Evening star., 1936-11-21
LIFE-ILLUSION IS SUBJECT
saiden Castle Although Like Slice Cut From An Old Loaf Is
Observation-Disclosures Dodge Luhan Tells Too Much
Three Men Write of La Femme Fatale.

bIlc IdCS. hnQ 30 Ii 1ici PaBCo oAAS
deals very cavalierly with . number
OF men and women now occupying |
comfortable positions in the society |
which they aimably plotted to "over-
throw" Possibly her contention Is
that the social impetus given to their |
day by these individuals justtfies her |
revelations. and this might be true II |
she limited herself to social questions. |
But descriptions Of her own wrestling |
matches Qiterally) with Maurice
Sterne, or of q peyote party which
ended in hysteria are hardly passages
of general social Importance.
The second part Of the book deals
with the period which followed on the
social reforming era-the period. in
Mrs. Dodge's simple, Incompatible
phrase. that was given over to Art
and Nature" The painter, Sterne,
here replaced the revolutionist, Reed.
as her lover and the salon gave way
to Provincetown and the popular art
colonies. But the general trend Of the
memoirs continues the same. Instead
of experimenting with peyote and en-
tertaining strike leaders, Mrs. Dodge
frequented psycho-analysts and quack
doctors and entertained artists. The
analogy is inescapahle to the detached
reader, and can be mentioned quite
without unkindness.
Indeed, one would not want to be
unkind to SO childlike book. There
is an awful. ignorant sincerity about
it. Mrs. Dodge. in spite Of long for
gathering with artists, apparently
does not know yet that no one can
tell all" about anything. No one
can tell more than a fraction about
the simplest Of processes-about, for
example, the implications and factors
involved in a single movement Of a
single persons hand. Only certain
significances can be indicated, and
this requires an artists discernment,
an artists patience, an artists ar
ranging. Merely to trumpet truth
fully for 500 pages does not serve.
Five thousand could be devoted to the
same end with no more accomplish
ment. As bald and callow document,
Mrs. Dodge's work contains facts
gists in years to come. As a work Of
literary memoirs, it Is no more than
an enfant terrible.
o. HENRY MEMORIAL PRIZE
STORIES OF 1896. Edited by
Harry Hansen. Garden City:
Doubleday Doran and Co.
The reviewer experienced some dis
appointment on opening this latest
volume OF best" short stories. 1t is
her habit to receive such works with
expectation OF the grimmest kind, for
the choice of stories for distinguished
mention in recent years has been
wierd and fantastic critical puzzle
which has steadily eluded her solution.
But the present book, amazingly, is in
the main made up Of quite respectable
work. While none Of the selections
in it would tower into greatness, none
OF them are marked either by that
drooling incoherence which has gen.
orally been their characteristic. It Is
volume OF a good run-of -the-mill
level. Incredibly enough, there seems
to be nothing more to say about 1t.
THE UNEXPECTED YEARS. BY
Laurence Housman. Indianapolis:
! Bobbs- Merrill Co.
This book Is one of those peculiarly
felicitous volumes of memoirs which,
without having any great individuality
of their own. still furnish unmixed
l AZ fo fe Mt
biography Of a writing man, and it
has mellow humor, seasoned observa-
ton, and excellent style. All these are
old phrases, and the reviewer uses
them with appreciation Of their age.
There have been volumes Of memoirs
before, there will be volumes Of
memoirs again, which will call for
just such descriptive tags. They are
none the less applicable, and what
is that, pray tell? Why, it Is reason
for giving unmixed thanks to heaven.
Mellow humor, seasoned observation
and excellent style cannot be en-
countered too often.
Mr.. Housman is, Of course, best
known to Americans as the author
of Victoria Regina" and the popu-
larity of that play in this country
will certainly arouse interest as to the
manner OF man who wrote it. Suffice
it to say that he sets himself down
as a modest gentleman, and makes
little capital Of the fact that no less
than 80 of his plays have been
banned by the English Censor. but
writes rather about his friends, his
cats, his travels and his mildly self
sufficient philosophy. A proper volume
of memoirs, indeed. It is pleasure
to commend it.
MORE POEMS. BY A. e. Housman.
Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
A. L. HOUSMAN: A SKETCH TO-
GETHER WITH A LIST OF HIS
WRITINGS AND INDEXES TO
HIS CLASSICAL PAPERS. BY A.
8. F. Cow. New York: The Mac
milan Co.
These Two volumes appear appropri-
ately together, and lovers of the art OF
| Vic 0utIlOT Vi LlC oAhof0AAS @SeN
will want both Of them.
The first contains 48 hitherto un-
published lyrics, collection well
worthy the exquisite tradition set by
this poet. Readers will remember that
in 1922 volume of his work appeared
under the title, Last Poems" Hous-
man said that this would not neces-
sarily be the last volume of his which
would be published, but that they Ger
tainly were the last that would appear
In his lifetime. The present collection
apparently was in his mind when he
made the statement. It Is not to be
applauded too much that 1t has actu-
ally been made into q procurable book.
The second of the volumes named
above Is chiefly biographical sketch,
written by q man who knew Housman
well. Housman, by reason OF his re-
| t{r;~~ x~.a~~~r Af HfA hAraHnn ovan