Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-01-31
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
I. e.. M.

lamont. Edward BulWer-Lytton. Lit
tie, Brown e. Co.
Around 60 years ago, Dickens, Thack-
cray. Bulwer-Lytton were the novellstS
Of the day. And these, no doubt, we're
read and run after and talked about,
much as are the LcWiseS, BrOmWellS.
TarkingtonS and host of others OF the
craft In the present. Between then and
now, however, a new world has been
created, an infinitely richer world. max
ing that earlier time appear in contrast
a barren field for the uses Of the ro-
manccr. Science, applied to the multi
form affairs of daily life, has opened
mines of material for the author of flc-
ton, as we'll as for every other business
and profession. BY it's swift and as
founding response magic button, press
ed, turns even the lamp of Aladdin TO
the pale glimmer of the talloW dip.
Looking backward over the marvels
of change, one wonders how those older
novelists achieved SO grandly and so en-
duringly with the meagcr material in
their possession. Yet the field Of hui
man nature was then wide open for
them to explore, even as 1t Is now. And
this field is after all. the true domain
of the writer of fiction. Love, along
with hate its next Of kin, furnishes the
foundation of every romance ever writ
ten. And these are the perduring stuff
of human nature 1t is merely their
mode of conveyance and delivery that
changes from period to period. The i'm
memorial triangle-Adam, Eve and Lii
ith-has endured from Eden TO the pres
cnt without weakening, only the outer
garment of its essential drama having
Il 70 1l1n mi,
adays, to be sure, all sorts Of mechani-
cal aids are able to turn the hero Of
romance into demi-god of spectacular
performance. Nowadays psychology and
near-psychology have opened the lnsides
Of the human to the uses OF the novelist.
as il has also aided in turning private
life out into the streets for general re-
view and inspection. Nowadays highly
speeded-up existence. with its first aid.
the new freedom, has given the cradle
over to the story teller for many star
Ting discoveries and reports. But with
all this, and much more eXtraneous stun
besides, the basic substance OF romance
remains the same-the loves and hates
of the human animal, projected in more
or less Of consistency and plauSibility.
With the current novel so popular as to
overtop greatly all other forms Of writ
ing put together, with ready purveyors
to such demand embodied in an army
of eager young novelists, it seems hardly
worth while to reach back even 80 years
in an effort to revive novels whose
effect is sure to be Anticipated, out Of
touch with the peculiar errancieS and
WllimsicalitieS OF the common taste.
Few read Dickens. though many say
that they do. Fewer read Thackeray
And The Last Days OF Pompeii' stands
in general thinking as the sole monu-
ment to the genius OF BulWer-Lytton
Now and then publisher. Ike this
one. asp!res to revive interest IN these
writers. already Swallowed under the
name of classic" ''Zanoni' here be-
comes tangible part of such an EFFORT 10
waken interest in Bulwer-Lytton. as
other publications seek 10 bring Balzac,
Daudet and other men Of genius back
to life again.
b. a happy choice "Zanon!" moves
forward 10 take its place, not IN an
altogether strange world. By an in
spired choice of its moment OF reappear-
ance. this novel moves into the midst
OF a deeply agitated Concern-into the
midst of a widespread interest IN q
host OF matters lying just outside the
domain OF actual demonstration-out-
side the boundaries Of material calcu-
lation. The deep meaning OF HE 10 the
individual offers a problem that never
loses its grip upon the one who has
learned 10 think at all. What Is lis
plan? What is the goal? What IS my
part in the general scheme? What are
the waymarks 10 guide me? what
beyond? Questions. something Ike
these. underlie all PHILOSOPHERS. all re-
liglons. Attempts TO answer these pro-
duce all the cults Of both reason and
imagination. all the schools OF both
science and magic. These are, IN sum-
the questions that source "Zanonl IN
realm of pure imagination. translatlne
il 10 earth and human interest by way
Of romantic invention. More than
likely. 'Zaaoni' is 10 degree protest
against the baSe maierialiSm that IS SO
repugnanr 10 Vii Of US Certainly 1t
does project two humans who have
taken on immortality. One OF these
embodies pure intellect, the other one
pure idealsm. Yet, so endowed, these
two assume the role OF common hu-
manity, loving and suffering as all men
do. Ii Is his love for woman. Viola.
that brings Zanoni the cares ana anS-
ieties of all humanity. Here IS NOR
tai being upon whom Zanoni must
shower the devotion that her human
state Graves and demands. EioQuent' ~
times grandloQuen,. the author himself
calls the story romance ana nos
romance, "a truth for those VINO can
comprehend II. an extravaganza IoC
those who cannot" Something beyond
the senSes-to this all agree. There
,lpon few follow its beauty out OF
which they seek 10 find its meaning.
The maiority however. pass by on the
other side. Quite apart from the story
itself. here is an opportunity, unSuF-
passed. TO seize the outstanding d!Eer-
ence In manner. in mode OF projection,
between Bulwer-Lytton and the oeilise
Of realistic novels under which readers
strive. vainly, 10 come up for air
THE STORY OF GEOLOGY. Allan
L. Benson. Cosmopolitan BOOK cor
poration.
A splendid example OF what recrea-
t,on diversion. amusement may prove
70 be, Here Is a man whose life study
has been politics. whose business Is po-
l,,teal writings. But every one mas 10
nlay now and then. When MIR. Benson
nrned 10 playtime ne filled II with the
game Of chasing up the story OF ua's
round earth upon which We i've, no
e.pic Of classic times. no saga q! the
North. no wonder tale OF the pure III
ventor OF tales and spinner OF yarns
could approach the thral OF THIS SUI
nendons record Of the making OF an
Earth suited III all ways 10 oc the nome