The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-10-14
Book Mu,s

Gargoyles, the latest book by Ben
Heeht fBoni z. Liveright), the author
of Erik Dorm, is described in its ac-
conpanying press notices as "dev-
astating novel;" In way it truly Is
devastating to the belief in human
nature as kindly. admirable and gen.
erous.
In the entire personnel of the book
there is not one person that the reader
can enjoy. Doris is beautiful. un-
affected and intelligent girl who be-
comes, thru morbid mental processes
pitiful victim OF melaucnolia. Her
brother, George Basine. becomes
model of marital virtue and an adj
vocate of vice refor1ns-because he
| aspires to the state senatorship- Mrs.
Gilchrist, society leader, takes great
pride in the success of charity ba-
zaars, ETC.. not because she has the
slightest interest or sympathy for the
unfortunate beings VINO are to be
| helped, but for the personal gratifi-
cation she feels as an organizer and
social dictator. Her son is a popular
novelist who writes to appease the
best-seller appetite, rather than of
things that he himself feels to be
! worth while. Fanny Basine poses as
an easily shocked young thing when
| in reality she is revoltingly sensual.
| Gargoyles is well written. and is
| undoubtedly a strong book, SO strong
in places that it positively smells
| B. H. c.
| Apparently the Crank and Ear
nest books are here to stay. Frank.
| in their ability to tell intimacie with
/ out imagination on the part OF the
reader, and earnest in their endeavor
| to bring out the intimacIes without
/ hidden desires.
In other words, the Gays fiction
deals with-sex. OF course all fiction
has involved sex but>th writers of
today write what the authors of yes
| terday implied.
Now you have it-plain, ordinary.
| everyday sex-and lots of it.
Take one of Boni q Liyeright's
latest 1t is Babel by John Cournos.
It deals with a Russian-Jew who
from page l to THE End was a
| struggling writer. He began and quit
in a struggle. He loved and he lived
bAltho he loved but one In the sense
of the Great Feeling he loved many
| others temporarily ana with fiery de-
sire.
place the lovers under a pale moon.
turn loose the insects IN the trees, re-
j move all outside interference and
Chapter XIV. Not so with John Cour-
nos. He isn't particular about pale
moons or romantic surroundings. He
takes his characters out on the street.
| walks them up the stairs, creaks III
the tea wagon and misses not detail
from the beginning to the end.
I If the reader wishes to resort to
imagination he is forced to mind
that grasps more details than John
Cournos is able to depict.
That's all for the sex appeai-or
repeal. as you will have it.
There is something more in ''Ba-
bel" 1t is picturesque. 1t is inter
esting. 1t is truthful. 1t is philo-
sophical
John Cournos knew the streets of
London. He knew the artists quar-
ters, their lives, their works He
knew New York and Philadelphia and
HParis.
And he knew how to tell about
them.
"Babep' is different It is perfectly
proper to read-if read by adults II
might bring a flush to the cheek of
are so rainbowed with f1ushes these
days it is rather difficult TO spot any
one reason for it all.
Harry Sinclair Drago co-author of
Whispering Sage" Century a re-
cent novel whose plot revolves around
: Basque sheepmen in Nevada, re-
marked the other day that the quota
law for regulating immigration had
taroused considerable antagonist,
among large sheep-raising interests.
for a peculiar reason. That their
| pocketbookS were concerned was, OF
course, the usual thing-but the way
in which they were affected was I'M
usual. The Basques are the best
shepherds in the world, an6>so honest
Mr.. Drago says, that a known Basque
: can go to a bank and get money in
considerable sums ON his note, with
out putting up any collateral-a
thing few Americans can do. So the
wool barons''-, of the sheep-raisine
states desired that all the Basque:
that could possibly be attracted by the
comparative wealth to be amassed in
this country should be allowed to en-
ter, and not merely a number limited
by an extremely low quota based or
the handful already here.
The Basque element is a very pic.
turesque and novel feature of 'sWhis-
!, pering Sage" and Mr.. Drago, who
spends three or four months of every
: year in the portion of the country
, where the story is laid. declares thai
it is also very desirable element ir
western life.
: "Our Republic" a one-volume his
i tory of our country for the adult gen.
eral reader. by S. Z. Fornan. is an
, nounced for publication on October
3 l6 by The Century company, as are
i"Our Medicine Men" a sensational
HZH