Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-14
IDA. GILBERT MYERS.

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Borzi Pocket Edition.
Jour of the Arthur Machen stories.
= Unlike as they are these. neverthe-
less, unite In aid and support OF that
which is, clearly, Machen proposes
sion. Along separate lines. all OF them
converge In essence, upon two worlds,
not merely lying side by side, but over
tapping, interfering with each other, i'm.
posing secret conditions, exacting
strange compliances, now and then pro-
ducing partnerships quite monstrous in
their effects. One of these Is the COM
monplace world that we consciously in
habit. The other is the unseen world
that Is so potently realized at some
flashing instant of human insight. There
Is danger In the combination, danger in
the contact between the conscious hui
man and the dynamic forces Of the ma
terial world.
In the main, the world plods along,
busy with thousand trivial things that
bear upon eating and drinking. going to
bed and getting up again. with no hint
OF the terrific powers surrounding it.
The first story of the book is of this
order. A dull story given over, In the
main, to the buying of kitchen range,
with long discussions week in and week
bAt va SAAC pa bACuAah AtUhC W W NA4OoClB
finally. There are other interests, q
few, but all of them trivial and dull
save now and then when, for fash,
the man of the house is transported to
some other where. to some wondroliS
other where. upon which in sensitive ex-
pectation he waitS-but. the moment
flies, as women do, and he returns TO
the business of choosing a new stove.
At the very last, the door OF this story
opens, just little, but it Is in indecisiye
and unrevealing motion. The other
three stories are frankly terrible-and
all because the human, tormented with
his half-sights and his distorted visions.
attempts to force some wild dream of
his own into reality by an audacious
approach to the monStrous material
world OF whose nature, of whose powers,
he has no knowledge. Terrible stories,
these. Pure inventions that are, never
theless. based on a conceivable possibil-
ity. Sourced in the power of strong
and independent thought these tales are
worked out daringly along lines of pos
tulated progression that lead nowhere
except to CONSERVATION and terror. The
first of these tales Is as realistic as our
own humdrum dayS--s3ve for its flashes,
its few flashes of insight. The other
three are fantastic inventions of an
independent thinker and a writer Of
force and communicability.
About 400 years ago one Aldus, Vene-
tan. began the business of producing
cheap pocket editions Of the classics for
everybodys reading. That pursuit has
been going on ever since, with the
usual viciSsitudes that beSet every great
and useful enterprise. But. by and
large, publishers ever since the good
example of ,Aldus have been trying to
put out cheap and good. editions of the
best IN writing. Now cheap" and
good" do not as a rule show any de-
cided affinity for each other. Here is a
case where they clearly do come to-
gether. THE Borzoi Pocket Book" as
the bookmaker's job is a fine piece OF
merchandise. Substantial in its mate
rial and in its putting together, paper
and type excellent, covers s..-.ctiVe and
durable, decorations quite out of the
ordinary-the whole is directly calcu-
lated to be OF educative value in the
matter Of better appreciation of books
as both substantial and artistic. Such
purpose really rounds out the original
plan OF putting out popular editions of
the classics. For here and now these
classics are coming to be properly
housed through the art Of book-making
itself.
X \ X
THE BISHOP MURDER CASE. BY
S. S. Van Dine, author of 1.-The
Greene Murder Case" etc. New
York: Charles Scribner's Sons.
THEY say that the real triumph of
success is to know when to stop.
The Bishop Murder Case" looks like a
good place. for Van Dine, to wind up
tho SoFioc Nf Al
have risen steadily to this latest top
notch Of mystery invention in partner
ship with the gift of good storytelling
Still, there is another murder case" a.
brewing. He must know what he can
do and probably We would better mind
our own affairs. But, this latest ad-
venture in crime lifts amazingly, even
above the other high levels set by Van
Dine. The matter develops with a
group of scientists, mathematicians
absorbed in speculations of such scope
as to give striking emphasis to the I'M
of human life, to the insig
nificance of the earth itself in relation
to the vast spaces of their daily concern.
All earthly sense of proportion is lost
in the contemplation of infinity. Con-
sistent with psychology, it is certain
that prolonged mental strain of this
.
childish recreations on the one hand
and. with certain natures in acts of
cruelty on the other. Such Is the very
bare basis of the latest Van Dine
murder story. Upon this is erected an
orgy of murder, suicide. abduction and
even to death, such as no
book, save this one, could have the face
to offer to even the most confirmed
addict of the mystery yarn. A little
group of scientists and professors, quiet
men of sedate habits, push this grizzly
matter forward, to the bewilderment OF
even Philo Vance, incompatible detec-
tive and most engaging man. Pure
fantasy flashes in and out here, while
absolutely fantastic doings throw the
screen of improbable and impossible
actions around what actually were true
clues. Long psychological discussions
come In here at the invitation Of Vance
in his efforts to clear up the monstrous
situation. And as the situation narrows
1t is this practical knowledge of the ,
workings of the mind that leads Philo
Vance to dive down into the simple
basic needs of even the most highly
developed brain for the motives under
lying these monstrous crimes. Actual
Imagination, drama, COM
mand of words in both their structural
and artistic uSeS-theSe all come To-
yether to serve this mystery master IN
mis- most ambitious undertaking SO far:
and in what, believe, will be counted
The BEST story of crime that has been
written by any writer anywhere. a
wide assertion-but try it out Tor
yourself.
THE ROMANCE OF THE MERIT
SYSTEM: Forty-f1ve Years Remi-
niscences Of the Civil Service. BY
Matthew r. Halloran.
THE author of this book, Matthew
Halloran, has been Of the Civil
Service Commission for As years, or
;ince the organization of that body. He
Is, therefore, so in touch with the
purposes and activities and effects OF
he Civil Service project as to De
counted first authority upon the SUB
ect. And here set down In orderly |
manner lie the history nf this important |