The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1922-04-16
New Fiction
Continued from Preceding Page.

manness.
Behind the novelist. tie artistic
maker of a descriptive and explana-
tory narrative, there is also Mr..
O'Donovan, who is something more:
the satiric historian. the critical
philosopher commenting upon as
ceticism as a whole-as it has in
terfered with human evolution since
st. Augustine's day-not merely as
it may be manifested in a remote
corner of Ireland to-day. II Is an
understanding study, not cynically
inconsiderate. sometimes even SYM
pathetic, but always unrelenting In
its grinness. Therein-in it's unique
combination of artistic insight and
truth, of drawing with an unimpas-
stoned, broad criticism of one of tie
most amazing vagaries of the human
soul throughout the ages-the book
stands alone. The central part of
the plot has. of course, been handled
here and there in literature: TIE
tragedy of the fully normal woman
who is forced to become a nun and
seeks a way out Of her prison
Oddly enough, there is a medieval
legend that forms a poetic parallel
to some of the book. But nowhere
has the theme as whole been so
comprehensively treated as here.
1t is depressing business: dismal.
unrelieved throughout. At times 1t
Is tragically dismal; then almost
humorously dismal with sardonic
grin, which, however. does not be-
come a sneer. Kitty escapes at tie
end, but she takes with her the scar
of her mistakes, and she bears the
unrelieved burden of her broken vow,
a burden that must remain real to
any soul that was at all capable of
assuming it in the first place. Her
emancipation hardly makes a Happy
ending" as it is rather step toward
some new tragedy. And the criti-
cisn of the whole business stands,
unqualified.
The story is concerned with the
fortunes of two sisters. Winnie and
Kitty Curtin, daughters Of a very
well to do couple. who, however,
are merely storekeepers and "publi-
cans" in spite of their wealth and
solid position in the community.
The girls have been educated at a
fashionable convent school. lifted out
of their own natural class without
gaining any entrance into the realm
of the quality" They are utterly
isolated. utterly ignorant of life.
shut off from all ordinary human
contacts. Winnie has been destined
from her birth 20 the nunnery, and
is not entirely rebellious. She is a
small Drained. rudimentary creature.
and though she has no real religios-
ity, no true vocation. she is not
averse to the convent life.
Moreover, Winnie foresees vaguely,
a satisfying compromise, a posi-
BILE adjustment, as Father Burke,
tie cynical sensualist and philan-
derer, with whom she is in love, has
shown her how to reconcile the
human passion with the divine. He
manages to carry her through all
the progressive stages. from "hand
holding and philandering to adult
cry" all of it kept to a mean, petit.
Jogging level. 1t should be noted
that Mr.. O'Donovan is able TO man.
age that sort of thing with entire
absence of any leer. There is moth
ing salacious in the book, nothing
lugged in on purpose to be gloated
over. The seeker for obscenities
will be disappointed. The sins, gross
and petty: the vileness and slime
are all integrally a part OF the plot,
not,overaccentuated and always kept
in their place. sHia1ag
The younger sister, Kitty, Is a
different sort. She is not only intel
ligent, passionate and alive, but also
naturally clean souled. She is caught
on the rebound from a romantic de-
yotion to a man who she has never
meta mere being lin love with
love" without knowing at all what
1t really means. and under the CASE
Gus influence of the plaster saint"