Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-11


Illustrations by Witold Gordon. The Kublai
Khan edition. Book No. 257. New York:
Horace Liveright.
TT IS TRUE, patiently true, that legible
print is the prime essential of book.
N Yet how close to untruth this becomes
when face-to-face with volume upon
which has been exercised the spell OF
beauty, of art in its conception and projection
Of sheer distinction in the alliance OF paper ana
nrint of pictures and other decorations, Oh
hulk and binding Here is q beautiful volume,
this Kublai Khan edition of Marco Polo's trav-
els An old story, bound to live forever, or so "
seems Bound to live by virtue OF its perennial
youth by the vital quality OF its adventures Dy
the vivid offering Of these to every passing
age as If they were living part OF every DAY
Of high endeavor-today, tomorrow thousand
years hence No doubt whatever about the life
tenure of Marco Polo. Therefore, this is man
30 expend time and art upon for his falr ad-
mission to the company of each generation as
Is comes along.
So Horace Liveright ordaining himself as
prime minister to the Oriental kingdom set up
By Marco Polo, through the combined agency
Of fact and fantasy, and the high art OF story
telling, has reset the great adventure In sur
roundines that are measurable by their charm
and Importance. Special printing and decora-
lions and binding unite in artful partnership
here Manuel Komroh is assigned the work OF
giving historic value to the Polo adventure. rms
Introduction is, in itself, story Of distinction
Yt would be. An authentic and vivid over
looking of the Orient when Marco Pole passed
that way A dramatic pointing upon high Incl
dents of the adventurer's long lingering in the
East Geography, history, adventure, the power
d the Great Kahn the wars and politics OF that
day minor events packed In around high under
takines the ways Of separate provinces great
cities of that past, vast sovereignties won ana
lost-it is not possible to measure by any mere
naming the richness of this travel accounting
In the Far East by Marco Polo. Curiously eff
tectiHe is the art Of Wftold Gordon that SO fits
the motion and the motive, Of each incident OF
his picturing. Just q richness to own this
book richness wherein form and substance
have each, contributed In royal fashion.
"a
THE RING OF THE LAwENSKOLDS. BY
Selma Lagerlof, author Of "The Treasure"
ETC. New York: Doubleday, Doran and Com
pany. January choice Of the Literary
Guild.
CELMA LAGERLOF. the first woman to
receive the Nobel Literary Prize. the only
woman to sit in the Swedish Academy, here
gives to us THE Ring Of the Lowenskolds,"
tri1ogy that here includes 1.-THE Generals Ring"
rChArlotte Lowenskold," "Anna Svard" There
was, you recall, the early theft OF the generals
ring, the trial and the curse of the peasant girl
over the punishment of her lover. That the
first book. The second one tells the story of
Charlotte Lowenskold upon whom the curse fell
IA the person of her cOuSin-Weak, unstable,
Luckily for the girl, fine one by the way, the
curse passed from her immediate head when the
youth rushed from her one day swearing he
would marry the first girl who crossed his path.
He did, in effect, do this, though two happy
turns in the road gave him close call In either
ease from a lamentable marital mishap. He
did come, face to face with peasant girl ped
ding homely wares along the road The third
book is the story of this dauntleSs young woman
In the role of wife to the sentimental weak
and hall azad min A
Of the effects Of superstitious fears curses pass
ing from generation to generation, whereby q
great house may come to defeat and ruination
through the urgency Of such influences. Clear
hs crystal clearer in fact, Is this writing. As If,
IN impression. there were nothing at all between
the events and the reader, no intermediary of
obScuring words. Something as IL the keen, clear,
white light of the Northland, defining each
object in its perfect actually, had produced the
quality Of Selma Lagerlof's literature. Big work
and deeply vital work, around the roots of this
authors birth and nationality and up-bringing.
THE MASTER OF THE voIDs. BY Walter
Maxwell, author Of 'Wayside Verse;" etc.
Washington, D. G. 1880.
"A SLIP Of book. A short poem-52 quatrain
stanzas Of alternate rhymes that step out
20 four-beat measure. Iambic tetrameter, If
you insist. common verse pattern serving
many q poetic mood and need-Spring in its
burgeoning, Summer in It's ripening, love and
bnch other whatnots.
Here, however, momentous thing is re-
Quired Of this simple verse mechanism. Not
ms7aly required, but secured as well In some
thing like a marvel Of poetic verify, in some
thing like amazement of scientific theory.
Nothing less than the creation of the world,
3 new story of how things came to be. Gre
Ation" is not the word, since this one has taken
On meanings that do not, strictly, belong to It,
&c Is rather an account Of the becoming Of
ehe universe to its present appearance and sig
hifcance.
Let me give you q word of warning II YOU