Evening star., 1932-10-23

Mr.. Ecnet's book comes nearest to being just
"a novel in verse" The artist author seems
more nearly fact-bound in his story telling as
he sketches the events which lead to his mar
ria9e. Somehow, there is not quite the depth
Of sympathy enkindled here that marked the
lines to Sheila, nor which is an attribute o. the
third phase to Barry" the son.
In Ba-1y, Mr.. Benet rears challenge to his
skill and it is dare he meets Painting ever
forward end directly in the lines of verse the
writer, who is poet carries his reader breath
lessly through the awful revelation that stuns
to the death the hopes of the boy Barry in the
love he bears his own half-sister And fittingly
it is the sea- whose waves advanced their ser
rie5 foam-crested turbulence in assault on the
shore which Mr.. Benet permits to write the
finish to his work, just as that same sea had
Hung ON its sands the fates OF Sheila and Cor
don, and, finally, Barry and his love Here
again is not mere verse, but true poetry
STORMBURY. By Eden Phinpotts author of
'RedcliT.' etc. New York: The Macmillan
A STORY of Devon. Another record OF
West England, of that stretch of Cornwall
taoering of to Lands End meeting the At
lantlc Not story at all. not as such inven-
tions run. Rather, bodily lifting up of people
and place and circumstance before the ewes and
mind OF the reader. corner of England is
the Settlng. therefore, people and circum-
stance are OF English pattern of country cut
besides. One Of the indirect values of the Eden
Phllpotts finely exact portraiture is that it
introduces readers anew to their own environ
ment. Makes them see it in truer vision earlier
scenes In particular such as are now static
and can be gathered up in rounded units of
"reminiscences and revival
Reading here of this character and that one
we come upon the friendly doctor, the tireless
NEWSPAPER. the constant visitor the curious
and meddling neighbor, the social uplifter the
culture fan. These, our own samples of the
Devon breed In place Of the true ones in place
OF the spinster who carries body balm to the
stricken by way of herbs, of the old rag man
with his song and call, of the masterful woman
who holds her household in meek submission
ana OF the host OF others that come and 20
through the fields and lanes of Stormbury The
general tone OF this moving picture is that of
smiling good nature. Right, too, for, taken by
and large, that Is the way of the world Clouds
are noticed and talked about while sunlight is
met without comment Yet there is much less
of the former than Of the latter So it is here
The days are pleasant ones with friendly in
tercourse and only smiling acceptance of small
annoyances or frank amusement over queer
traits and behaviors. There is in "Stormbury"
as in all of Mr.. Phillpotts stories of the coun-
tryside Of Cornwall and Devon a clear lyric
quality whose source is the authors deep sense
OF the beauty OF that region and his equally
deep love for 1t. These two prepossessions
and sound and feeling, give out to us in hfelike
charm both the place and the people And it
enables US. as well, to envisage more vividIy
and IN better artistry certain half-forgotten
corners of our own beginnings here or there
THE THREE ROSES. BY Vicente Blasco
Ibanez, author of The Four Horsemen of
the Apocalypse" etc. Translated from the
Spanish by Stuart Edgar Grummon New
York: E. P. Dutton & Co.
A SHADE exotic in effect, even though Spain
y is, nowadays, only just across the vay.
Such aroma, however, does not hurt the story
nor does it, one assumes, hurt the feelings Of
Its author in respect to it,
A modern story, sourced in a worldwide
commonplace of the hour The loss of family
riches and its incident frenzy either to make
good the loss or to carry on as if there had
been none. Comic moments and tragic hours
lie within the theme. Both are here pitched to
the high key Of the native temperament THE
Ihree Roses" shop store in old Valencia,
had been the source of the family wealth, was
still the hope Of its recovery. Dona Manuela
wife OF its owner and not so long afterwar6
MS widow. provides much Of the action and
practically all of the entertainment of Senior
Ibanez' novel, Selfish, designing and arrogant
all In her own average way Dona Manuela
ruins her husband, kills him, in effect No
great achievement, that, after all. And there
are second husbands for enterprisng widows
So this active lady is not long left to her
iorn self. However, romance at either first or
second hand is not paramount in this adven-
ture. The prime interest centers around "The
Three Roses" under the management of Dena
Manuela and her son. Juanito To conceal the
degradation of being in trade" and at the same
to make trade yield the wherewithal to meet
extravagant demands of the family, this dou-
BILE design steers the action through scenes of
amusing snobbery and social over-reaching.
The situation is familiar one the world over.
To it this author applies the picturesque power
of his story telling; his good hold ON human
values big and little; his keen sense of person.
aity in all of its dimensions; his practice Of