The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1922-04-16

markable novel. In some
ways 1t is q companion piece to
1.-THE Book OF Susan" this time
with a young genius girl who is a
born actress in place OF the heroine
who wrote. But Lila is a subtler
creation than her predecessor. There
is, indeed. as her lover phrases 1t. a
magic in her." One feels with him
that her death wasn't the ending
Of her story; refuses to believe that
''all the beauty of her. that clear
flame in her. vanished a. q breath"
She will live in the sympathetic read
er's mind. a beautiful. haunting
wrath. who needed poet to dream
her but who Is perdurably real.
1t would OF course be possible to
find fault, to pick flaws here and
there-scarcely any book is so per-
feet as to make that hard to do
but it is better worth while to call
attention to the very potent spell, OF
this story than to attempt to dissect
1t. Mr.. Dodd is sometimes a little
theatrical-frankly so-in the mon
agement Of his plot; sometimes the
lighting of the stage is a trifie an
real, but there Is no unreality what
ever in his feeling for and under
standing of his people. The finish
and outer texture OF this book, it is
hardly necessary to say. leave little
to be desired. 1t has all the finenees
that marked Susan plus a new
touch Of magic all its own.
The portrayal OF a heroine who
really has anything inside her beau
tiful head is uncommon enough:
still rarer Is a truly successful at
tempt to draw such a character. she
is usually travesty Here we have
youthful genius. with the innate
knowingness OF genius (far beyond
the possible acquired knowledge of
its years) plus an entire femininity:
a girl with brains, with "ciear
flame" of the true divine fire." aud
also complete womanhood-or,
rather. girlhood. She Is no sexless
freak, no inhuman machine. Neither
is she oversexed or in any way NOR
bid. 1t is difficult enough task 20
present such girl. even without
the added touch OF her genius. Bit
Mr. Dodd has done It. The result
tempts to superlatives that may be
uncritical but are at least sincere in
their admiration.
He has added TO the difficulties
of his task by placing this exotic
child Lila. the daughter OF a thor
oughly bad woman and a distin-
guished dramatist who is an artist
even a genius. but also a bad lot as
man. in the most thoroughly stand
ardized and conventional atm s.
phere there is to-day-that of G
New England girls college. Lilia
has lived all her young life wander.
ing about Europe; Paris. the Ri
viera. Italy. and she is quite unfa,
miliar with the species of the humsr
animal among whom she is thrown
at Alden College-the normal. EI
man girl Of the average Freshmen
. class. Naturally Lila doesn't fit i
we're. v.vaff au-0cforfx, x..I,r tha 49,, =,
too young Prof Thorpe fall
: in love with her. She is obliged I,
, run away. because her morphine talk
! ing mother turns up and make
, trouble. The scene shifts to Eu
rope. first to Naples and later +
; Paris.
: Lila Is disillusioned as to he
talented father. and starts out on
\ career for herself. The eccentti
: but truly great artist Mondory, WI
a runs a small art theater in Pari:
: welcomes her and gives her a chance
i Meanwhile DR.. Thorpe has foiIowe
" her. hoping to rescue" her. ST.
q loves him. too, but she Is also. frs
y and foremost, an artist. There fll
a lows her artistic triumph. and the
a a sudden. accidental death. State
: in such a baIs. barren outline
0 does not seem promising for his
| genaa7es. asd the pest = psigpasl