Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-07
REVIEWS OF SPRING BOOKS.
Emil Ludwig Writes Of the Mediterranean ShoresA Sur
passing Sermon lin The Great Galean'-A
Number of New Novels

tainment Of it. We leave them, in |
perfectly believable agreement with
everything that has happened, even to
that last moment when new man
says--and when Nora responds, Il shall
be delighted"
A GREAT MAN. BY Walter Vogdes.
5 New York: Longmans, Green g. Co.
A VIGOROUS, well built, believable
: story of American life. It goes back
to the gold rush of '49 for the change
and excitement of its action and to the
Far West for proper setting to its color
full drama. The basic purpose Of the
romance Is to create and project man.
youth, who embodies the qualities of
energy and productivity in which the
time and the place are themselves so
surprisingly rich. David Frazer stands
as such mbodiment--young ambitious,
far-seeing, a dynamo Of physical and
mental energy, honest and upstand-
ing. The interests Of the community
are his interests, the future Of the
country within reach Of his desires Is
his future. No, this is not hero, not
hero of romance certainly. Yet his
career does, within plausible efforts and
achievements, take on decided meas
ure of the heroic. This Is a markedly
unpretentious writer. He demands no
more from his characters and situations
than they can yield believably. Yet
there is straight course here and
a strict way with words, that, together,
deliver really great man" to readers,
in a certain connotation Of that naming
the great man."
Besides David in his friend barley, the
doctor and a most interesting man. Be-
side them both is Emily, who loves them
both. Upon this fact the romance makes
its way-that is, the love romance makes
its way. The romance Of q young part
of the country opening out to settle
ment and the production Of wealth
through industry and discovery moves
in large and significant measures
around this central theme Of man and
woman love. A transparent story. And
! mean by this that the words are
crystals revealing action and character
and personality without. seemingly, any
such intermediary as speech.
y y r
THE LAST OF THE CALIFORNIA
RANGERS. BY Bill Cossley- Bait.
New York: Funk & Wagnalls Co.
THIS is the story of Capt. william J.
= Howard-a prominent figure In the
earlier days Of California and the last
Of the rangers" of that region. When
the life Of man and the life Of region
run along together in mutual illumina-
ton. then both contribute of their best
to the history Of any section. And so
1t appears to have been here. Capt.
Howard embodies and exemplifies much
of the essential interest and activity Of
the California of his day. Here are in
cidents and necdotes-hundreds Of
them-which come together in this
two-fold portrayal and Interpretation.
Drawn from the South by the gold rush.
the journey of Howard provides an
adventurous odyssey from that region
to the Pacific Coast Here is life, the
mining camps. Here is intercourse with
the Indians, friendly or hostile, as cir
cumstance and hot blood decree. Here
are bad men, thieves. bandits and their
relations in the robber tribe. In the
. course of the personal story other
notable figures come and go-Sam
Houston. Gen. Grant, and many an
other. Adventure. danger and daring
season this record of one Of the brave
and picturesque characters who helped
to make the story of early California
one of the most dramatic and roman
tic chapters In the entire history of the
continent itself. But, this book will
not be read as history. It will be read
by young, and not so young, in the
very ardors Of its own events. It will
stand as one of the legitimate "thrillers"
Of current literature.
** ~
THE WHITE CAMELLIA. BY Francis
D. ericsson, author of 1.-THE Smiling
Death" etc. New York: Edward
j. Clode.
lust another mystery story wherein
crime plays losing game with the
law. 1t Is likely that some time
story also drawn from life, as these
current murder tales may have been
drawn, will make clear that a great
number Of crimes play winning game
with the law. No. that would hardly
do. Well have to stick to the accepted
formula, in the interest of public
morals. This story is that of mys-
terious band, its emblem Of union and
activity the white camellia. This band
itself is Of good intent, though unoffi-
I cial in its nature and performance
not unlike the K. K. K. However, a
traitor acting under its insignia MUIR
ders man and in the haste of escape
leaves the white blossom of the order
bCAlAlA A1Akls LIS lS Lie CkuC Will
which the already familiar Prof. Wells
and Inspector Sims follow through a
maze of adventures that are calculated
| to keep readers wide awake as they fol-
low hotfoot upon the sudden turnings
| of these two fine sleuths One thing may
be said for some of these mystery
| writer's. They do create fine line of
detectives. Running too much alike,
! maybe But some day a new turn will be
given to these that win add much to
their powers of insight and to their APP
peal to readers as well. We are inclined
to be lenient and uncritical toward
these mystery mongers, and they are
getting lazy under our indulgence. Read
ers are beginning to feel that they'd like
new turn, not so much to the sin
committed, but as to. the measures set
for its punishment. The most generally
beguiling of all stories, the story Of
crime fosters laziness on the part of its
authors. Nevertheless, this Is q good
story, In the somewhat stereotyped line