Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-18
THE LIBRARY TABLE
By the Bookl0rer

The Nobel prize for literature for 1928
was awarded to the Norwegian novelist.
Sigrid Undset. for her trilogy. "Kristin
Lavransdatter," story of thirteenth and
fourteenth century Norway. 1t was
translated into English in three parts
THE Bridal Wreath" The Mistress of
Husaby" and THE Cross" 1t Is novel
of social. not political, history, though
the political and military struggles OF
the period play some part Sigrid
Undset is the third Norwegian to re-
ceive the prize. The others are Born
stjerne Biornson $1,000 and Knut
Hamsun 1920. She is now writing
four-part novel. The Master OF Hest
vixen" two parts of which have already
been translated under the titles, The
Axe" and THE Snake Pit" Norway
of the fourteenth century is again the
setting. Sigrid Undset is the daughter
of one of Norways foremost archeolo-
gists. the late Dr. Ingvaid Undset. In
working and studying with her father,
she became saturated with the spirit
and knowledge of the dramatic period
of the Middle Ages. when Norway and
Denmark were engaged in continual
conflict.
In THE Axe" the central character
is Olav Audunsson, then a boy, who
later became master of Hestviken,
manor on the Oslo ford. con the south
side of the creek the rocks are rounded
off in the ford, much lower and less
steep: juniper bushes combed fiat by
the wind and thickets of briar grow in
the crevices of the rock. and here and
there are short stretches of dry turf.
But then the hill rises in sheer cliff,
dark gray and almost bare. facing
north: and underneath this crag, which
is called the Horse, lies the manor,
fairly high up and turned toward the
north. The manor farm OF
Hestviken was built so that the houses
stood in two rows, inclosing long and
narrow courtyard, in which the bare
rock cropped out everywhere like
ridge through the midst of it." In
The Axe" CLAWS skein of life becomes
tangled from the beginning. because of
the injustice of kinsmen, the weakness
of his betrothed maiden, Ingunn, and
his own crime. In The Snake Pit. :"
remorse causes the conviction in both
Olav and Ingunn that all their miSfor-
tunes are retribution for their sins. Re
morse and retribution are favorite
theme with Sigrid Undset. Olav has
become master of Hestviken. after too
long delay he has been married to In
gum, and to their neighbors their lot
seems fortunate andg enviable. But
their first child is born dead and both
secretly feel that their penance has be-
gun. When other children are either
born dead or live but a short time, deep
melancholy settles over all the inhabit-
ants Of Hestviken.
At the end of THE Snake Pit" Ingunn
has completed her penance and Olav,
having delayed for many years the con-
fesSion and expiration demanded by the
church and the law, is almost ready to
perform what will bring him peace, but
is held back by consideration for the
son of Ingunn, falsely acknowledged as
his own, and by the wish to continue
his race. Confession might bring the
death penalty or outlawry,@ or it might
be met with a light punishment be-
cause of the great excuse for his crime.
He has planned journey to the shrine
OF st. Olav at Nidaros. For now
now I have the courage to do
it. When come thither to the sanctu-
airy, I will confess my sin. OF my own
free will 1 shall put myself in Gods
hands, make amends for my offense
toward Him and toward the law and
justice of my countrymen
lis not certain either that the arch
bishop will demand that accuse myself
before the Kings judges. HAPPY he will
deem 1t enough that I confess my sin
before God. 1 have heard that men
nave been given dissolution for the
gravest of sins without being forced to
destroy all their kinsfolk's honor and
Welfare-they were made to do such
penance as pilgrimage to Jeru-
salem." So this volume ends, with
CLAWS decision still in the balance. The
Two volumes yet to be published will
continue the story of his life. They
are to be called I'm the Wilderness
and The Son Avenger."
X
Who's Who Among the Microbes. :"
oy william H. Park and Anna w. Will
liams. directors Of the Bureau of Labo-
ratories of the New York City Depart
ment Of Health. gives simple and scien-
tiflc information about most of the
microbes known in the annals of disease
the microbes are divided into families
and chapter is devoted to each family.
The habits of the different microbes, SO
OFTEN disastrous to man, are described
ana the various measures discovered by
science to tight them are enumerated
Inc authors are widely known as the
discoverers of the Park Williams diph-
liberia bacillus No. 8. DR.. Park has
been largely responsible for the practice
OF lmmunizing school children against
olptntheria and DR.. Williams has made
discoveries in connection with the
treatment of rabies and trachoma.
v
Or especial interest in connection with
the unquiet news which has been com
ing from China for many years now is
the book, The Far East" by Payson
j. Treat OF Stanford University. II is
political and diplomatic history, in
tenoeo both as text book and a work
OF reference. The history and develop
ment OF China and Japan previous to
1895 are outlined, with attention to
geography, commerce, education and
religions; then national and interna-
tlonal developments from 1895 to 1927
are analyzed. Many maps add to the
value of the book
X x
In "Cavender's House." Edwin Ar
hngton Robinson's recent narrative
poem, the story is extremely subtle, told
by suggestion, frequently obscure. Cav
ender. man of intellect and sensitive
feeling, has for some underlined reason
caused the death of his wife. Whether
ne has pushed her over the precipice
10 her death or has driven her to throw
herself over is not made clear. Years
later he is impelled by an Irresistible
| inner force to go back to the scene Of
ner death. The deserted house, in the
darkness and loneliness of night, seems
nlled with a threatening spirit. The
| nerves OF the man give way and he feels
that his dead wife is confronting him
| talking to him. The scene is tense and
fraught with tragedy.
X
Samuel Richardson, an eighteenth
century printer, amused himself in his
! spare time and added small increments
to his income by writing letters for