New-York tribune., 1922-10-08
Critics
By Burton. Rascoe

APTHAISEAfENTS AND A5PERfTlES. BY
Felix E, Schslffng. Lippincott.
DEFINITIONS. BY TIenry Seidcl Candy.
Harcourt Brace a Co.
THE TOGSTN OF REVOLT. BY BrAndsr
Matthews Sorbner's.
ON CoNTEMPoRARY LITERATURE. BY
St&art z. sherman. Holt.
|TN HE most frequent expression
that any one who signs his
IS name to published opinions on
books, music, drama or art
hears from lips Of people he meets for
the first time is: II enjoy reading
your work. OF course, don't attcays
agree Nth what yon say, but I like to
read what you write just the same"
And that, dear reader, is the highest
compliment you can pay us. To be
readable, | think, is the first essential
for good critic, and IL he can give
his readers pleasure even when they
disagree with him he has performed
the major part Of the work he is called
upon to do. ! enjoy reading the work
of the five men listed above. OF course,
T don't always agree with what they
say, but like to read what they write
just the same.
Indeed, agree with MIR. Sherman less
than one-third Of the time, and yet
confess enjoying what he has to say
perhaps more than all the others put
together. He is to me at times ex-
asperating, annoying, incredibly short
!, sighted, irrational, illogical and hard
| shelled. I have desire very often to
kick him one or wiring his neck or get
him roundly drunk; but there is no
| one among tis who can beat him in
the composition Of neat and effective
sentences and paragraphs. He has a
| singing and malicious wit, q soaring
/ sarcasm, suave and confident man
ner. He could teach Quintilian tricks
about pushing home a point, building
up a case and rounding out an argu-
ment. He could tell the whole school
of Athenian Sophists how to make the
worse appear the better argument. He
is complete and absolute Machiavel-
lian. He does not scruple to take an
unfair advantage, Of an opponent. He
recognizes no ethic or code duello in
dialectic encounters. And if he does
not know these things, then he is capa-
BILE Of the easiest and most profound
self-hypnosis. He is a brilliant and
! in literature; he is healthy and stim-
ulating irritant of the minds Of the
younger generation; and when he
treats a subject with which he is sym
pathetic, as, for instance, Henry James
or in a less enthusiastic way, Arnold
| Bennett, he Is a penetrating analyst
and expositor of ideas.
Mr.. Sherman began his youth as an
asthete, quoting Baudelaire. Wilde and
| Pater; then he switched violently
around, sat at the feet of Paul Elmer
More and espoused the Victorians and
Victorian virtues with a defensive en-
| T1,ci hat rtnj %o
Something tells me from his recent inc
paper on "The Significance Of Sinclair
Lewis" startling letter to the
"Bookman" and an article in that mag
azine that Mr.. Sherman is about to
switch again, lend a sympathetic ear
to the voices of the present genera
tion, and fight. on the side of angels.
He will be our Michael if he does.
John Macy's "The Critical Game
was to me delight from beginning TO
end, and | can't even recall a point
whereon l disagreed with him. He
has the ingratiating manner Of cul-
tured and amiable conyersationalist
who tells of his literary enthusiasms
and dislikes with the evident enjoyment
of a delightful and experienced yarn
spinner. He points out interesting
things about the work of Dante, Toll
stoy, Conrad, Gourmont and others, and
| SdilS OuI dLteHGlOA 10 features which
have been overlooked by others, and
he disposes of literary quacks and ho-
KUN artists in an even tempered but
! decisive manner. Give Bell says that
a good critic should be able to tell at
a glance the real from the false article
in art, / think that Mr.. Macy has this
| faculty, by which discount Mr.. Bells
dlctum little and mean merely that
/ usually agree with what Mr.. Macy
says.
Professor Schelling's book is spirited
and entertaining, but interesting to me
chiefly because of the chapters on Ed
| Howe, Rose Macauley, Douglas Gold
/ ring and Agnes Repplier and one or
two other literary figures who have
not been given more than passing no
tice in books of criticism. The vol
ume is collection Of newspaper re-
I views and articles; they are rather su-
percilious at times and not profound
or keenly analytical; but they are en-.
tertaining. DR.. Canby's book is a col.
lection of his weekly articles in the
Literary Review" Of sThe Evening
Post" They bring a considerable
number Of IDEAS to bear upon the sub
iect Of contemporary American letters
DR. Matthews's title essay is but tn,
grumblings of a crusty old chap about
nothing In particular, but lust to bs
grumbling. The rest Of the volume il
amusing enough reading, especially hi.
comments on Ed Howe and Abe Mar.
tin, and his anecdotes, some Of which
are fairly new.