New-York tribune., 1922-01-22
An Irish Lad
Shrewd Character Sketch
of Dublin Boy
ADAM AND CAROIlNp py Coma
r. Nlordan; Published by Haroourt
DAM OF DUBLIN. That .nco -


4 DAM OF DUBLIN, that engaging
~ urchin whose rise from the dirt
j., and misery of an alley under
the shadow of the Pro- Cathedral. WA
told IN Conal O'Riordans earlier novcl
returns to US in a sequel, adam and
Caroline (Harcourt, Brace 4 Coz II
IS an honestly and beautifully wri;ten
book
The tale continues the life of Adam
McFadden-~Adam Byron O"Toolc Daa-
'ey Wyndham Innocent McFadden-as
ne enters his teens under the guard ar
snip OF Stephen Mccarthy, plcnsantiy
cynical man of letters who hates hum
bug. The lad has emerged from his
alley and left the days of hawking pre-
poSterously stale newspapers through
Dublin streets far behind him. He as.
sumes his place in a world of gentle
men. 1t is his rightiul place, for Adam
the product of broken, Illicit love
"ffa'r--is the grcat-grandson Of an earl
and the grandson of baroret
1T is a dreaming, rassionately in
quisitive hoy who ventures out upon
iI1e-an Adam buoyed up by the no.
ton that all things could be done at
once if only one knew how. Caroline.
Josephine and Barbara--hc is capable
OF loving them all at the same time.
Life is before him in tumbled. confus-
ing heaps of bright pieces which he
must tit together into q mosaic of his
own. Religion. with its dogma, its un-
kindness and strange consolation; love
which is so mystically nllurinc and
which does such grotesquc things to
people; scandal. patriotism. labor
troubles, schools. liver pills which give
him comfort not unlike that of goins
to confession; death, babies, Celtic
drama, and Irish whisky. Adam feels
that he must understand all of these
things, and at once. At once, or his
head will crack! With the patience
Of saint, and considerably more
humor, Stephen Mccarthy answers all
questions.
1t is to the easy love of little Caro-
line Brady that Adam turns. Since
the day he kissed her in Darcy Tunnel
and lost her soon afterward, Caroline
Or, at least, his idea of Caroline
has been essential to happiness. He
finds her once again, this time as a
shop girl who teaches him what Illicit
passion means, when, on a rainy bank
holiday, they steal away together
oII
things which confuse life, for Adam is
sent to bed with pleursy.
Barbara Burns comes to see hin
while he is sick and unable to sent
word to Caroline. Adam turns from
his regrets that he cannot reassure
one girl that he still loves her t.
uttering the most passionate speech Of
his lie to another. A few minute:
later he learns that the same we
weather which has held him in bee
has sent Caroline to her grave. Their
Adam commences to understand wha
Mccarthy meant when he said that i
is futile to wish to be alive.
Barbara marries Mr.. Leaper- Carahar
stolen from his grasp while he is to,
heartslck to care greatly what hap
pens. Josephine becomes a nun at tn,
very moment when he would hav,
turned to her. And now Adam feels
that it is not the mere wishing to b,
alive which is futile, but that it i
futile even to live. Angry, heart
broken, he runs through the streets O.
Dublin and throws himself into tn,
waters which drowned Fan Twcedy
zone Of his fathers fancy women" O.
the alley days. He is dragged out ane
wakes to find himself aboard the Bris
tol boat. The tale of "Adam and Caro-
line" is to be the next book.
In these troublesome days whe1
many of us watch the Irish with tn,
same awe we feel for the lamented Jukes
family, Ireland is fortunate in having
Conal O'Riordan (Norreys Connolly t.
write so wisely and honestly of its
people. The story of Adam is NOR,
than delightfully."- sympathetic pre-
scntation of the life Of Dublin boy
it reveals the Irish and their problem!
Of religion and nationalism through
the mind of a critic, who, like the
Mccarthy Of his creation, hates hum
bug. O'Riordan is humorous, kind ant
severe; and always an artist. Botl
"Adam of Dublin" and adam and Caro-
line" are books to be read regardless,
of the Irish problem, books which are
too good to be missed