Evening star., 1936-08-19
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
BY MARGARET CERMOND.

THE OLIVE FIELD. BY Ralph Bates.
New York: E. p. Dutton & Co.
Spain. now the scene Of bloodshed and
destruction and barbaric atrocities rival
ing those which marked the tribal con-
fiicts of the dark ages. in 1881 witnessed
the dethronement Of King Alfonso XIII
and suffered the first phase Of this cur
rent rebellion Of its people against speci-
fic forms Of oppression. Mr.. Bates is
| probably more intimately acquainted with
Spain and with the political and eco
nonic conditions which led to the revolt
| Of 1881 than any other contemporary
English writer, and 1t is especially timely
that his new novel, based upon the re-
| volt OF five years ago, should come at q
moment when the entire English-speak-
| ing world needs to know all that 1t Is
| possible to learn about those who, fighting
| for freedom from injustice and poverty,
must depend to far greater degree than
the average person realizes upon the
| Intelligent understanding of the peoples
| Of other nations.
There is undoubtedly a growing hope
| among individuals in this country that
victory will be the reward of the rebels.
| If "The Olive Field" is as widely read as
| 1t should be the sympathieS of all free
| dom-loving Americans will be even more
keenly aroused. 1t is not of the political
situation that Mr.. Bates writes, but OF
| the great human drama, moving slowly
| and cautiously behind the scenes toward
| the accomplishment OF promising.
| though vague, ideal. 1t is from the
workers in the olive groves that the
author draws forth the spiritual forces
underlying the revolt. And 1t is from
these humble, oppressed human beings
that the reasons for the bitter hatreds
| apparent in the present revolution may
| be learned.
Caro- and Mudarra are the central
| figures in the story. A deep and abiding
| friendship exists between these two,
which Is broken for a while by their
| passion for the same woman and then
renewed by their joint ambition for
the liberation of the workers from their
| oppresSors. Caro- is patient, steady and
cautious. Mudarra Is temperamental,
| rash in many respects, musician and an
idealist The conditions in which they
work and live have destroyed their faith
| in the state and the church. They are
intelligent and they know that the sys-
| tenn which exactS everything and gives
only mere existence is nothing less than
peonage. They believe in a form Of
liberty that permits decent return for
labor and toward the accomplishment OF
that ideal they expend their energies
when the long day in the olive groves
ends. For holding such liberal thoughts
they are known as anarchists.
| Much comment has been made in re-
cent weeks concerning the passion for
| destruction which has obcesSed the OPP
| posing forces in the present outbreak in
| Spain. No one can condone the wanton
| destruction and the atrocities of which
both sides are guilty. But from the
pages of this novel is to be cleaned an
| intelligent understanding of the forces
| which have bred in the peculiar racial
mixture of contemporary Spain the bit
| ter hatreds that create and foster the
mania for destruction and for blood.
For all readers who are interested in
| the affairs of the world, this novel is
| recommended.
FAMILY CURSE. BY John Hampson.
New York: Dodd, Mead g. Co.
Types of families are very likely the
same the world over, and there is usually
| a good story to be told about any one
| Of them at any time if the will to set
down the peculiaritieS of an intimate
circle OF humanity exists. The Sumerle
| family happens to be English. 1t also
happens to be a very large family and
a middle class Victorian one as well. 1t
| is reminder in one respect of the
family made famous by Mazo de la
Roche, for 1t is another exhibition Of
the clan spirit, regardless of the opposing
| elements of which it is made.
Victoria Sumerle, elderly widow OF
prosperous business man, has dominated
| and played the tyrant over her large
assortment Of sons and daughters. their
wives and husbands and their children
for the last time. She is dying and the
entire family Is summoned by the one
unmarried daughter to gather for what
it is expected will be the last hours on
earth for the old woman for whom not
one of them has any genuine affection.
All but two of them pretend to love their
mother and to have a sincere affection
for each other. Each of them knows
that the others have long since dis
covered the truth. and yet the slightest
hint of accusation brings prompt denial.
The form Of the story is bit odd.
There is no consecutive narrative, as
each chapter specifically relates the
characteristics of one member of the
family, plus the sort of life that par
ticular family lives and what the re-
actions Of its various members are to
the Sumerle clan and the effect which
the death of the old tyrant will have
upon its own intimate fireside.
First in the thoughts of all of them
is wonder as to what Florence. the un-
married daughter whose Secretive and
vicious disposition has made most OF
them hate her, will do. There is some
bit of wealth and property which would
in any normal household be subject to
division and bequest. Florence being an
unknown quantity, however, there is fear
and distrust on the part OF the others.
BY the time five sons, two daughters,
their wives and husbands, ten grand
children and the servants Of the various
households let loose their memories and
their opinions of the Sumerle clan,
most engaging and intimate story of
family life has been revealed. That the
Sumerles represent passing generation
makes the story no less interesting.
The family, as an institution, is bound
to change just as civilization changes
from generation to generation. Looking
both ways, the belief is borne in that
where there can be neither love, nor in