Evening star., 1935-03-06
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
Margaret Cermond.

MWgWet Germ0nd.
LEAN MEN. BY Ralph Bates. New
York: The Macmillan Co.
The career Of the author Of this
dramatic novel of Spain has been as
tumultuous as has been the history
Of the country in which he has spent
the most of his life. He was born in
o small industrial town in England,
and at sixteen went to work In the
local factory. Two years later he
enlisted in the army. and after de-
mobilization went to Marseille, got
a job and lodged with q group OF
dock workers. He then went to Bar
celona, where he remained through
that stormy period Of 1920-23, par
ticipating in the turmoil that marked
those years. Later he walked across
Spain, working his way as tinsmith
and odd Job man. He went back to
England, but found himself to be a
misfit and life too tame for his ad-
venturous nature, SO he returned to
Barcelona and, after q year Of con-
tentment with his work, helped to
organize a literary club that soon be-
came actively political. He has par
ticipated in most of the revolutionary
strikes IN recent years, and during
the revolution Of 1881 he smuggled
arms across the Pyrenees, helped a
friend to escape from Spain and
risked his life in many daring ad-
ventures. Mr.. Bates remained in
Spain until the end of 1881, spent
two years holding a number Of fleet
ing jobs, the last being that of ware
houSeman in an electric clock factory,
and while out Of work turned to writ
ing.
Lean Men" Is his first novel and
is based upon the vast store Of knowl-
edge and experience accumulated dur
ing his life in Spain. A number Of
its characters are drawn from life, and
the entire picture Of the struggle of
the lower classes against the mon
archy is authentic. On the side OF
romance the story centers about an
Englishman whose business in Spain
is to direct the revolutionary move
nent in that unhappy country.
Through the activities Of Francis
Charing until he is forced to flee
for his life and through love affairs
in which he becomes entangled, the
story of a decade and more in the
kingdom of the Bourbons is presented
with a profound understanding of the
economic, political and social problems
of the nation and of the temperament
and spirit of its people. The work IS
an authentic history and an intensely
interesting story.
MEMORY OF LOVE. BY Bessie
Breuer. New York: Simon &
SchuSter.
This short novel is something of
an astonishing narrative that is not
calculated to win general approval,
though there is much in it to ponder
over and to profit by, provided an
unbiased frankness and acceptance of
human nature as it is can be applied
to its theme. 1t is a vibrant and
convincing story. the confession of an
attractive young man with too much
money, too much time and too little
brains, whose life had been nothing
more than a series of pleasant love
affairs until real love overwhelmed
him and left him in despair.
1t is an extraordinary book to have
been written by a woman, but it has
a fineness of touch that perhaps only
a woman could give it. 1t has won
the favor of such eminent writer's as
Edna ST. Vincent Millay. Louis Brom-
field, Ben Hecht, Kay Boyle. Manuel
Komroff and Frank Ernest Hill.
WILD PASTURES. BY Rex Beach.
New York: Farrar g. Rinehart,
Inc.
Typical of it's title and also of
earlier novels of Florida is this new
volume by one of Americas most pop
ular writers. Tom Kennedy, a young
Texas cowboy, leaves the ranges of his
native State to join an elderly and
! wealthy uncle in the cattle business
in Florida. Shy, handsome and fear
less, he is destined to get into more
trouble than any other man in Florida
had ever brought upon himself And
all-or nearly all-for the love of q
lady.
On the ship from Tampa to Punta
Rassa bewitching young Cuban girl
takes possession of Toms heart. It
| is not long until her heart is in Toms
| possession, but the big Texan is too
grand prize to be let alone and many
other girls and women set their plans
| to win him. Other troubles arise
when Tom undertakes to catch the
| cattle thieves and vealers, only to
learn that the rotten political system
of the State gives protection to GRIM
inals and sends honest men to Jail.
Thrilling scraps and fights mark his
career during the first few months,
with tropical storm, trapping Tom
and the girl he loves in a deserted
house on lonely beach, thrown in for
good measure. All admirers of Mr..
Beach will more than like Wild
Pastures"
THE PRIMROSE PATH. BY Ogden
Nash. New York: Simon & Schu-
ster, Inc.
The jingles. poems, limericks and
rhymes of all sorts that make up this
book are more violent in tone and
character than the previous volumes
of nonsense produced by Mr.. Nash.
They include almost every conceivable
subject, from the midget who sat on
j. P. Morgan's lap to Mae West and
Albert Einstein. The illustrations are
again by Soglow, whose sketches in
the earlier books were particularly
suited to the verse they Illustrated.
Il X
DEPUTY SHERIFF. BY George w.
Ogden. author of THE Guard of
Timberline," etc. New York: Dodd,
Mead & Co.
A tenderfoot in the West is the
| subject Of this full-blooded story Of
the vast ranging country which has
for many years now given freely OF
its incompatible scenery, its pictur-
esque life, its gun-toters and its horse
men to the literature and the drama
of the new world.
4 Charlie Leonard walked into the