Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1924-01-10
Twentieth Century Members Dis
cuss "The Middle of The
Road"
LOADS DICE AGAINST
HERO IN THE BOOK
No Solution Is Reached For the
Ills of Europe at the Present
Time Says Reviewer

The Twentieth Century club met
at the home of Mrs. Charles Kunzel-
man, Thursday afternoon. The review
of the first half of Sir Philip Gibbs
novel, THE Middle of the Road" Civ
en- by Mrs. G. c. Astle, was listened
to and discussed with much interest.
1t is one of the outstanding books of
the year and has called forth diverse
criticism. A review of the book as
given by the London Times literary
supplement follows:
In the Middle of the Road" Sir
Philip Gibbs has loaded the dice
against his unlucky young hero in a
most heather manner. Berrtram Pol
lard, son of a stanch conservative
and die hard K. c., whose sons and
daughters have always reacted
against his views, finds himself after,
a gallant career in the war, jobless
and considerably exercised in mind.
The world won't settle down, but
jigs wildly from side to side under the
contending stresses of reactionary
and revolutionary forces. He wants
to walk in the middle of the road, but
gets pelted from both hedges. But, as
we said, his Creator has made his
path as difficult as possible. He has
married the daughter of the Earl Of
Ottery during the war He loves
Joyce, his wife, bur finds himself
quite out of sympathy with her ideas
of patriotism in peace-her occupa
lions, her family, and her friends. He
is tactless, and makes affectionate ad-
yances at the worst moments, and
really, a young man, no matter how
| sympathetic he may be with the ex'
soldier and working man. deserves
rouble if he ostentatiously leaves the
hall in the middle Of his mother-in-
laws lecture on the Hidden Hand.
Then his sister married a Sim Fem
er and his brother-in law is condem-
ned to death and shot, while his bro
Their falls victim to a snipers bullet
! in the same twenty-four hours.
His mother dies of a broken heart.
Joyce refuses to live with him be-
cause he refuses. to join in strike
breakink, and not many months after
ward confesses to him at a chance
meeting in France that she loves
brilliant young man in the diplomatic
service. = * s.
The fact, of course is, that the
characters of this novel matter little
as individuals Sir Philip Gibbs has
not made solid beceu se it was enuogh
for his purpose that they should be
flat. His aim has been to bring be-
fore us all the various currents and
counter currents of opinion, and the
economic or social causes which have
kept and still keep Europe in fer
ment. He has produced a kind of
finn Of Europe after the war--and
very lively one it is. Sir Philip Gibbs
has a remarkable talent for present
ng point of view in dramatic form.
Ills scenes are lively, his dialogues
Illuminating, scene follows scene rap
'dly. each chosen to illustrate par
eicu7ar element in the hurly-burly.
The old aristocra'ic home threaten
ID by forced sale, the rooms of
IN enlightened socialist, the Dublin
-treets, The Hidden Hand, and the
~owd outside the place Of execu-
lion, France after the war with al
her trust Of England gone, and con
vinced in all her members that war
wilI come again, dancing hall in Ber
tn. Moscow, Patrograd, Riga, an
/ American famine train, the horrors Of
= famine area in Russia-these are
+ ~o~ne Of the things the author brings
bofore us with unflagging vivacity.
Though joyce comes hack and they
agree to begin no particular solution
= a~~ived at for he rapid cure of all
Eurone maladies, but at least the
mmensity and variety OF the problem
IS rreeented with a wealth of graphic
/ touches and DESCRIPTIONS that makes
| his. if not a good novel at least an
instructive as we'll as entertaining
Nook. ard intended to make the read
/ or think seriously.
Mrs. E. M. Doll will give a review
! Of the other half Of "The Middle Of
he Road" at the next meeting.