Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-10-11
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
/. G. M.

Miss Brown of X. Y. o." carries
q clear distinction quite apart from
any inside value of its own. For
Miss Brown" stands as the One-hun'
dredth published Oppenheim novel.
The one-hundredth!
Time for a bit of a celebration
don't you think? Time for hats on
in tribute to the man who for more
than 40 years has in unabated vigor
held fast to the wearing routine of
plain work, that heritage from Eden
against which the most OF us waste
much time in costly lamentation. Two
novels q year, occa sionally three. back,
so far, the record of this writer.
X + 4
The moment has now come for the
appearance of the professional critic
wearing the familiar smile so care
fully calculated to register complete
sapience in matters literary. He talks
and talks about the sins committed
against literature by the modern nov
elist's rapid, and presumably head
long, methods of construction. Well
this is his line. So, let us leave him
to the keen personal pleasure of
throwing it out to moose in for pun
ishment many a hapless author
caught in the act of SHINING against
the idols of professional criticism.
The novellsts, MANY of them. appear
indeed to be callous to the devastat t.
ing intent of this wiseacre. So long
as readers generally like their stuff,
why worry! And this brings us to
that honest observer of books and
their writer's, the man who said that
the supreme purpose Of any book Is
H. Cal e. LII
other aims but this, so far. remains
the overlapping purpose OF them all
X X +
This honest judge has brought us
back again, face to face with Phillips
Oppenheim, prolific novel writer. One
hundred published novels! The clear
emphasis of this ejaculation goes to
the word published" For continued
publication of any writer means, pri-
marily and substantially, continued
appreciate demand for that author
on the part of the public. Now, no
dealer in commodities ia cannier than
the purveyOr of books. No other
tradesman surpasses the publisher in
shrewd oversight of his own field. 1t
is for him to make no mistake about
the demand for his line of goods. II
is for him to measure in good accu
racy the rise and ebb of changing
fancies on the part of readers. to de-
tect the delicate pulse Of safety and
boredom long before these become OBJ
viOus to the market itself. In a word
1t Is the proper business of the pub
Usher to shape his merchandise tC
the measure and quality of the gen
eral demand for it. And, as specific
point IN evidence, Phillips Oppenheim
appears to be perfectly sound bust
ness bet on the part of his publish.
ers. " Il y
You know the Oppenheim novels
Well, Miss Brown" is another one
of the familiar pattern, another story
of plots and intrigues that are cen
tered in certain groups whose plans
are of the international measure
Miss Brown herself may be a shade
unreal, but the general movement OF
the story is of the usual spirited
brand, touched more than a little with
problem and mystery Of political form
and texture. A good, Oppenheim ad
venture. ~ 4 +
Let us sit down to listen to Open
helm talking about himself, about his
work and his life generally. Mar
ried? To a New England girl. Chill
dren? One daughter. Might as well
clear up these vital points and get
along. my father was a clever story
teller. When we were small children
he made each of us write a story on
Christmas evening-he wrote one him
seifA4landjithey were read out and we
voted as to which we liked best. My
father always won. / shall never for
get his face of establishment when one
Christmas won the prize. was only
10, and was quite considerably pleased
with myself" Interesting picture o1
home, it seems to me.
II was 10 years old when my
first short story was published. anC
only 20 when my first novel APP
peared-more than forty years o.
story writing-"and the first thing
which occurs to me to say about 1t Is
that I do not think there can be an
other profession in the world which
maintains It's hold upon its disciples
to such an extraordinary extent
Here is the joy in work that, unluck
lily, so many of us fail to capture.
mo, / don't know how novel will
develop when / begin it. l get vi
sion of about two good characters
the man, he's the main thing, and the
woman very secondary" Miss
Brown" is true to the letter of this
statement AS a person she isn't
within a thousand miles Of Col. Dessi
ter, or John Clyde as he is part OF
the time. A fascinating man, this
Dessiter or Glyde-with Miss Brown
serving fair purpose, first as secret
service aid and finally as the means OF
winding up the tale in the glamour
of romance. These two clements
Oppenheim talking again-''togethel
with my first chapter, constitute my
preparation. Then / live with my
characters for a while-eat with them,
walk with them, play golf with them
Finally they begin to act according
to their own wills; then let them go,
and they work out their own destiny.
Soon, the first thing / know / have
another book ready for the publish
ers. It's great fun really.
IF were to attempt to work from
q synopsis should be done. My story
would be stilted and untrue. My
characters would resent it and at once
kick over the traces. They would line
out in sulky and Iethargic indifference
So, / leave the synopsis alone. And
as to plots-there are only about a
score in the world and when you have
used them all from A to z you can
turn them around and use them from
z to A.
Generally speaking. half of my
time is devoted to actual writing, and
the other half is divided between exer
else and sport, visits to London and
travelr' Then Oppenheim speaks OF
himself as only "a yarn spinner
"I'm not what you fellows call a
literary man. Yet-fame or money,
don't believe I think of either when
I'm writing q book. All i want is
the best story possible. And I some.
times feel that one of my stories, il
it's we'll done, may be remembered
after I'm gone" Here is that terri.
BILE urge of Beyond Life" that Cabe,i
pictures so powerfully as the essen
tial urge of all writer's. Then Open.
helm touches upon the commonly con-
ceded fact that many of his novels
OF Auanfa nf iT,onorfa wit N