Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-24

of us. Such is the book. The hoax itself Is
but an incident. The approach to it and its
sequence as well are made up of this simple
association of the man and the birds. It is
the writing manner Of Italo Svevo that engages
one here. It is his way with words, out of
which amiable satireS grow on the subject of
our common behaviors, of our usual utilities.
1t Is the Svevo irony-smooth, polished, Smil-
ingly bright-aS he looks out and across on
the common attitudes and artificialities of
life. most interesting man, whose Con
LESSONS of Zeno" still wait the reader. But
nothing else. For a year ago Italo Svevo met
death in q motor accident. He is the man in
whom James Joyce saw so much of genius,
encouragement for readers and followers out
side his own country.
APPLES BE RIPE. By Llewelyn Powys, author
OF Black Laughter" etc. New York Har-
court, Brace & Co.
THE title implies orchards, gardens, fields
It suggests Adams and Ewes. And it is
all OF these and more. The orchards are those
of the English countryside, through which the
hero of this tale wanders, looking, mayhap, for
the tree OF knowledge. Hardly that, exactly.
Nearer to his purpose lies the fact that he
has turned his back on things set and re-
spectacle and duly rotted. He is for the open
road and country ways. For food he'll work
In the fields, now and then. For shelter, he'll
choose the canopied comfort of a wayside
hedge For rising bell it shall be the song Of
the early bird. For the aromatic Whit Of
the morning draught, it shall be the scent of
blooming things, the cold trickle of the hasten
Ing stream. In such mood and under such
intent Chris Holbech seeks out one or another
OF the immemorial Edens Of the stretching
miles OF countryside. He finds them, the Edens.
He finds them the Ewes. He flnds the trees
and the apples and the whole bag Of tricks
going along with the business Of being young
and gay and luSty, Of having the wide world
before him, world wherein regrets and re-
morSes and bitter Savors do not exist--since he
has not yet reached them, since they are so
OUT OF sight In some uncounted future. A
lusty story of freedom and youth A free
and open story of the beauty Of nature-sun
and RAIN stars and mist, darkness and dawn,
OF chattering streams and muted pools. OF the
girl, the girls. All young together in the best
Of all possible worlds. touch of the pagan,
more than touch OF the poet. So, this novel
turns out to be as much song as story. This
man axes words up fine. They sing and carol
and soar and dip and ny far away into the skies
OF pure poetry and happy life.
THE MAN OF GOD. BY Count Edouard Won
Keyserling, author of Tides" ETC. New
York; The Macaulay Co.
NOVELIST, well as scholar and philoso-
pher Count Keyserling points the present
man. An unusual choice to be sure and yet
OF all men the clergyman is most deeply verSed
IN human nature. So reasoning, no doubt
the Count enlists this handsome and competent
friend of all the world to serve as hero of a
tale. A most interesting aspect of the situation
comes into the open. In his duties of looking
after the people of his parish the pastor meets
matter that clearly calls for his intervention,
calls for this In the interest Of the community
itself. And, so. distasteful as the duty Is, the
clergyman faces the agents of the incipient
wrong. His adverSary-a man, and a brilliant
one, in command of Intellectual forces mot In
any measure inferior to those Of the cleric
himself-enters upon a full and elaborate dis
cussion Of the matter from every angle Of
its facts and its possibilities Machiavelian
In spirit and design this brilliant nobeman
guides the discussion along such lines as to
serve the youthful pastor as q mirror Of his
own secret thoughts in respect to the matter,
a reflection of his seh-interest, his own
potential errancy. Now Count Keyserling is q
psychologist of subtle powers. The two per-
sous-two or more personS-that everybody Is
are perfectly known to him. The paradox of
the individual human is in his pocket, so to
speak. So. just possibly, 1t is not quite fair to
bring such recognized power to play upon the
particular hero Of the tale chosen by him.
Like hitting below the belt, as it were Never
theless, here Is q masters picture Of man. any
man. torn among his many selves As SUCH the
story, or analysts, Is worth any ones reading