Evening star., 1928-05-06
REVIEWS OF SPRING BOOKS
Happy Change the Method of Recording Hsory-Noves
and Short Stories Recently Published.
Lincoln and Whitman.

Wright author Of Modern Paint
ing" etc. New York: Charles
Scribner's Sons.
THE really important part of this
Il volume is the introduction by way
of which Mr.. Wright analyzes the de-
velopment of the detective story from
certain beginnings up to its present
character and effects Nov the av-I
erage reader, eager for records of crime
and its detection fails. as a rule, to
realize that this kind Of invention has
a technic of its own, that the story
! itself changes its fashions to meet
changing tastes on the part of read
ers, that it exercises deliberate choice
among certain possible points of de-
parture, that this choice dictates the
method of unfolding and sets the char
| acter of the climax. One author fol-
| lows the crime by way of clues more
or less promising One tells the story
/ by way of the deliberations of the
! jury, as Eden Phillpots does, in The
| Jury" Another makes use of the GRIM
| inal trial to reach the same end. About
every aspect of this sort of invention
| is set out here in clear analytical
exposure to which are added innumera-
| bic concrete illustrations. incidentally.
| in this analysis, the author draws a
/
diversion alone and those Of more sub
stantial intent. From this point ne
! advances upon the study of the de-
| tective story from Poe forward to the
| present time. Among the tales sub
mitted in illustration of the general
I theme are those drawn from American
and English sources. and from the
/ Continent as we'll Here you will find
| your favorite detective and your ia
| vorite story teller. 1t is. however. with
the treatment of the theme itself that
you will derive your best advantage.
That stands as an excellent discussion,
seriously desired.
PRAYERS. BY Samuel McChord
Crothers. Boston: The Beacon
Press.
IN 1925 Glenn Clark's THE Souls Sin
cere Desire" was published. Some
body read it, then somebody else. then
many more. The book caught on and
spread rapidly to the common need OF
thousands. 1t was such simple book,
so practical, so truly fitted to the daily
business of living. Just a book on
PRAYER. Here is another one. Now,
everybody prays. even those who say
they do not. Everybody has 10 at one
time or another.
This book on prayer is cast in dif-
ferent manner. Sourced in another mood
than The Souls Sincere Desire but
both are equally useful. An orderly,
well arranged book TO suit the various
outreachings of the human toward
something that is bigger than he Is.
Here are prayers on brotherhood, and
peace, and the beauty Of the world, and
the JOY of living. Prayers for special
days and seasons, prayers for happiness
no less than for sorrow itself. Conf
dent. free. far removed from a cold for
niality. these petitions are calculated 10
be of immediate inspiration and help
in the search for the God Of human
understanding and sympathy.
THE VANGUARD. BY Arnold Bennett,
author of The Old Wives Tale, "
etc. New York: George H. Do
ran Co.
SOMEONE calls this "a playful and
- witty romance" Playful it GER
tainly iS--that is. it Is playful If the ab-
duction Of a couple of middle-aged men
may be called a Sportive performance
AS for wit, it, you see. is clearly point
Of individual opinion So it would take
a deal Of counting and casting up the
ultimate balance TO come to any eonclu~
sion, The romance seems 70 be some
thing of a concession to the broods Of
old men who are ianguishing about in
the deluSion that they sre still in the
running, still objects of consideration to
youth and beauty. A splendid satire
could be built upon this particular foun-
lm4 - kN.S~ z.~r,~
to the tune Of satire. To the mind OF
the author 1t appears mere subject Of
humorous treatment to have these old
men abducted and set on board the
yacht Vanguard where for q period
OF time they baSk IN the light Of femi-
nine approval, altogether sure of their
own heroic appeal Amusing in a meas
ure; no doubt quite true in its essence
Yet the tale is half q world away from
the prime OF this good realist. Even as
q vacation. even as q rest from the ex-
acting demands of things as they are.
Vanguard" is practically without ex-
cuse for being
MEN ARE so SELFISH. BY Horace
AnneSley Vachell. author os Dew
OF the Sea" New York; G. P. Put
mans Sons.
4 NOVEL of nonsense advancing
with a handicap against which
the reader Is forced to make headway.
Taking the title of the story as the
motive, the author supplies the proof
by way Of turning Aunt Mareias neph-
ew, Jim, into girl, Just to see how
badly he viii bear the burdens that a
girl dances away with in the gayeSt
possible fashion since bearing things
is her olrthright So. reader. YOU are
expected to follow this boy about, be-
| hevlng the unbelievable, while ne de-
ceives the world as 20 his real charac-
ter, causes all the Young men to lose
their heads over his feminine charms
and plays the deuce generally with the
ataid and circumspect WAYS of the cir
Gle in which he is the shining light.
To be sure, Jim learns lot about the
| woman side Of existence. The pur-
pose, no doubt. is TO make Jim 4 wiser
fellow, better husband and all the
rest OF 1t. However. there is an old
saying about the leopard and his
spots" Not important here though
The point Is not really a controversial
one as 10 the SelfiShneSS of men. Rath-
| er is it's this 4 plausible bit OF hu-