Evening star., 1935-07-28
By Mary.Carfer Roberts.

us that he worked at 1t 1ntermlttently
for many years and steadily for three.
He read an ambitious number of books
for preparation. But he could not
write his book. A face in a painting
prevented him.
So now, many years after, in Don
writing leisurely and often
beautifully, he tells us what he would
have put into it. In IL hmpid essays
he treats Of those aspects OF SPANS
great day which had SO caught his
young imagination.
Whether to regret the unwritten
novel or not is question that most
discerning readers will answer in the
negative. 1t Is trifle hard to believe
in Somerset Vaughan as the pro-
genitor of a swashbuckling hero. But
in the essay his pure, polished prose is
at its best.
Whether one has an interest in
Spain's vanished glories or not, one
must value this well-nigh perfect
reflection of a mood in words. For
that is writing. And novel may just
be O smoke.
VOODOO FIRE IN HAITI. BY Rich
ard A. Loederer. Translated by
Desmond Ivo Vesey. With illustra-
tions by the author. Garden City:
Doubleday, Doran g. Co., Inc.
THIS book is the Literary Guilds
selection for August. 1t is beau
tifully made volume from the stand
point Of Illustrations, printing and
paper. AS to contents. however, there
have been too many books on Haiti
for reviewer to judge. And, in view
of the interest which the public has
in this romantic Cor romanticized)
island, book about It car hardly be
dismissed as just another volume of
travel. Consequently it was thought
advisable to secure frst-hand judg-
ment on the present work
A retired officer who spent many
years in Haiti has offered the follow
ing comments on ''Voodoo Fire: AS
it treats of the Negro nina, this book,
he says, is well-night perfect. It goes
far beyond the others OF its genre
in this respect. The parts which deal
with Christophe, and the reorganization
of the Voodoo religion to an instru-
ment of power are also accurate and
fine. The summing up of the pres
ent-day status of Voodooism, in the
words Of the authors friend Henkel, is
the most realistic account of this cult
which any white man has so far
written. 1t does exist, it is effective,
and in the legends of the Marine
Corps there is at least one case of
the Voodoo curse being put on white
man with effect. (He had shot a
Papaloi)
But, with so much merit, this gen.
tleman finds regrettable errors and
omissions in the book. For one thing,
a disproportionate space is occupied
with description of the jungle-the
jungle in Haiti being by no means
the typical topography. The island
instead is mountainous, of high pla-
teaus and fertile valleys. The author,
1t Is to be feared, has used the small
jungle section somewhat overtime in
order to symbolic the African motif
which he found in the people.
More than this, the actual witness
ing of a Voodoo ceremony by strange
white man is something which is out
of the bounds of possibility. 1t SIM
ply does not happen.
And further, the population of Haiti
is by no means made up of savages.
The Haitian gentleman is polished
and cultured individual, cosmopolitan
in outlook and education. The au-
thor, apparently, ignored the exist
ence of this class in mis- ardent search
for primitivisms.
Another point of criticism is found
in the illustrations, which are for
the most part Of nudes. Even assum-
ing that the author meant only SYM
bolism of the primitive soul in omit
ting physical garments, it still should
be remarked that actually the Haitian
native dresses. The women particu-
larly wear q voluminous garment and
they are modest in demeanor. The
illustrations are fine, viewed as works
of art. But they are not what one
sees in Haiti.
The gentleman who offered these
criticisms is Col. Frederick M. Wise,
U. s. M c., retired. Col. Wise was for
three years in command of the Hal
tian gendarmerie and was one of the
treaty officials. He is an author him.
self, having written book about the
Marine Corps and short stories.
THEY SHOOT HORSES, DON'T
THEY? BY Horace Mccoy. New
York: Simon & Shuster.
THIS is q dreadful book, and fine
piece of work. In level, almost
nonchalant manner the author tells
about the progress of dance mara
thon. Curious minded people may
have wondered who takes part in such
social obscenities, and also why any
one does so. The author of this novel
is able to give that information. He
once worked as a bouncer in mara
thon dance hall.
1t is tribute to his literary per-
ception that he has dealt with his sor-
did subject, using words of one syl-
liable, without having written revolt
ing book. For he might have written
revolving book and still have done
something with merit. The two
achievements are not incompatible.
But a wider degree of perception will
view its subject in the round, and
nothing, after all, is wholly revolving,
just as nothing is wholly romantic.
This is Mr.. McCoy's first novel, al
though he has written for the films
and magazines. It would seem that,
II he wishes to take it, he has good
writing racket ready to hand-the