New-York tribune., 1922-05-21
nentic and dispassionsts

authentic and dispassionats
irrcproachably honest"
1rishmen notoriously disagree With
each other (Which makes them inter
esting), and they like to agree just long
enough to remind us outsiders that we
don't know anything about the little
island except what they tell us. but,
in literary quarrel between two irish
men / submit that an Irishman OF
letters is more Trustworthy witness
than janitor. And those Of us who
are literary without being Irish, who
know a little bit about life In nom
Celtic parts Of the world, are capable
of judging whether book sounds trues
whether it IS beautiful, whether It's
tone is fine
The janitor is all wrong about the
tone Of the book. He blunders into a
sentence which says exactly what he
does not mean (this is characteristic of
the tiresome stage Irishman, but It IL
precisely not characteristic Of Irish
men of letters). He says: "what
was the redeeming feature Of his
lO'Donovan'sl two earlier novels, both
by no means friendly to the Catholic
Church, the absence of cheap sensa-
tionalism, is now the main feature Of
the story" OF course, he means that
sensationalism, not the absence of it,
is the main feature Of the story. Words
have way of becoming confused when
persons who cannot write try to put
them together in relation to subjects
Of which they are ignorant. The
janitor would not say that the absence
OF dirt made it necessary for him to
mop the floor; for he would be talking
about Something with which he is
familiar.
Tho book is sensational, but th.
sensationalism is not cheap. The word
sensationalism is often wrongly used
in q reproachful sense. Every story
involving human passions must be
sensational, or it will be dull, un-
dramatic, uninteresting.
Mr.. O'Donovan handles passions
boldly, vigorously, but with fine ar
tistic restraint. And his treatment Of
religious issues seems to ME free from,
animus, free from the sort Of propa-
ganda and argument which ruin a work
Of art. There Is mono Of that down.
right pummeling Of the priesthood
with which tho pugnacious Charles
Reade disfgures his masterpiece, "The
/ Cloister and tho Hearth" As an un-
believing Yankee, cannot judge
whether "Vocations" will offend adher-
ents Of the Roman Catholic faith. The
priests seem to mo to be drawn first
as men, then as priests.
RELIGIoN is a ticklish theme in
fiction, and, important as it is in
life, it is usually q bore. The novelist
too often makes some kind of belief
instead Of some kind Of person. his
hero or his william, and we have only
p lay figure swaddled in opinions. II
the people are real, as O'Donovan's
certainly are, it doesn't matter q rap
from the point of view Of art what
race or institution they belong to.
Tho Church thrives nightly in spite
Of tons Of literature that have been
written against It for centuries. If it
ever was hurt by printed word that
word, believs, Is not to be found In
any work Of art. In fiction from Boo
caccio and Rabelais to Maupassant
and Anatoie France monks and priests
have been portrayed in very unclerical
adventures. Dante consigned 4 few
ecclesiastics to hell. 1t is not Sunday
school literature. But any adult, even
an archbishop, with a love Of letters,
can enjoy it. And the dome of st.
Peters stands unshaken. On the other
hand, art can get along very we'll with
out the approval Of Institutions or Of Z
Janitors. Nh O,Donovsn IL IN artist.