Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-23
Y IDA 6IRRI- MYERZ
Vieki Baum Reproduees Her Great First
Novel TN Mayfin s Snmmer" III Book
on Italy, and Others.
II Book
'artin s Summer

nd others.
MAcKEREL SKY BY Helen Ashton, author Of
Doctor GeF0o0ld," etc. NeW York: Double-
dag, DoEan q Co.
A MOvEI. Easat suggests q familiar formula
N 81 the earlier shopman. Eyes sir, q fun
yard wide: warranted neither 70 shrink nor
fade smooth, nEm fabric 81 invention
carrying the lead Of Hatrimony IN It's latest
aspects and behaNiorE. That "mackeTe1 sly"
with its promise Of changing weather ND New
England way, becomes q hitting title 70 the
story Is Immediately apparent.
And this ID the way OF It. The young
husband was an author. Trying to be that by
way Of q novel over which he worked ct home
Some one, however, must provide the where
~itha1 Of food and rent and clothes. So the
wife, competent aE1d somewhat trained, went
into Ntzae shop az her own. Unusual, bat leAs
unusual than 1t was few years ego. trying
situation ut innumerabIe points Of friction
incident to the scheme itself. The slight irrita-
tions grew and piled APP till something Of .
steady strain set in. Then the novel to0k the
pnblie. The man was success. The household
was about to take on the traditional pattern
with q new baby. man heading the house and
. mOtkeT living mp to that role. A jar again,
that new adjustment, even though Il SRas In
the desired direction Of home and rs estahlished
comforts and hm0Eatle standing Thcn the
man grew a little spoiled over his literary
success. Anybody would certainty man would.
. cub-hunter Of eociety-and, well. You can see
that tlaings we're getting into . bad sad way
indeed.
no real cause for anxiety, for TINS writer b
ngt going 20 hAwe any of the modern twists to
the game Of her own inyenttng. An intelligent
woman q good story teller. not afraid 81 the
happy ending" 80 much despised nowadays
rs sentimental sop. And 90 the interesting
everyday TODD moves out under the tuition Of
good sense and fair deceney into that which
promises to be q peaceful spread Of domestic
sky, wiped clean Of it's erstwhile 'imaclkerel'
menacing
MARTINS SUMMER. by vAcki Baum, author
of Grand Hotel" Translated by Basil
Creighton. New York: OosmOpolitan Book
Corporation.
IN the sex ME Of animals IT is the female who
does the pursuing. The initial business of tine
male being that Of personal beantify1ng- bright
col0rs, fne covering, reckoning crests and
stripes and either whatnet Of se6uetAon. And,
indeed, 30 Il k with the human animal, despite
the kong Rnd sacrosanct tradition 10 the con-
MAxy. BY o thousand unconscious arts, ell
pRo3ected IN the name Of At16denee, modesty,
naAAenly seemliness. II s the female herseaf
who initiates the idea Of pursuit. At bottom
this is the theme Of ~AAartins Summer" A lone
man. ef 4Ad0nis pattern, surrounded In a turmei1
Of solicitation from o host Of avid and anxious
mate=hunters of the woman tribe. However,
vich Baum In marked measure supplants this
basic element Of romance. Enanored with the
striking popular vogue of Grand Hotel" the
author appears unable TO resist doing It an
right over again. So I'm effect Martin himself
becomes the shelter for . Heterogeneous mob Of
females, becomes the roOfage Of the Grand" %
to speak And Miss Baum again practices her
undeniably good art Of working certain unity
of effect from the ragbag Of personality. char
acter, incident and implication that carried
the Hotel" on in a blanc Of original invention.
These eaamoring females each q budget Of spe-
cial idiosyncrasy, and all together resistant to
harmony Of feeling and Neizavi0r-these, Just
in the Hotel" step out harmoniously and en-
gagiEgly into the readers acceptance
JUst o Summer TODD. Martin a swimming
master. The women obsessed for the season
with natat0rial urgencies of ambition and quest.
flicker of romance dazzles Martin for q minute
now and then. But men are hard-shelled,
especially swimming men. They have to be.
The matter Of interest is that Miss Baum has
reproduced her FIRST novel, that original and
catching rseea 81 something new IN literary
Invention. In ahe second book, Martins book.
that first sheen has diKnmed markedly. That
first Out-thrust Of fresh attack has settled 70 the
monotone of campaign. Martins Summer
bears rather more than hint Of the repetitions,
even Of the pAatitud1nous. vacation In between
would have revived the writer. would have made
a brand-new nesd - the reader.
THE THREE FISHERS BY Francis Deeping,
author Of pretty Sinister" etc. Boston:
Little, Brown q 90.
EBHKzES a. men, these -tkree." And again
! Francis Deeping b on On n worad-circIing
adventure AZ eEtme and Is pursuit. That spread
Of thin writlng man Is. in part, explanation Of
his ready acceptance by readers. One wants