Evening star., 1932-03-15

cause they realize in the bottom Of their
hearts that the people they are writing
about are rot worth writing about.
ITnloyeliness of mind and heart-yeS,
these have their place in life, but need
their nIace be in the novels We read
for mental and spiritual entertain
ment? The idea that entertainment
necessarily need be frivolous Is 1aSe
one which has been fostered by such
works Of fiction. The true entertain
ment gained from the perusal OF the
greatest novels Of all nations mas Dotn
mental and spiritual aspects OF great
value.
Those who write such genuinely help
fui and entertaining books mostly have
rather narrow viewpoints. one OF the
newer English novels, for instance
C'Magnolia Street"D takes a single Lon
don thoroughfare for its theme.
There is nothing smart-alecky about
that. nothing sophisticated. nothing
which would make an instantaneous ap-
peal to the young intellectuals Oh
America or England.
An unknown American writer by the
name of Fielding Burke has shown
similarly fine insularity IN his first
novel, Call Home the Heart. Here
the reader finds the North Carolina
mountain country and its people treated
with a depth Of feeling and such COM
plete mastery that the thought comes
to him that the novel may nave peen
written by some already estapnsneo
writer using a nom de plume as test
One of the factors which makes tnls
particular story unusual Is that 1t sticks
so closely to its simple theme of loves
search for love. Such treatment has
become all too rare in American nctlon.
The English, 1t may be suggested. OF
recent years have shown more ma
ture ability in the handling OF Their
fictional themes. Out Of their books
the reader is more likely to emerge
with a sense of having met real people
This must be due, at least in part, To
the happy fact that the members OF the
new London school Of authors, espe-
cially the younger men, have no doubt
they find it in the largest city in the
world.
Something Of the ages must creep
into their blood, into their minds, and
cause them TO be satisfied with the
people. the sights and sounds. the very
smells, which they find while wander
ing around the metropolis.
Finding them SUFFICIENT, as they are,
they do not feel at all impelled evil
IDENTIFY to make them super" anything;
they attempt to put them down on pa
per just as they see them, and in doing
so they satisfy themselves and the dis
corning reader
Not all readers Of fiction are dis
corning. There are stages in reading
novels as well as in reading poetry.
The Mother Goose" jingles Of child
hood days give way to the more mature
poetry Of later life. The fiction which
suffices for adolescents will not satisfy
grown men and women.
Such forward steps in reading are
known to all people who read for the
intense mental and emotional pleasure
which the reading of good books brings.
Satisfaction is necessary and essential.
The only book to be feared is what we
call the dull book, really the book which
does not satisfy mans inherent love
for honesty and truth and fidelity to
our greatest gifts-life and love-
To one reader at least the English
writer's OF recent years are far, far
ahead Of the American in these re-
spects. They accept life as it is, where
they find it. and thus show a healthy
narrowness Of view which enables them
to put their little world as II under q
magnifying glass for our edification.
They have resisted the modern ap-
ate a great show. They know that love
two people. but quiet giving, and they
write of that gift. Our writer's largely
should 60 abroad If they want to learn
how tn write