Evening star., 1936-12-26

Jaroslau Durych, author of
"The Descent OF the IDOL"
E. p. Dutton and Co.
see that they have to talk about 1t.
They fall easily into two classes. as
they set themselves down-those who
admit and accept the state of things
effectively and those who, frightened
and disenchanted, turn to seeking
remedies. The former are much bet
ter reading. G. X. Chesterton's "Au-
photography" is perhaps the wisest and
wittiest of the lot.
Coming to novels, the reviewer
abandons statistics. For how can any
one be statistical about a subject
which has only one classification?
And that is the case with novels.
There is only one kind-the good
ones. The others do not exist. They
are written and they are published.
but they do not need counting. There
Is only one attitude to take toward
them, and that is the one stated
they simply do not exist.
Last year, the reviewer remembers
vividly, there was one eminently fine
novel. 1t was Honey in the Horn" !"
II you want to know This year there
are none so good. but q larger number
that are on the safe side of the line.
Most of these are the work of old
timers who have returned to their early
fields to gather laurels there. in various
states of freshness. Aldous Huxley.
John Dos Passos, Sigrid Unset. Robert
Nathan. Lord Dunsany, William Faulk-
ner and Charles Morgan have all done
works Of fiction this year.
Huxley's "Eyeless in Zaza" is not up
to his former work and would not be
deemed important in estimating him
were it not that, in its last three or
four pages, he incredibly goes wistful.
Well. you will say, he has been wistful
before: indeed, you will say, wistful-
ness has been Aldous Huxley's one
consistent characteristic. And you will
be right. But never before has this
child of science badly welded to SEN
timent attempted to do anything about
his wistfulness. For he has been, above
all, a discerning artist in the past, and
he has known better. But now, it
would seem. the pent-up springs of
tender warnings have broken out, and,
in 'Eyeless In GAIA" he turns apostle.
Thebook marks this very great change.
an interesting one, but of dubious
promise. 1t is not otherwise impor-
tant.
Sigrid Unset, in her years novel, q
small one, "Gunnar's Daughter" DEM
onstrates triumphantly that a story
makes a better book than thousand
tracts. She simply tells one. putting
It In her favorite medieval Scandi-
navian setting. a story of loving. hat
ing and fighting. There Is no better
kind of book In the world. "Gunnar's
Daughter" is minor thing for Mime.
Unset, but for the reader impossible to
lay down.
William Faulkner also paid tribute
to the truth as to what makes a good
story in his "Absalom! Absalom!"
which. like "Gunnars Daughter" Is
pure tale. undiluted with sociology or
interpretations of the growth of
America westward or disquisitions on
the state Of labor organizations under
Fascist government. It is q black.
stormy thing, like nothing SO much as
the confusion of storm at night, and
it is an excellent artistic performance.
William Faulkners mind bears an
obvious likeness to that of Nathanial
Hawthorne.
difference between . plot and a SER
mon, and he has turned out a delect-
able Job In his up in the Hills" as
amusing and absorbing q piece of fan
tastic adventure as one can find any
where in the year. 1t is q story of Ire
land, but an Ireland which exists east
Of the sun and west of the moon If 1t
exists anywhere outside the authors
resourceful imagination.
Enchanted Voyage" by Robert
Nathan Is q slender thing. but imbued
with the good quality of Mr.. Nathan's
mind and turned out In his almost
perfect prose, so that it, too, must
needs be mentioned. 1t Is 4 tale of
the Bronx. and how . dweller of the
Bronx had a quite impossible adven-
ture.
Charles Morgan's "Sparkenbroke, ="
OF course, was the source of great
critical battling when it came out
last Spring. The reviewer holds to
the opinion which she then expressed
that it was q completely artificial
performance. brilliantly carried of.
And now one comes to the last work
to be listed by veterans who have
returned to novel writing, and that is
THE Big Money" by John Dos Passos.
The reviewer rates it pretentious tripe.
It Is on the list because of its authors
conspicuous position as a ''prophet"
Of the twenties. and exponent Of the
postwar years and what have you Of
the like. 1t has been a best seller,
and such critics as write their re-
views in the manner of college cheer
leader getting the gang to show a
little pep. have rooted hard for its
manifold projections. But it is about
nothing, and that is naw which 1t
Is difficult to conceal. Mr.. Dos Passos
should learn the meaning of the word
significance. 1t implies something
more than an exhibition of energy.
And with this one comes to the
works of writer's other than the vet
Grams in the novel field, and there is,