Evening star., 1928-08-25

If YOU want to read an unusual book
get ''The Devil" by Alfred Neumann
Just published by Alfred Knopf, New
York
1t is put up in an assortment oil
hectic wrappers, running the rainbow
from purple to deep red, in any shade
fitting dress for the contents.
Whatever you may think OF The
Devil" after you read 1t, there can be
little question that you will find 1t out
of the ordinary.
We bought it because we thought 1t
looked to be an unusually good imita-
ton of the historical romances OF
Alexandra Dumas, dealing as 1t does
with Louis XT of France and his barber
chamberlain. Oliver Necker,
That was where we were fooled. THE
Devil" is only superiicially like Dumas.
replacing the tremendous spirit OF
romance which eIYVelops the works OF
that master with a cold, harsh reality
which leaves the reader gaSping,
Nor is this difference the only one.
For the rapidfire dialogue which Dumas
used ns no other man ever did the Ger
man author of this historical novel in
a new manner utili2es a line" Of con-
versation as strange as the characters
themselves.
1t is a frank book.
No matter what one may have read
before. this story Is Just little more
so, If YOU get what we mean. When
the King demands his chamberlain s
wife complications are bound to arise
that are not strictly in keeping with
the great Anglo-Sayon traditions Of
novel writing, nor with, indeed, the
moral traditions of English speaking
peoples.
The situations that arise from this
main theme carry the reader from SuS-
pense to suspense not only in the best
manner of certain sort Of French
novelist but also with the crude speed
of the German story-teller at his
worst--and best,
The Devil" gives you a little bit of
Dumas. bit of ''Wuthering Heights,
some dash of Faust" and more than
a suspicion Of Emil Ludwig's Ma
poleon.'
II the latter successful biographcr
would write a novel. we believe that 1t
would be lust such a book as Neu-
mann's latest effort. the first of his
works to be translated for the Ameri-
can public.
one scarcely knows whether to wish
for more or not Like all different
things The Devil" takes time TO d.
gest. Surely 1t will take the smallest
possible time for any reader to go
through it.
Except for a portion of typical old
time French political intrigue (of the
sort which Dumas made more interest
ing because he made his characters
talk it) THE Devil" is story that
moves right along.
"Ghent was not virtuouS town,
II begins. and that succinct. journalistic
sentence sets the pace from beginning
to end The story opens with Necker,
the barber. successfully engineering a
plot against one of the reigning dukes,
and then reverts to his childhood
The second chapter, headed THE
Neckers' tthe first chapter is the only
one without a title. and thus sets a
precedent-all the chapters but one
having titles) makes the reader think
of nothing SO much as the picture OF
the Jew of Malta in the Eli2abethan
play, who crept around at night poison
ing wells and doing similar tricks.
Oliver Necker. as lad, must have
been dandy. His fayorite sports were
putting worms in the meal, and spring.
ing out from behind doors at people
With the craft of his nameSake. he
'got something" on all his hometolkS,
caused his father TO commit suicide
tthe whole family might have done so
with benefit to the world. then left