Evening star., 1934-02-18

IN . 0oCeDOOk. 1ne NINA On hd&flou, - ~ -
revealed In the famous last chapter. IS pages.
without punctuation, except the period at NE
end. Is . human sewer. or. to change the nsure.
. laboratory for the psychiatrist. Joyce Is said
to believe that he has In ulysses" written
everything he has to say. but he Is at work IN
Paris ON complex book. work In Progress"
parts Of which have appeared in print. ~Ulys-
ses" Is certainly the most discussed book Of the
twentieth century, storm center. Perhaps It
is the greatest book Of the century. It Is too
early and no one Is qualified to decide that
question.
KEY TO THE ULYSSES OF JAMES JOYCE.
BY Paul Jordan Smith. New York: Covici-
Friede
\ AANY interpretations Of ulysses" have been
WI written, some Of them sinble. This one
Is small and compact and really useful, though.
as the author says. "these suggestions will not
serve to explain the inner meaning Of 'Ulysses.'
for every man will there find what he Is able
to nnd" After an Introductory essay and before
concluding one, comparative outlines are given
Of the Odyssey" and ulysses" !" which show the
influence Of Homer,s simple classic upon the
writer Of the involved Ulysses" Stephen
Dedalus, prototype Of Joyce himself, represents
Telemachus, Leopold Bloom Is Ulysses and Mrs.
Bloom Is q sordid Penelope. The outline Of
what may for want Of Q better term be called
the morning Of june Is. 1904. In Dublin. when
Buck Mulligan, medical student. Is shaving and
Stephen Dedalus and Haines an Englishman.
are waiting to eat breakfast with him. It ends
with Mrs. Blooms earthly meditations. meme
cries and the outpourings Of her subconscious"
There is q chapter on the "agenbite Of inwit."
Joyce's English for the .remorse Of conscience
which afflicted Stephen Dedalus. Mr.. Smith
says that he began the shaping Of his key with
the full intention Of setting forth the utter.
imbeciltty of Ulysses, but that he has sue
cumbed to the power and sweep" Of the book.
Yet he concludes that "there has probably never
been book since the invention Of printing
doomed to exert such banefal, such malie-s
nant and perverting influence rs Ulysses It
is the Demogorgon Of literature"
MORE OR LESS ABOUT MYSELF. BY Mar
got Oxford, New York: T. r. Dutton q Co.
kAARooT ASQUTTH. countess Of Oxford.
: tvI though she c6nfesses to wish that she
could have devoted her life to authorship, ap-
parently writes without plan, from notes and
memories Is they happen to come. Her Auto
biography" conveyed this impression, ~ this
present book confirms It. Many Of the events
Of her life and many Of her ideas on which she
discourses ut length are without great interest
to any one not deeply interested IN her. The
portions Of her book which are most entertain.
ing are those which reveal her devotion to her
husband and her opinions Of his political en-
esnies and those which describe her friendships
With Lord Curzon and Lord Balfour. She com.
mentS upon Lord Oxfords complete confidence
in his own capacity. which "made him indif-
terent 10 criticism and contemptuous of rumor.s
HIS lack Of expansfveness, "something non.
conducting In his manner to acquaintance"
troubled her when they were frst married,
until abe realized that. she was talking In
Tenant, and not In Asquith." Criticisms
leyeled ut him during the world War before
the formation Of the coalition goyernment an.
noyed her, II they did not annoy him. Her
disappfovaI Of Lloyd George appears IN nl.
meron utterances. Though enjoyed his
company did not appreciate Mr.. Lloyd
Georges companions or trust his loyalty nor
did think his education or experience would
enable him to underStand our foreign allies
or the mentality Of military men," Il = in-
teresting to compare this with some Of Lloyd
GEORGES observations about Asquith In his re-
Gently published "Memoirs."
A lifelong friendship With Lord Ctir1on, not
accompanies by unnaixed admiration, cooled
when. because OF political differences, Lord
Curzon omitted the Aequiths from his social
list and died altogether when in her Auto
biography" Lady Oxford said he had child
ish love Of fine people, or something Of the
kind. On the day when he had invited her
to dine with him. to attempt to end their quar-
rel. he died. Lord Balfour. also . friend from
her youth possessed her more complete admi-
ration mo one can deny that he was the
greatest ornament that has ever decorated oar
social world" Yet she thinks that he should
have chosen literature instead Of politics for
. career. He had rare literary gifts, but lacked
strong convictions and Aymte IA siees e, ! =