Evening star., 1936-10-14
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
SAINT JOAN OF ARC. BY ". sackville-
West. New York: Doubleday, Doran
BY MARARET GERMOND.

SAINT JOAN OF ARC. BY ". sackville-
West. New York: Doubleday, Doran
Co.
A distinguishing and impressive feature
| OF this new biography of Jeanne dare is
the directness with which the extraor-
dinary experiences that crowded the
short, tumultuous life of the Maid OF
| Orleans are held in line throughout q
| narrative that while adhering strictly
to historic fact to the extent that such
| detail is necessary, keeps prominently in
the foreground the peasant girl. whose
inexplicaole power Of leadership led
| nation to victory after century of war
fare and who is today honored as the
| most famous heroine in history.
No life story of Saint Joan would be
possible without some repetition of the
political conditions and ramif1cations of
her day, but In the handling of history
and biography, Miss Sackville- West has
combined the two in a manner that
sufficiently emphasizes the former with
out permitting 1t In any degree to over
shadow the latter. There are many
notable things which one would expect
to find in a book of this nature that the
author has not included. These omis-
sions are admitted to have been delib-
crate for the reason that from the au-
thor's viewpoint Jeanne dare was of
lar greater importance than any Of the
figures or the political problems which
beset the era. It has therefore been her
| purpose to concentrate upon the strange
career OF the martyred heroine as repre-
sentlng fundamental problem of major
Importance rather than upon the sec
ondary subject Of changing political
scenes.
Mystery still surrounds the peculiar
gift with which Joan was endowed.
Perhaps it always will. More than
five centuries after the flames de-
stroyed her life controversy and skepti-
cism continue to fill mems souls. Miss
Sackville-West does not attempt to give
the answer or to explain the voices, yet
one feels that perhaps the nearest ap-
proach to an understanding of the
mysterious visitations has been reached
in this biographer's simple statement
that: THE sagacity Of the peasant was
hers, as well as the inspiration Of the
mystic. Therein, I think, lay her real
strength" She does not believe the
theory Of Milton Waldman that the
does she press any positive theory Of her
own. But she does cite the incident Of
Joan's leap from Beaurevoir Tower
against the command of her angel
visitor as possibly one of the strongest
arguments that can be advanced in
favor Of an objective rather than q
subjective influence"
In the soul Of every human being
there exists. even in those who deny any
belief, an uncomfortable sense which in
voluntarily responds to some spiritual
emotion. Whether it Is designated as
religion or as something else Is of no
consequence. 1t functions as automat-
ically as do the physical members OF
the mortal body. Its direction may be
less certain and its ideal obscure, but
through 1t the race acquires the cour-
age to survive and to move forward.
In her deep study of the life of Saint
Joan the author of this latest biography,
who disclaimS being religious in the
accepted sense of meaning. admits that
she finds in Frances national saint
figure who challenges some of the pro-
foundest tenets Of what We do or do not
believe"
"She makes us think" says Victoria
Sackville- West, land she makes us ques-
ton; she uncovers the dark places into
which we may fear to look. We read,
and having read are left with the es-
sential queries: Does God on occasion
manifest Himself by direct methods? Is
the visible world the only world we
have to consider? Is it possible for
mortal man to get into touch with beings
of another world? Is 1t possible that
unearthly guidance may be vouchsafed
to assist our human fallibility? Is it pos
sible that certain beings are born with
a sixth sense, a receptivity so far beyond
that Of their duller fellows that In order
to explain 1t We take refuge in such
words as miraculous and 'supernat-
urar?"
Further along in the final chapter.
after reluctantly stating her own con-
victions and expressing the belief that
1t is imperative for any biographer OF
Saint Joan to make his own position
clear IF only to avoid any suspicion of
personal prejudice" the author makes
this confession:
"For me there is only one comprehen-
sive, stupendous unity of which we ap-
prehend but the smallest segment. My
readings into Joan of Arc have done
nothing but increase my belief in the
existence of that unity, and also the
belief that certain persons are in touch
with, or, shall we say, receptive to the
influences of, a unity for which we have
no adequate name. the greater whole Of
which our own imagination embraces
but a tiny part" And again: I'm the
meantime it seems to me that the only
| spirit in which to approach the prob
| lem Of Jeannes voices and visions in the
| present state Of our understanding is q
| spirit Of complete open -mindedness and
acknowledgment Of our ignorance"
A scholarly work is this comprehensive
narrative which portrays the life and
the history of Saint Joan from child.
hood to death. without prejudice or
sentimentality. but with sincere devotion
| to facts and with something nearer to
| understanding than has been approached
by any contemporary biographer. It
has a genuine richness and beauty that
not only fingers, but that also leads the
reader to think deeply upon many
| fundamental questions that are Of i'm
| portance to mankind.
Half tone and line cut illustrations
| embelliSh the Handsomely bound and