The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-10-07
Book News

You'll enjoy Rabbit" by Sinclair
Lewis.
IN his famous main Street" Sin
clair Lewis dealt with the residents
of the country town In t'Babbitt he
deals with the typical life of a city
of 100000.
Sinclair Lewis is a delightful con-
versationalist. The homely common
ness of his dialogues appeals to every
reader. He does not attempt to con-
duct discourse between two persons
on the plane that is held up under
pressure by the high society
writer's. Sinclair Lewis characters
talk as everyday people talk. They
converse naturally and in the spirit
of the times. They do not sink back
champagne, smoke cigarets and talk
philosophy or scintillate repartee. The
Sinclair Lewis people are real honest
to God citizens who are interested in
real honest to God matters.
"Babbitt" is named from the book s
leading character, George E. Babbitt.
He is a hustling real estate broker.
He is a town regular fella.' He is
proud of his city and becomes in
toxicated with his part in its pros
perity.
The story deals with his increasing
importance in the community, his Of
flee and family affairs, the affairs of
his club and friends and eventually
develops into an affair with a woman.
But.the reader should not become
frightened at the woman affair. 1t
does not pr sdominate the book. 1t
! is merely an incident.
The picture of the average CONVEX
sation in the smoking room of Pull
man car is a scream. And Babbitt' S
| trip with his close friend to the woods
where they can "cuSS at will" is worth
reading out loud to all who visit your
fireside.
"Babbitt' is distinctly Sinclair
Lewis. No one else could have written
| it. 1t is a mighty interesting and
fascinating story of ordinary people
in an ordinary town.
Don't miss "Babbitt''-it will be one
of the winter topics for fireside argu-
ment.
The Century company declares it is
mot reluctant to tell how Rama Setti,
a. full-blooded Indian Sirdar and an
Oxford graduate, who is visiting this
country, expressed himself as to the
accuracy of the Indian background
of Harry Hervey's Caravans by
| Night" 'T was surprised and de-
| lighted he said, by the extraordi-
nary knowledge shown of the tradi-
tions, manners and customs of a race
which is so little understood in this
country"
The Houghton Mifflin company re-
port a widely scattering list of guesses
in answer to the question: Who
wrote "A Critical Fable'?' Up to date;
the authors whose names have been
suggested are: conrad Aiken, Leon
ard Bacon, Gamaliel Bradford and
Ferris Greenslet, Amy Lowell. Don
Marquis, Edgor Lee Masters and
Louis Untermeyer. All these names
seem plausible. Conrad Aiken is a
lweil-known poet and critic whose
shrewd and somewhat acrid pro-
lnouncements on his fellows made his
book. "Scepticisms," excellent reading
Leonard Bacon is the author of a
lskit on present-day poets. The Ban
lquet of the Poets" which was printed
privately and distributed among a
large circle of friends. Gamaliel
Bradford is famous for his penetrat-
ling sketches of men, women and writ
ers, in such books as American Por-
traits" Portraits of Women" etc
Ferris Greenslet is a member of the
Houghton Mifflin company firm. He
is the author of a life of James Rus
sell Lowell, and was for many years
poetry critic of the Nation" Amy
Lowell is the author of a book OF
Ipoetical criticism, Tendencies il
Modern American Poetry" If shs
wrote the Fable" she is appearing ir
a new role, but her versatility is wei