Evening star., 1925-04-11
THE LIBRARY TABLE
BY THE BooKLovER.

=
ing analyzed, classified, labeled and
placed" Prof. Morris Il. Speare Of
the University of Maryland has iso-
lated a special genre in English let
ters and traced It's history in his new
book, The Political Novel, Its De-
velopment in England and America" "
The forerunner of the political novel
was the novel with purpose" Since
the author sets uD the political novel
as a special literary type it IS we'll to
quote his definition of II: 1T is q
work OF prose fiction which leans rath-
er to ideas than to emotions; which
deals rather with the machinery OF
law-making or with a theory about
public conduct than with the merits
of any given piece of legislation; and
where the main purpose of the writer
is partly propaganda, public reform or
exposition of the lives Of the person
ages who maintain government. or OF
the forces which constitute govern
ment. In this exposition the drawing
room is frequently used as a medium
for presenting the inside life Of poll
tics"
x x = :.
Prof. Speare finds the political novel
to have been born in the mind of Ben
jamin Disraeli. More than half of this
book is devoted to Disraeli. partly be-
cause of his primacy In the field and
partly, no doubt, because of the new
interest in Disraeli aroused by the re-
cent publication of the Monypenny and
Buckle six-volume biography, of which
the author has made large use. Prof.
Speare states that DlsraelfS novels.
especially "Vivian Grey" "Coningsby,"
"Sybtl" and "Lothair," reflect the
maturing mind OF a man Of public af-
fafr III tool r,l1
ophy of conduct: also that this writ
ing was the imaginative means adopted
by politician who was also man of
letters Of thinking his way through
to a position on a public question and
to a political program. In addition TO
making d detailed examination OF each
of his political novels, the author fur
nishes an elaborate critical analysis
of the literary significance Of D1sraeli,
to whom he assigns a higher place
than most previous writers have been
willing to accord him. That place he
gives him largely because Of his
achievement in establishing the spe-
cial art form Of the political novel.
The successors OF Disraeli in the
field of the political novel TO be treated
by Prof. Speare are Anthony Trollope,
the Victorian realist. the author of
"Phineas Finn" and other novels in the
so-called parliamentary series: George
Eliot, who contributed Felix Holt, the
Radical: George Meredith, the author
OF "Beauchamp's Career" delinea-
tion of the liberal and the idealist in
politics; Mrs. Humphry Ward. who in
"Marcella" and 4" Sir George Tressady''
gives expression TO feminism in poll
tics, and II. G.. Wells, creator of The
New Machiavellr and exponent of the
cult Of individualism. Turning TO the
United States, Prof Speare treats of
three writer's of political novels in as
many chapters: Henry Adams, author
of Democracy" which he regards as
the first true political novel written
in America; Winston Churchill, writer
of Conistor' and MIR. Crewe's Ca
reer." novels Of political reform. and
Paul Leicester Ford. author of THE
Honorable Peter Sterling" a novel
dealing with the career of Grover
Cleveland and with the municipal poll
tics OF New York.
Elias Tobenkin some time ago es-
tabiished himself as an interpreter OF
the American Jew through fiction. His
reputation cannot fall to be enhanced
by his recent novel God OF Might,
which Is a presentation of the Jew in
business. Although primarily a prob
lem novel. God OF Might is not a
mere sociological discussion. Its char
acters are vital human beings tangled
In a web of fate. According to To-
benkin, the reason for the American
Jewish problem is that the Jew in
this country can be neither thoroughly
American nor thoroughly Jewish The
larger part of the Jews In America
today are Russian Jews who still hold
the traditions of the ghetto; their
real ghetto is gone, but they continue
to maintain a ghetto of the mind,
which Is in opposition to assimilation
to Americanism. The problem In
God of Might" Is worked out through
the character OF Samuel Waterman
who was born in a small Russian
town and comes to America as a
young boy. without his parents. He
settles In Lincoln, Ill, where he is the
only Jew In town and where the
townspeople are very sympathetic to-
ward him. Circumstances are all
favorable to him. He succeeds in
business, he marries a Christian girl
who Is devoted to him, yet happiness
Is not the result. In his life Is ex-
emplified the struggle between the
ghetto and America He Is the victim
of his own mind, that is. OF his hered-
ity and early training. and cannot get
away from the prison thus created
The conclusion OF Elias Tobenkin is
that with the Jews themselves must
be the solution of the problem.
y X
Milton's theme Of Paradise Lost
has been employed In the poetic theo.
logical tragedy "LucIfer, or the Heav.
,1x1 hy~ Co fpx ~
This poem was originally published
| about 25 years ago and is now re
printed as a small folio on Swedish
handmade paper, with headpieces
initial letters and end papers designed
by Pierre la Rose. Mr.. Santayana
mingles Greek mythology and Chris
tian theology as freely as did Miitor
At times. News OF the Christian Coo
and His power reaches Olympus and
Zeus sends Hermes to Inquire abou
him. Her1nes finds Lucifer seated il
| thought on a bleak mountain Top anC
makes known to him his mission. Lu
cIfer, recently expelled from Heaven
does not wish again to approach thu
presence or God and 80 gives Meph.
| istopheles TO Hermes as a guide
But Luc!fer has, felt the charm o.
Hermes and follows him to the gat,
| of Heaven, where Hermes is refused
admission, though Lucifer is allowed
to enter. There Lucifer encounter;
| Christ and pleads with Him the cause
| OF Hermes. In the conversation o.
| Christ and Lucifer are introduced al
the tenetB of Mr.. Santayana's phi
| losophy, or theology. Christ repre-
sents unquestioning faith and Lucife
| the spirit of reason.
-. y
| The vitality OF some Russian rad
icals is remarkable. Trotsky, Whose
obituary has been written on numer
| Gus occasions, seems TO be still living
| and working. Maxim sIorky has beer
/ %na ~ Aaa&AfS. door