Evening star., 1933-06-25
THE JOURNAL OF ARNOLD BENNETT.
1896 1923. New YORK: The Viking Press.


ROM 1896 until shortly before his death
in London, March II, 1881, Arnold Ben
nett kept journals in which he set down
irregularly sometimes daily, sometimes
with long intervals, record OF events
seeming to him important, observations
on the life of Paris and London Of which he
wa; q part and comments on friends and ac-
ouaintances as we'll as on himself and his occu-
aations The factual content Of the Journal.
now published for the first time as single
volume after the appearance OF three-vofume
edition, is intensely interesting, as 1t naturally
would be, considering the rich and varied lie
of Arnold Bennett; but even more interesting
is the revelation of personality IN the entries
of the 80 years Whether the revelations are
unconscious or conscious, whether Arnold Ben
nett had publication in mind t-om the start,
it is not possible to determine. but the auto
biographical record is there. however It may be
interpreted. 1t shows man of undistinguished
background making his way by his own un-
aided efforts, consciously struggling for culture
a hard worker. self critic. versatile IN his in
terests, which included wide reading and the
practice as well as the appreciation of music
and painting fond of outdoor exercise. sus-
ceptible to feminine attraction decidedly neu-
rotic yet nearly always controlling his nerves at
the demand of bis work. One nervous mani
festation was his stammering, for which he
took various cures.
The Journal begins at the time when he be-
came sub-editor of the paper Woman. post
which he did not keenly enjoy. He notes some
amusing errors, such are inevitable when
a man edits woman's paper" In 1898. partly
through the influence of Eden Philpotts he
decided to turn to fiction as his main form of
writing In 1900 he gave up his editorial work
on Woman and went to live with his father
and mother at HocklifYe. For nearly two years
1901 -O3 during which he lived in Paris there
is a gap in the Journal then It resumes, in
Paris where he was deliberately trying to ac-
quire, through study of the French language.
literature and life. broader culture. But his
writing was his first daily concern and his
output was large-novels, stories, essays, mag
azine articles At the end of each year an
entry in the Journal records the years ac-
comphshments, in number of books and artl-
cles, number of words and earnings. Salts
faction is expressed at the rapidly increasing
earnings but there are frequent protests that
money is not all-important.
Three women contributed to and complicated
the life of Arnold Bennett sufficiently to be
mentioned Importantly in the Journal For
brief period June to August, 1906, he was en-
gagged to marry Eleanora Green, American girl,
sister of Julian Green, the novelist. After the
end Of this engagement the diary ceased for
nearly year and resumed soon after his mar
riage to Marguerite Soulie at Paris, July A.
1907. For some years there are frequent ref
erences in the Journal to Marguerite, their
homes together in Paris fats, at Fontainebleau,
in London, and at their English country home
at Comarques, Thorpe-le- -Soken; their walks,
bicycling shopping, theaters and journeys to-
gether. Then, November %, 1921, there is
the entry: "On this day the two parts of the
deed Of separation between my wife and my
self were formally exchanged by our solicitors
and the matter is complete" Later entries
show his annoyance at the publication of ma
terial about him by his wife. Her book, MY
Arnold Bennett gives more detailed account
OF the separation and from a different point
80 frc fhu
Cheston at a party in March. 1921 footnote
explains their later connection: Although he
unable to get his freedom in order to
marry her, their relationship was generally and
openly accepted, and their domestic and social
life differed in no respect from what it would
have done had legal ceremony been possible.
In 1925 she became the mother of his daugh-
ter Virginia Mary, before whose birth she
had changed her name by deed-poll to Dorothy
Bennett. She was alone with him when he
died. and through his last illness" To her he
left his journals and she has arranged their
publication in England and America. Though
Arnold Bcnnetts literary reputation is and will
be based on his best novels-"The Old Wives
Tale" "Riceyman Steps," "Clayhanger," Lord
Raingo" and Imperial Palace"-the Journal
ranks high among autobiographies.
THE STORY OF THE BORGIAS. BY l..
Collision Morley New York: E. P. Dutton &
Co.
THE Borgias were many other things than
] pc oners and nepotists. Modern historians
have some time been trying. not to white
wash lem. but to call the attention of the
reading public to the fact that they played an
important part in the history Of fifteenth and
sixteenth century Italy and were, in their crimes
a. well in their non-criminal actvities
entirely characteristic of their period. But the
reading public. fond of detective and mystery
stories. has steadfastly preferred to hear about
the simcny and the children of Pope Aexan-
der vi, ths sensuality and murders of Cesare
Borgia and tie methods of poisoning used by
Lucreza (was arsenic her favorite?) rather
than the aSSi2umept of the New World %