Evening star., 1936-10-10
RESULTS SEEM
What Country Is Better Situated Than Ours, Critics of y. S.
Democracy Are Asked-F1andbook Explains Spanish
Revolt-Novel Satirizes New Deal

the strictly average American would
not give up-they are national inde-
pendence, civil freedom and private
prosperity. He notes that we have
achieved all three, If not in their per-
fection still in a degree unsurpassed
by any other country, under de-
mocracy. The essence of democracy,
he says, is capacity to change. The
essence of communism and fascism is
that they are static. They make their
appeal to the terrified, whether it be
the terrified rich or the terrified poor.
Democracy must needs stand on its
record, and MIR. Seldes reiterates that
under democratic system Americans
have come to a point where they re-
gard the three civic virtues listed
above as their indisputable rights.
MIR. Seldes is considerably more
subtle in his reasoning than limited
review can indicate and he calls pretty
impressively on the evidence of events
to sustain his points. He treads a
nice path between too-patriotic ma
tionalism on the one hand and too
disapproving criticism on the other.
As has been said, his book seems q
genuine effort to sum up our position
and future in terms of reality rather
than in terms of desire or arbitrary
planning" And, as one looks about
the world today, is there really mucn
unreaSon in the question which MS
book so strongly inplies-what people
is situated better than ourselves? We
have not done too badly, with all our
folies. says Gilbert Seldes. We can
face the future with hope Of do
ing somewhat better, too, he feels, as
long as we keep our traditional adapt
able form of democratic government.
KIT BRANDON, A PORTRAIT. BY
Sherwood Anderson. New YORK:
Charles Scribner's Sons.
In this novel of the life of Tennes-
see mountain girl-poor white-Mr.
Anderson attempts to set forth the idea
that human integrity is an Unborn and
ineradicable thing. and endures, If 1t
be there at all, through whatever vicis-
situdes its possessor may suffer, no
matter how extreme they may be. 1t
is an excellent thesis and one which
is almost out of fashion today, with
most of our novels so preoccupied with
groups-families, social classes and so
on-that the creation Of individual
character is definitely a secondary con-
sideration among them.
Mr.. Anderson, however, goes into
his theme with courage. He makes
his heroine belong to one of the very
groups-the mountain white group
which has lately drawn from a number
of our novelists group treatment
either romantic or sociological-to the
almost complete exclusion of consider
alton of individual characteristics. And
he chooses heroine too, rather
than a hero. Thus, by loading his
character with group qualities and the
additional conventionality of feminin-
ity (for women are almost always con-
ventions in novel writing) he assumes
substantial handicap against making
her live as an individual. But he
works it off to admiration.
Briefly, he tells of Kit Brandon's ad-
ventures from the time she left her
fathers cabin until she felt herself a
free soul. in which interim she had
been factory worker, q fve-and-ten-
cent store clerk and a bootIegger
queen.
Nothing which befell her, he says,
touched her essential self-and that Is
all. The novel is redundant and some
times tireSome, but it stands a record
Of character drawing worth noticing.
GREEN MARGINS. By E. P. ODon-
nell. Boston: Houghton Mifin
Company.
This novel, which won one of Hougi,-
ton Mifflin's fellowship prizes last year.
is book about country. 1t has, to
be sure, fairly large selection of char
acters and they engage in fairly lively
action, but action and characters both
are plainly subordinate in the authors
mind to the charms and wonders of
the scene where he has set them-the
country of the Mississippi River Delta.
As to the merit of such a work. it
naturally resides a great deal in the
accuracy with which the country of its
choice is depicted. Mr.. ODonnell,s
book, therefore, seems reasonably safe
from the nefarious detractions of re-
viewers, for few of them have investi-
gated his scene very extensively. What
reviewer can say with certainty. how
ever, is that he writes with verisimili.
tude. If he has not presented the ac.
.ual Delta, he has given us a concept
II it which has reality for the purposes
of his book.
AS to the plot of the work, it deals
n love and intrigue among the Cajuns
and their neighbors without distinc-
ion or ofense. 1t can be commended
THE BAD PARENTS GARDEN OF
VERSE. BY Ogden Nash. Illus
trated by Reginald Birch, New
YORK: Simon o. SchuSter.
Ihat Ogden Nash is getting sweeter
cannot be overlooked by readers of his
present. volume, but if anything can
De done about it it has not occurred
% the reviewer at the present writing.
mat the author of Hard Lines" is
not anesthetic to the touch of little |
nanos or the smile of little face is |
clearly evident from more than one
of the verses in the present collection.
some Of these are child verses in as |
pleasant vein as anything written |
oy Eugene Fields. And then the
familiar discomfort of Manhattans
[avorite bard crops out, and we have
alm viewing offspring in a less spe-
clallzed manner than that of parent
mood. The volume is indispensable to |
Nash fans, and the illustrations by |
Reginald Birch are sometimes.
though not always. pat.
The OLD ASHBURN PLACE. Bv
Margaret Flint. New York: Dodd |
Mead & Co.
This is another $4,000 prize novel.
Il is not anywhere near as terrible
as the opus which received a like