New-York tribune., 1922-11-05

., nave iot READ THIS authors earl;s,
umes (Which, from the ra,,'.. .sr W
| standpoint, is unfortunate. sinnae a'
il2ene appearing and space flI;a.iais
PARSONS are thereby rendersd fsh
sIble)t but, if the publishers = 80
be trusted, Mr. o'Higgjnss,.s. ..0's "a
Distinguished Americanso nooS.. gsAs
l1nes that he has previously foII.,s. Ts sesg|
The authors inspiration Il ;v',oses
analysis. His imaginary porsya. ys'clz
not merely the 3ssaless pro;eet;aSs.sss iS.ss u
| whimsical or vivid fancy: stVls easb y. y
them Is carefully Planned tn III ;ly,ane vne
the effect Of a particular conniar '.aa., "
human behavior. Action israls i iSs'
not interest Mr.. 0Higy;ns.7 80 afss
fascinated by motives. Pin5irsas,, as
the mind is in layers, one hesaas..' hs..s us' s
other, he sets out to dig: ana easa g. Y
tional entertainment that 10 a osae sae y
Is a view Of various typical sys,s ssss
tions. s~ssFss
The table of contents consists afa
names of six men and ono ,.e. = "
each Of these persons is the sui';,.a gy.i1a Z
prose piece that is neither 1870 = y.
story, a character study NOR sssl
history, but a mixture of ali ,sss ss
forms. The ingredients are nj rniysa sa's
varying proportions: in 'Henr;
thon" the character study predoss e.
mates in "Mrs. Murchinson.s bvas III ~.
| history; in Vance Cope" the siss
story. In this synthetic form tbs ~, &
thor escapes from the Convent
short formulas; But be bSLs IL
evolved formula Of his own thss (,
comes wearisome when it is 500 "a.
quently repeated.
The key to his method Il Sorad il
page so, when he writes: aAman suJ
denly says decisive word and rss,.
final gesture. Behind his lannIss
to say that word and make that qessHya
there is lifetime OF growth. expsyi
ence, emotion. All his past--afI tts
he has known and thought and sesr
and suffered up to that moment
has a part in the motives Of his actin.
And all his future comes influenced es
Of it."
1t is this truth that Mr.. 0Hiapn
seeks to drive home in his successive
presentation of seven persons. /,
takes a character and shows him M
ing his final gesture" or in the att
significant phase of his life's acti,ss
and then works backword to unsss
the governing complex. The metsa
somewhat elastic, but it is alwaYssa.
damentally the same: the quessrg
that interest the author, and yas
should interest the reader, are ihh
evoked by Vance Cope melting snE
mentally before pink sweater, d, Iii
Hallmuth shuddering at the sigh
blackbirds, or Big Dan Reilly foutar.
group of millionaires Why! ip
author asks before each action aa
in practically every case he obtains M
answer by returning to the chiIdhss
of his character.
But, despite his very real gifts ssr
author, Mr.. 0'Higgins falls shert
complete success in the task that
has set himself. In no case ara
made acquainted with a "lifetine
growth, experience, emction;s noaa
Mr.. O'Higgins's people is a rautss
complicated character, acting ID las
sequences of conflicting forces.
Each Has been created to iliaHss
the working of a single complss ssd.
because OF the concentratioz 4 tae
authors interest, each is a 'suas-tsar
plex" person: the complex, and rs u.
suits, Is clear enough in every insslaa,
but we never sense the presence. ii
actual personality. And the vitaits |
these characters is weakened furthe1f
the constant presence. the fnevits !
presence, of the author in his reiei
analyst.
We see him building UP that he II
thereafter pull apart; we are aware
the artificial creation of each sssR
IN accordance with the authors pis
poses; we are fascinated by the Hsa
ing finger rather than by the ts,
nodded, and, the result is an ssss
loss. But Mr.. O'Higgins has givsz ssa
new method, and one that is exagisE
interesting; for this, alone, wsssqsi
be grateful. And it may be ssAIts
new-found formula viii prove ssas
sequence of conflicting forces.