Evening star., 1928-05-20
Leslie. indianapolis: The Bobbs-

Leslie. Indianapolis: The Bobbs-
Merrill Co.
HERE Shane Leslie pursues study
of Swift in something Of the
passion with which the great dean him.
self went out after life In one or an
other of its aspects and behavtors. This
was the writer whom mortals called
Jonathan Swift"-Leslie talking-"but
whom the gods, should he have Travelled
into their far country, must have called
Lemuel Gulliver, for, though his bones
were fashioned after the manner OF
mortal bones, his mind befitted the god
like, full of anger and power, and rain
ing fury upon the righteous and un-
righteous alike, f1ercely pitiful and
condescendingly faithful unto those
whom he loved, but loving them as
gods love, and bringing those who loved
him to their death" A thoroughly
uncomfortable fellow to live with, no
doubt. But at such distance as this
writer is able to lay between himself
and his subject there Is scarcely any
thing of flaw in the gloomy dean. The
quotation pitches the key to Leshe's
performance and illustrates, as well,
the way in which his emotions often
get the better of his power OF compost
tion. An admirable analysis OF Swlfts
great works. "Gullivers Travels" The
Tale of a Tub" The Battle OF the
Books" provide useful and most en-
joyable reading for those who ike the
taste of the substantial writings OF
somewhat earlier day than this. Spring
| tonic-dandelion and all sorts OF nitey
and stingey roots-lies IN the reading
of Jonathan Swift, the greatest OF
whose works are here outlined again
| for your use.
WE HAVE CHANGED ALL THAT. BY
| Herbert Quick and Elena Stepanon
MacMahon. Indianapolis: Inc
Bobbs-Merrin Co.
| THIS is story of the revolution IN
Russia as it centered upon the
ancient city of KaZan. One OF the
story tellers here. Mrs. MacMahon,
| lived In Kazan with her family. so. IN
a sense. this is matter Of record, rather
than a merely dramatic portrayal OF
events. That it is dramatic, the frst
| dozen pages prove. That 1t Is deeply
interesting throughout depends both
upon the theme and upon its vivid
projection. Possibly our prime interest
| in the book lies in the fact that 1t Is.
| In part. the work of Herbert Quick, who
| has already given American readers
three admirable and mastery novels
on the Middle West, novels that sum in
reality to an epic of that region. It Is
| for these that Herbert Quick win be re-
membered. and loved. Out in Vladi-
vostok in 1920 on Red Cross mission,
Mr. Quick there met Mrs. MacMahon,
q fugitive from KaZan under the new
| regime, or lack of regime. Coming 70
| the United States with her family, this
| lady sought the assistance OF Mr.
| Quick in putting into story the actual
| experiences growing out OF the dis
| orders of the old city in which she had
| lived. A moving story and an interest
| ing one 1t viii be counted, however.
! as Eisna MacMahon's own As for
| Herbert Quick, he will be remembered
by his fine contribution to the story
of the Middle West IN three Of his best
novels.
THE ASTOUNDING CRIME ON TOR
| RINGTON ROAD. BY william Gil
| lette. New York Harper & Brothers.
| AN inventor. Michael Haworth was
from any practical point of view a
| poor dud. dreaming his time away in
| the vision of this great invention or
| that one. just at the opening of this
story Michael had worked out motion
| picture device Of really great promise.
| No sooner done than this revolutioniz-
| ing film invention became the prey OF
| a company of fake promoters. The
| activities of these rascais in depriv1ng
| Michael of his own property become
| the motive along which this story of
| mystery runs, q story that reaches a
| high point with the apparently unex-
| piainable death OF Michael himself and
q still higher one when the actual
cause of the mans death moves,
| finally. into the open. Along with every
new mystery tale goes the claim Of
| something absolutely new here, either
| in situation or in the nature OF the
| misdeed, or in the method and out
come of detecting the crime and dis
| covering the criminal. These claims.
50 unfailing in appearance. have come
| to be taken with lot Of salt Yet,
| here is a case of much more originality
of treatment than Is commonly found.
The crime itself, or that which looks
| like crime, is OF more than usual
complexity. The circumstances sur
rounding It appear to be n plausible
part of the common commercial activity
Of the present hectic period. The
wen as subtle. 1t is, moreover, let go
at the critical moment and no other
Upon the whole, William Gillette, cele-
brated actor and playwright, has here
done good turn with his writing hand
in producing really sturdy and
equally interesting mystery story.
~
THE KISS. BY nj. X. WiSehart. New
York. The Century Co.
7 SUPPOSE that Elmer Gantry''
n started it and that. for season the
clergy will come under the purging
hand OF the novelist. AT any rate, here
is another story of the preacher gone
wrong. AS the title implies. q sudden
act of overemotion. quite innocent
without doubt set whole town into q
tumult of virtuous horror on the one
hand and heated championship ON the
other. The war spread even beyond the
limits Of the place itself. delighting the
press with a new scandal and millions
OF perfect individuals with material for
condemning the other person. New
England Is the background for TINS
clergyman'S errancy. Nathaniel Haw-
ago. This writer. however has not the
good foundation that served Hawthorne
In The Scarlet Letter" But he has
exactly the foundation that best serves
his purpose, for, in effect. this Is an
allegory which emhodieS gossip and sets
Ii ON it's feet for the gathering and
spreading of news calculated 70 give joy
to the great public over the erraneies
of one Of It's kind. In capable and
knowing way this author depicts the
odyssey OF the common tidhit OF gossip
growing into scandal outreaching It's
own local limits and stretching instead
20 the limits of the country itself, A
shrewd man and good writer here
does really fine turn In setting gossip
Ia drama, Why did he do ite In any
hone. do YOU think, of diyerting common