New Britain herald., 1925-07-18
PASTELS
 AND PORTRAITS

The continued popularity of Som erset Maugham's latest. "The Paint ed Neil," recalls to our mind one other of his books we have read, and are the proud possessors of and that book is Moon and Sixpense." Here Is A book, comparatively little known today, published during or about 1912, and in our opinion one or the finest novels written since the war.
 Mr. Mangham has done many fine books and plays, indeed, and it is not too for from wrong to claim that he is one of the foremost writ CTS Of English living today. And vet, in Moon and Sixpence," he has &C., tually outdone himself, provided, of course, such thing is possible. We have read the book more than once, and claim that their Is nothing finer written on the shelves of anyone's library, no matter where.
 Moon and Sixpence" is the hc- tionized story of the life of one of the greatest French painters. Paul Gauguin, depicted in this book as an EnSltshman named Strickland, This Tn our opinion, is the only thing in- conceivable about the book. We find It hard to reconcile the life of this Frenchman as if Is told of strickland with that Of q prosperous S5feIy-married English financier, such IS Strickland Is shown in the early part Of the book.
 There are libraries that ue lrow 1 Of one in particular, ultra -conserva- five Of course. which have placed 2 ban on this book, and all for no ap- parent reason We know of one college library which has done this. and it Is the book turned down by this library that we own And. in spite of this, re insist, and we have known many others who have read | the booy and others to whom we have lent it, who agree, and unani-
  able.
 ! Purposely Te asked one of the leading literary and dramatic critics in the cast if he had read Moon and SiXpence," and he said that he had and imne ediatelv started in 10 eulogize it 10 the very skies. declar- in= the book perhaps the finest writ len i1 span Of 10 years
 Briefly, Strickland Is in the neigh horhood of 50 when the story opens. 2 successful troker and married H'iih grown-up children. All his IlitH, hoW"l CT he had possessed 2 genius for rainting. Necessarily, he cause Of the nature of his life, he "as forcrl 10 keep his genius under cover Unable to stand it any long or, however, he suddenly broke away 1 from ali his family ties and diYau. Irearnd from London, turning uu fator tn l'arie
 Here he dsslrated to his heart < 1 content, and completed several | paintings of merit, though not rec l ognized as such at the time stole away the affections cf another paint CTS wife. cast her adrift ruthlesslv. , wandered here and there about the world and finally ended up in Tahiti. In this island, he did his best and greatest work He married a girl of the brown race inhabiting the place. and moved off with her to hut in the wilderness. Here he was taken | down with dread leprosv and bit by
 bit his body disintegrated. Able only to stay in the hut with his faithful wife, who stuck to him to the end, he did his paintings, some Of the most magnificent ever done by the hand of man, on the walls of the place, and when life was finally snuffcd out from his body he or dered the hut and it's priceless paintings destroyed.
 He had given expression 10 his genius to his own satisfaction, and was at last ready to die, and content. And this Is why several think the i book should not be read. holding in their narrow manner of reasoning, ! that it breaches false philosophy, And then, there are others who de- clare the Strickland of the story q great man. too big 10 he hampered 1 by the limitations of society when he had something which. as mem- ber of said society. he was prevent 1 cd from giving to the world-his genius,
 i We are rather inclined to think that he was entitled 10 an eNpres- sion of his genius, even at the eX' pense of his family, but, of course the thing is open to dispute. Al al