The Denver Jewish news., 1925-09-17


ample opportunity to include much interesting psyehol-
ogy the habits and natures of Continental Jews. Her
portrait of the younger generation provides excel
lent picture Of what assimilation pscudo-adaptation
may do to family whose strength has inhorcd in its
Jewshness. Thunderstorm only be referred to
novel Its frailty and lghtness only rec
ommcnd it for brief pastime; its humor and occasional
pathos must not be subjected the rigid creria by
which adult novels judged.
Leon Trotzky seems to he the most discussed and
discussing personality of the year He ia the subject
an excellent biography by Max Eastman; while he in
turn evaluatos the personality and achievements of
Nikola "Lenin In addition there have been published
Problems Of Life" resume of the Russian LEADERS,
philosophy of living and Literature and Revolution"
Two of Trotzky's books probably composed of ma
crial which he has beer saving for time his cm
in the political world enabled him publish these
works. As toraeur, Trotzky is able philosopher.
His style, judged by the English rendition contains
particular merit brillanee. He is however, log
cal and simple. ISIS
The most important critical works of the year writ
ten by Jews Paul Rosenfelds> "Mon Seem" and
George S. Helman's washington Irving" The former
who has been referred to as the second Van Wyek
Brooks estimates the worth and future of twentyfou
contemporary literary figures In essays which const
ute remarkable pieces of literature in themselves,
Rosenfeld has passed Judgment upon the most promi-
nent modernists writing today His style, labeled
obscurantst does not adapted for literary eriti-
cism however Lucid straightforward uncompromising,
unsnDSuouS cValuaton oil men ana WORKS replaced
by mefluous, resonant, musical words Although Ro-
sonfeld time declared that his a musical
| critic due to that fields potentalitics for money
making. it readily be that his literary style
has been influenced by mis- knowledge Of and intimacy
with music. 1t may be interesting to note that Rosen
field has expressed a personal dsase for at least
| unapprcciaton Of Ben Hceht and Maxwell Bodcnheim.
| In his "Men Seem" he passes judgment upon Waldo
| Frank, James Oppenheim, Herbert ]. Seligmann and
Jacob Wassermann, among others.
| A book that has met with warm hearted welcome
among American Jews is, strange enough history Of
Jews which Lewis Browne the author has called
stranger than Fiction" Perhaps it should not be cred
tied to dullnCss to values that permits such volumes
to be enthused 1t ought perhaps to be kept in
mind histories of the Jews that have thus far
been written have been ponderous, ilwritten tomes
penned purely for scholars else for Sunday school
children. Thus far there has been blending of his
tory and style And consequently, Brownies attempt at
the task received the mdeserved acclaim which
American Jews willing to give any popuarly writ
history of their But surely, good writing need
sacrifice history; history is precarious enough
truth when well recorded STRANGER than Fiction"
is repete with the apparent betrayals of history
It's congratulations of the strongest indictments
against its veracty book must deal with history
it must of 1t cannot properly be both.
| If Browne had acknowledged the fact that he
y attempting to write historical romance, all might
have been we'll but he determnedly sets out to initc
Short history of the Jews from earliest times to the
present day. His arrogance, is view of his non-hs
torical training, is amazing
Another history of the Jews written during the
year my Portion" by Rebckah Kohut. This auto
biography is in part record of Jewish life in America
during the last forty years Primarily it dms the de
velopment of the Jewish woman, the change of her
position attitude from the late eighties and nnctes
the present time. Although Mrs, Kuhut cannot be but
somewhat preudced, her volume is Of the most
liable contemporary references to the growth and devol
opment of conservative and reform Judaism in America.
"The Letters of Rosa Luxemburg" and "Thc Boil
shevik Myth" by Alexander Berkman, the finest
pieces of writing and by Jewish international
utionaries that have appeared in long time Whatever
be ones point of view Berkmans former activity and
Rosas life of political agitation it must be admitted
that both of them have well displayed the Jewish
of international justice, and have contributed most
erousy to the of the brotherhood of man.
There has been a great deal Of nconsequent writing
during the past year, both and by Jews, but of
it deserves mention. There has also been a proportion
of books which, though not wcl-heraldod and much
acclaimed merits credit here either schoarlness
interest Among these Herman Bernstcns Celebrities
of Our Time" deserves first rank Alexander Woocotts
STORY of Irving Berlin, though repetition of the
story manages to sneak a great deal Of unusual
human interest
As considers that literature is a rather fine art
and that in the game somewhat unusual the
books that Jews have turned this year
for shamefacedness.
MARTIN GoLDE.
Copyright 1873 by Seven Arts Feature syndicatc)