Evening star., 1932-01-31

spaces in the bewiderng profusion and
confusion Of current publications. More
eye range, elbow room and toot Teeooh
through the maze are public need. These the
leagues and guilds seek to provide, for the
average man is quite lost in todays stupendous
landslide Of literature.
In plain pursuit of a frst-aid intent, these
have organized into working bodies OF readers
critics Judges advisers to a needy world OF
readers Fiction science, history, business
indeed the whole whatnot Of general interest,"
has become the field which they CLEAN, Seou-
lousy in a distinct measure Of common we'll
doing. A case in point
LIFE AND ANDREW OTWAY. BY Neil Bell,
author of Precious Porcelain New 1ofk:
G. P. Putnams Sons.
III IFE AND ANDREW OTWAY" is the FED
l. ruary choice in fiction of the Book League
of America A robust novel, a lusty thing step
ping out from this particular and slgnlflcant
hour of time to enlbody it, to project 1t. An
drew Otway the man, is life. He is, in striking
effect today declaring itself in the voice and
attitude and behavior Of Andrew OtWay.
man of tremendous activity, Of huge proJects' OF
many beginnings and as many abandoned
schemes. A great talker, giant oil Iouo
laughter of gorgeous promises, OF infinite self
confidence Pockets empty. Credit, none. Pub
lie esteem scanty in his direction. One around
whom smiles of ridicule were likely to gather.
just big bundle OF bOmDaSt SO I!fe sfiiaA-
towners roundabout sized him.
Yet oddly enough, Otway was always catch
ing at something that worker for while and
then fell fiat Another something came the
way of this That, too, promised great
things and then, in no very long time went
back on its pledges. And all the villagers
smiled knowingly. They knew how 1t would
he eyery time from the start. No one seemed
to notice that in these crazy adventurings there
was trend upward, Just little MT, haroly
noticeable Well, the long and short OF this Is
that in the course Of not too many years An
drew Otway became a man OF money ana
power, of big schemes and spectacular acheSe-
ments A product of the modern hour.
Finally came as it does come always. the Test
of man stuff that Andrew Otway was carry
ing around to meet life with. This, the Climax
of the matter and the wiping out OF AndreW
Otway by his own choice. Life was too Dig,
too much for him, too rigid, and regardless OF
the human element, so mercIessly Josted
around by it.
Innumerable stories identical with this one,
drawn straight out of this very minute OF Time,
so glamorous so inviting, promising, so SELL
destructive in effect thousand true stories
could slip into the heart and soul and body
of this Andrew Otway drama And 1t would
fit them all.
However, this is no allegory or other double
faced matter 1t is instead warm ana human
and absorbing reality.
A little bow tells the story No, it is not
"telling a story" at all. The boy and the man
live together And the boy, talkative and clear
se,ing and straight thinking, as children are,
simply lives Andrew Otway into these pages as
the man was AS he felt and thought, and
dreamed and built and tore down on through
the years Now come on, son, get some paper
and pencil. We'll figure up the first profits on
this new business we're going to set up" La
boriously would they figure and scratch out and
revise always toward big things" See, boyo,
greet Schemei" And "boyO' would agree.
Within the first page you will be sold to any
and all of Andrew Otway's f1gurings on flnanc-
ing the universe as it seemed to be before the
end. Sold to them because of Andrew OtWay
himself, and the "boyo' going along In an
adoring agreement with the big man
1t Is the quality of the work, as work that
has created Andrew Otway and the lad beside
him. Created them and delivered them to the
heart of the reader by way of sincerity of IN
sight and search, by way Of an artistry That
withholds as often as it gives by way OF that
disputed power called genius" great and
beautiful story. Just one man and life. Rather,
one man in life But, you see, that is, IN effect,
all the story there is, really. And Nell Bell
has embodied aspect of it, one unit OF 1t,
in the spirit of deep comprehension in me-
dum of high power.
SYMPHONIC BROADCAsTS. BY Olin Downes.
New York: The Dial Press.
A HIGH point of enjoyment for hosts of
" people throughout the country for the
past year and more has come from the weekly
programs of the New York Philharmonic Sym
phony Orchestra, coupled with the work OF
Olin Downes in interpreting these programs.
Broadcast every Sunday over the Columbia net
work, the plan became opportunity, novel, rich,
and so intelligently sourced as to step of with
other inspired and inspirational projects. Only
a single point lacking. That, some device to
give measure Of permanency to this passing
thing some way of holding it in mind for study
and thought and many resaVorings.
And here at hand is that device, that way
A book by Olin Downes himself wherein are set
down those very interpretations that so 1llu-
minated the work of the orchestra to listeners
far and near The radio talks turned into print
AL1z xish that the hook Afford