Evening star., 1934-01-14

no better tnAn TO escape bOre0Om. well,
we're off,; They've put us at the captains
table Mary; Meet us in the smoke room
before dinner: Come and unpack while We
still can" II bet we don't see anything all
the way round that's going to look as good
as that little old Goddess Of Liberty when
we get home"-an the banalties which make
the occasional aloof passenger wonder why
he has planned to shut himself up for several
months with these people, from whom he
cannot possibly escape.
The complete list of ships officers and
passengers which Miss Parrish considerably
gives at the beginning, like the genealogical
tables appended to some family novels, though
it assists US to remember the identity and
relationship Of the characters, is staggering
in It's suggestion Of the spread We are ex-
pected to give to our interest and, to tell
the truth, We never do become interested
in many Of the Auroras human cargo
Sea Level" begins with departure and ends
with return. after the cruise Is over. The
action is in . circle Nothing unusual hap
pens. The boat stops ct the expected ports
the cruisers 60 ashore, see the standard sights
make the appropriate comments Detrimental
cynical mildly appreciative. according to
personality, 60 back to the boat and their
state rooms as TO home and settle down for
another stretch Of ocean. Action has not
been Miss Parrish's concern: as in her former
novels, she has created characters and inter-
1t Is likely that none Of these in Sea Level"
will be as memorable as Victor Campion and
his sisters in THE Perennial Bachelor" Some
Of them are, nevertheless, very real. Jim and
Mary Mallory have come on the cruise, the
gossips say. to get away from complications
brought into Marys emotional life by the
novelist, Paul Kavanaugh. The complica-
tions are, We suspect, awaiting her her
return and meanwhile she has brought com.
plications into the life of Alec Reade, who
has joined the cruise because he believes he
is dying and Is determined to satisfy his long
ing for travel in the few months which re-
main to him. He has the cruise. but doesn't
die. B. J. Turner asks every one to call him
"Pal': Mrs. Fisher, garbed in diamonds has
taken all the cruises; Baby Weldon, also
q veteran cruiser, plays the role of ships
charmer. As the last day of the cruise Is
reached, . spiritual coolness' is noticeable.
Addresses are exchanged, but nearly every
one hopes never to see his shipmates again.
As usual, Miss Parrish excels in the irony with
which she treats her characters.
ESCAPE TO LIFE. BY Ferenc Kormendi.
Translated from the Hungarian by E. L
Holt and N. l. Etng. New York: William
Morrow & Co.
THE international prize novel competition
award for 1892 went to this novel by the
young Hugarian writer, Kormendi, born in
1SUU, laCe enough 20 escape Delng caugnt IN
the World War. He was in time, however.
to be inclosed In the squirrel cage Of un-
employment He has chosen for the hero
of his novel . man older than himself one
who experienced the war. by lucky chance
escaped serious physical injury but came back
to Budapest to q disorganized social nilieu
which he did not understand. University
studies, economies OF q rigid sort, associa-
tions with art modernists Che had decided
to become an architect, tutoring, washing
dishes and serving ut table, love affairs and
again love affairs, made up the medley Of
his life for some time The facts of Kor-
mendi's own life are obviously drawn upon
for the story of his hero, Toni Kadar
Finally, Toni's luck turned. Mr.. Kormendi
believes profoundly IN chance as a determining
element in all lives The self-made man, he
would say, has always had good luck. When
Toni met the rich, young Hungarian widow
and she gave him the sympathy which easily
turns into love, the world began to smile upon
him, and he became "the well-knoxn archi-
tect Of Hungarian origin "'s Mr. Thomas A.
Cadar."
There Is much irony In the description Of
his visit to Budapest, after his prosperity had
been heralded, when his old schoolmates, Of
whom he had never thought as friends, lighted
upon him like 50 many parasites, determined
to wiring from him . share Of his luck
At every stage Of his life women helped
Toni Kadar. His personality, which fascinated
women, was the major part Of his luck Kele-
men, leader Of the friends" was perhaps more
clever than Toni, but he lacked the fascination
and the luck.
Escape to Life" Is q postwar novel, h
which bitterness and cynicism @lternate with
gayety and devn-may- care ness. The Budapest
setting. rich and alive, has undoubtedly con-
tributed to the success Of the novel, which
has been published In seven foreign countries,
Is we'll a. simultaneously In England and
America.
ERASMUS By Christopher Hollis. Milwaukee:
The Bruce Publishing %.
TO TFIS volume tn the science and culture
] series, the general editor, Joseph Husslein,
q oh n .Aonfxiknatoe x,rofQnn .ir, yulaich