctors, Law yers, Teachers, Clergy. and finally of Women, Causing the Downfall and fin- | ally the Physical Engulfment of a Su- i per-State.' In spirit the picture is warning and prophecy. How Johhny's Vision Came True" brings strongly into play the psychic element. It tells how 8 romantic day dream of youth is real ized in prosiac middle age. "A Conver- sion'' portrays the mighty recuperative l powers within the soul. and emphasizes the truth that there is no salvation ex- cept what man achieves for himself re-establshed Harmony gives the story of a coquettish miss and bearish don-how they met. were unable to part so went through life together "A Mans Adventure in Domestic Industries'' re- lates in humorous fashion how the mas ter of the house temporarily usurped the l place of mistress and maids. The book 1 is a delightful example of what a psy- l chologist can accomplish in the realm of fiction, when he brings to the task irlag- lsSation, humor and fund of knowledg3 on how the human animal works.
 YOUR BIGGEST JOB SCHOOL OR
 BUSINESS"
 | By Henry Louis Smith. D. Appleton x 1 Co., Publishers. New York City.
 The schoolboy's discontented attitude