Evening star., 1935-01-27

Larbaud, Pierre Mac-Orlan, Paul Mo-
rand and Jean Giraudoux, and Paul
Valery, representative Of pure
poetry" No recent book gives a more
compact and lucid exposition Of pres
ent tendencies and their representa-
tives in French literature Of today.
A supplement supplies a chronological
list of authors and their works, with
suggestions for reading.
II Il
THROUGH FAILURE TO SUCCESS.
BY James Alexander. New York:
Funk & Wagnalls Co.
How did famous men become
famous and how did other men
become successful, even though they
missed fame, which perhaps they did
not desire? Mr.. Alexander gives case
histories from the lives Of such men
in illustration Of the principles which
he here lays down for the basis Of suc-
cess. He considers timidity, nervous
ness, ultimately fear. the cause of
many of the failures in life and gives
advice which he believes will assist In
overcoming nervous and self-conscious
handicaps to success. He discusses
many kinds Of fear-fear Of crowds,
audiences before which one has TO ap-
pear (stage fright, interviews, social
contacts, ridicule, criticism, the unex-
pected, of failure itself. On the re-
verse, or positive side, he tells how to
gain self-reliance, self-conf1dence,
calmness, self-posseSsion. The advice
is practical and may be OF use to
many. Mr.. Alexander is also the au-
thor of Thought Control in Everyday
Life" and Mastering Your Own
Mind"
PARAGUAY. Gallant Little Nation.
BY Philip de Ronde. New York:
G. P. Putnam's Sons.
CoL. DE RONDE, Paraguayan con-
~ sui in New York for over quar-
ter OF a century, and, though an
American. an officer in the Paraguayan
Army in the campaign Of 1888. in this
small book tells of the war between
Paraguay and Bolivia over the posses
sion of the 100000 square miles known
as the Gran Chaco. He has been
intimately cognizant of the political
and commercial affairs Of Paraguay
and the neighboring South American
states for many years and has watched
the threat of war long before its out
break. He describes the causes behind
the conflict and the conditions and
methods Of the wilderness flghting.
His sympathies are, of course, with
Paraguay and a Bolivian spokesman
might tell different story. but he is
unqualihedly in favor of arbitration
and hopes that President Roosevelt
will tender his good Offices, as did
President Hayes 56 years ago. as did
another President Roosevelt 81 years
ago. in the capacity Of peace-maker
or arbitrator"
*&x%
THE MIDDLE, AGES. BY Dorothy
Mills, M A New York: G. P.
Putnam's Sons.
THE medieval period is generally
= considered by historians to have
begun with the fall of the Roman
Empire and to have ended with those
numerous events which ushered in the
modern age-the inventions of gun
powder and printing. the fall of Con-
stantinople, the discovery of America.
the passing of feudalism. the religious
reforms of Wycliffe. Miss Mills, head
OF the history department Of the
Brearley School, New York City. draws
on the best source material of the
medieval chroniclers, but tells as an
interesting narrative Of all the ad-
ventures in religion and government.
in economic and social life. which took
place between ATS and the end of the
fifteenth century. Her story is not one
confined to the doings Of kings and
prelates, their wars and encroach-
ments. but takes account of all the
important institutions and movements
which had their inception in the
Middle Ages and have exerted an in
huence on modern history. Some of
these are the organization and growth
of the Christian Church, the tenn
porary power and culture OF the
Byzantine Empire, the conquests Of
Islam. the rule of Charlemagne and
its effect on culture and the origins
of modern European nations, the eX-
plorations of the Norsemen, feudalism
chivalry, the Crusades. the origin and
growth of medieval towns with their
industries, guilds and commerce. the
various monastic orders, education and
learning, the beginnings Of national
states and struggles between kings and
mobiles. the great conflict Of the
Hundred Years War. Though the
book was probably written primarily
| for the use of Miss Mills students, it Is
more than a mere text book. unrolline
as it does an imposing panorama Of
medieval life. Most of the illustrations
are from contemporary sources.
+ y
WE ARE BETRAYED. BY Yards
Fisher. Caldwell, Idaho: The Cax-
ton Printers. Garden City: Dou-
bleday, Doran & Co.
THIS third volume Of Vardis Fishers
= tetralogy about Vridar Hunter, the
| former volumes of which are In
| Tragic Life" and Passions Spin the
Plot" shows Vridar. in his thirteenth
year, still searching for the meaning
of life. It is noteworthy that in nc
| ton so many men and women con-
sciously search for the meaning of life,
while in life itself most men and
women are so occupied in doing the
work necessary to earn q living that
the abstract is lost in the individual
problem After experiences which
would develop cynicism in any one,
sex adventurings hither and yon,
| mostly sordid, numerous Freudian
complexeS, Vridar has married Neloa
Doole. is ashamed Of her ignorance
and triviality. and determines to edu-
cate her, so he sends her to q Salt Lake
City high school to study Latin, Eng
| lish and algebra. Meanwhile, he pur-
| sues his search for the meaning of
life through his own studies, but Il
distracted because Of his jealousy over
Neloa's attractiveness to men. To
escape his disconteuts, especially the
new one of approaching fatherhood,
| he joins the Air Corps, goes into train
ing, but is saved from going abroad
by the Armistice. He then becomes
a bootlegger, is as discontented and
disagreeable as ever in his married