Evening star., 1934-05-02
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
Margaret Cermond.

THANK YOU, JEEvESl BY P. G.
Wodehouse. Boston: Little, Brown
& Co.
Jeeves has bloSsomed into a novel,
and what a novel it isl On thinking
over the past performances Of Jeeves,
and adding to his already remarkable
record his achievements In this new tale
| Of heroic deeds in the face Of muddles
brought about by every conceivable
method of human error, 1t Is fitting
to propose that some token Of esteem
should be devised and presented to
him with public honors. There is no
other character in modern fiction
whose intellectual genius equals that
of Jeeves. He should be given gold
medal. or something. as an expression
Of appreciation for the unalloyed Joy
that he has brought into the world.
Over the coffee cups a few after
] moons ago:
you have work to do tonight?"
"Yes, this is my night in"
Reading? What is 1t this time?
Oh. Jeeves! I wouldn't call that read
ing. I'd call 1t fun"
Well, If the old red brick houses
in historically illustrious community
a few miles across the Potomac had
not been built with walls several feet
thick, there might have been inquiries
from concerned neighbors on the night
in question. Reading, alone, in fairly
large habitat is not particularly con-
duciNe to hilarious merriment, but
the noises which shattered the usual
quietude of a peaceful abode might
well have caused CONSERVATION had
they been heard by those on the other
side Of the wall as the tale of Ber-
tram Wooster, being hauled out of one
dilemma by the faithful and astute
Jeeves only to plunge headlong into a
series Of others. unfolded.
There is touch of sadness in the
beginning, for Bertram Wooster and
Jeeves part company. Bertie's latest
flame, to whom he has been engaged for
orty-eight hours. has thrown him over,
and he has turned to his favorite form
OF music for consolation. Through
the strings of his beloved baniolele he
seeks to unburden his heart Of its
heavy sorrow, but his neighbors OBJ
| ject. Adding still further to his woes
Is the news that Miss Pauline Stoker,
his forty -eight-hour flancee, has arrived
in London in the company of her
highly temperamental father and Sir
Roderick Glossop. an eminent alienist
for whom BERTHE entertains no glow
ing warmth of affection.
Ordered to vacate his apartment,
Bertram arranges to take small cot
tage, where he can play his banjolele
to his hearts content, on the estate of
the fifth Baron Chuffnel, a friend
since boyhood and a college chum
The deal is closed and he prepares to
leave. but to his utter confoundment
Jeeves refuses to accompany him.
Not because the serenity and solitude
OF life in the country offers no charm,
but because he has reached the end
OF his endurance in the matter of his
employers musical endeavors. The
choice lies between Jeeves and the
banjolele. and BERTHE firmly and un-
flinchingly chooses the latter.
Arrived in the cottage on the coast
OF Somersetshire, unforeseen discom-
forts roll in upon him almost as rap
IDLY and as inevitably as the breakers
crash upon the shore. A handsome
yacht weighs anchor within sight of
his retreat. Before he has had time
to admire the beauty of her lines and
trim he is informed that she is the
pride of j. Washburn Stoker, and
that her company comprises that
august gentleman, the beautiful
Pauline and Sir Roderick-come to
visit Baron Chuffnel.
Shock number two is the agreeable
news that Jeeves has been engaged by
"Chuffy," and shock number three is
that his pet aversion, Sir Roderick, is
about to marry Chuffy's Aunt Myrtle,
with her thoroughly unlikable young
son thrown in for good measure There
after the shocks are too innumerable
10 tabulate, to say nothing of the
complications which arise when
Chuffy and Pauline fall in love and
BERTHE, with the efficient and never
falling Jeeves to aid and abet him,
attempts to keep the path of love
on smooth and even keel.
kidnapping, carving knives, boot
black, butter. burned cottages. hello
trope pajamas, burned cork and nosey
conStables dash pell nell into each
other with the rapidity of machine
gun fire until the unwavering firmness
of action and calm resourcefulness of
Jeeves brings serenity and happiness
out of the chaos.
No other humorist has, in a long
time. created so much fun as has P.
G. Wodehouse in Thank You,
Jeeves!"
LONG REMEMBER. BY MacKinlay
Kantor. Decorations by Will Craw-
ford. New York: Coward-McCann
When the author of this book was
only ten years old travelling book
salesman covering his neigh5orhood
failing to interest the family in ten
volume Photographic history of the
Civil War, left a stack of loose leaves
showing half-tones of battle scenes
Those which told in picture the story
of Gettysburg interested the boy most
and through the twenty years since
then he has been devoted and inde-
fatigable student of that bloody con-
f1ict. He is now thirty, and this volume
is the product of his diligent research
dIlG lAIC AAlcPA4 deAOAl 6AS" ONs
of it.
There have been many novels and
many histories written about Gettys-
burg but this one is different. 1t is
the work of man whose product con-
tains no coloring of sectional preju-
dice and no sentimental adulation OF
leaders whose names are synonymous
with the most important battle in the
history of the United States. The
actual hero of the story is Daniel
Bale. a conscientious objector to the
killing of human beings, who stead
fastly refuses to join the ranks oi
fighting men on either side. yet whose
contribution to the welfare of the en-
tire neighborhood reaches magnificent
proportions.
The romantic interest is centered in
the love of Daniel Bale and Irene
Tanning a not altogether wholesome
association, but compelling neverthe-
less in its depth of feeling and in the