Evening star., 1933-07-30
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crude red in the gray picture" Then he went
to London and saw Geraldine Anstey. After
. very little of the red, disguised with the
excitement and the people of London, he
hastened, almost in panic back to the grays
and the solitude of the cottage. Sometimes
the reader Of a novel has grievance against
the author. This only happens when the
novel Is unusually real in characters and set
ting unusually powerful in style. Some readers
will have grievance against Gertrude, NC
Pherson. By her portrayal of Michael's lonely
cottage above the sea. the black projections
Of the headlands, the starlit and moonlit
nights, and her descriptions of the free and
peaceful life he led there, expressing himself
m his creative art, she makes isolationists Of
her readers. Then after allowing them to
look in on two families leading normal" but
not very enticing family lives, she indicates
that Michaels life not wholesome in its
avoidance of all the human cares and worries
and sorrows and leaves him about to shoulder
the load OF marriage, and not over-happy at
the prospect. However most readers will
slider the ending an inevitable one. And.
though Michael will accept the common lot
Of human responsibility, his spiritual isolation
VIII always endure, for the one woman who
could share his magic refused to share with
him the common lot and crowned him with q
final gift. "For now indeed there was some
thing he wanted desperately and could not
have 1t will be that this is a story
which itself has magic
ALL MEN ARE ENEMIES. romance. By
Richard Arlington. Garden City: Double
day, Doran g. Co.
D ICHARD AIDINGTON writes something Of
N q review of his own book in his authors
note" At least he tells reviewers and readers
how it should be interpreted if they wish to
enter into his intentions. It is the third in
>t>o.,A
Grafton Death of a Hero is the story Of .
man Of my own time who was killed in the
European War. The Coloners Daughter is
the story Of girl OF the same generation, who
in her way also suffered All Men Are
Enemies Is the story Of a man who survived
the war, and Of what he did with his life
afterwards" The last clause is rather mis-
leading for when the book ends We know to
date what Antony Clarendon has done about
his beliefs and emotions, but very little about
his tangible accomplishment. But here we
encounter Mr.. Adington's philosophy. . def
mite one. vigorously maintained Antony has
the modern romantic idealistic temperament"
II he had been realist (and Mr.. Aldngton
does not care for realists) he would have
settled down to a comfortable business career
and . get-along- somehow marriage with Mar
garet But Antony, like many of US. is an
ordinary fallbe human being struggling to-
ward what he believes to be a finer and
fuller life" The life Of his ideal Is hedon-
istic life. ut is the life Of the here and now.
the life Of the senses, the life of the deep
instructive forces" That 1ne should have some
aim outside self. some justification. is . doc
trine which exasperates Mr.. Arlington. To
him living is itself enough" and TO be alive
and conscious is itself an excellent and
miraculous experience"
Mr. Arlington has written a romance excel
lentiy Illustrating his philosophy, and also one
I--~l~ Ro- 11x,n and
beauty. Tte realist would say that the love
of Tony and Katha is too rhapsodic to last
long. but realists are the kill-joys of life. and
At least while it lasts they in Paradise.
Fortunately for her chances Of happiness,
Tonys wife Margaret is a despised realist, who
b - c0ldly modern Tony Is erotically
modern. When he tries honestly but with
difaculty to make her understand why he
cannot endure life with her and the people
of their social circle he fails of course. will
you understand me if say that the life
want Is sort of search for the vital realities,
for God if you like, and that for me God is
physical ultimately, not spiritual or social Or
national?" Margaret replies sneeringly: You
talking about Cod" And when the time comes
she releases him, or dismsses him cynically.
special divorce trousseau and is having the
most fashionable solicitor in London. Richard
Arlington writes with faith in his own ideal
Of the purely physical and courage in express
ing it through fiction. Readers will like hts
romance very much or dislike it intensely.