Evening star., 1937-08-07

with the distinctly grim course of his
narrative.
| AN ADVENTURE WITH A GENIUS.
BY Alleyne Ireland. New York: E.
P. Dutton Co.
4 LLEYNE IRELAND served once as
member of the late Joseph Pulit-
zers secretariat. and this book is an
account of that time. 1t was first writ
ten in 1914 (the reviewer remembers 1t
as collateral reading in Journalism)
it was reissued in 1920 and now it
seems good for another edition or SO.
Anyway, another edition has been got
ten out and has so impressed writer
for the Readers Digest that it has
been featured in that magazine. This
is no wonder. Joseph Pulitzer was a
very great man. and Mr.. Ireland, writ
ing Of him. caught just those superb
cialities OF greatness which the public
can understand and likes to enter
into.
For it is not profound work 1t
is distinctly popular reading. 1t con-
Germs itself for the most part with
mannerisms-how the great man was
walking encyclopedia, how his mem
ory was phenomenal, how he was able
to work a staff of six secretaries to
WEAKNESS, though he himself was a
hopeless invalid; how he could be a
charming host, how magnificently he
bore his affliction and the like
But it is well enough done, and be-
cause its subject was fascinating hu-
man being. it. too, has a quality of
fascination. Old as it is. it will prob
ably find receptive public in this new
edition, and one has no hesitation in
saying that it will deserve it.
ALLAH DETHRONED. BY Lilo Linke.
New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
THIS is the story of young Ger
man woman's journey through
modern Turkey. 1t is detailed and
GermaniCally thorough, it covers most
Of the aspects of Turkish civiliza ton
tmpart to the reader who goes through
its more than 800 pages of fine print
a very comprehensive body of in
formation about the most Western
oriental country. 1t can therefore
be recommended as handbook OF a
however, very lively reading, unless
one happens to have a preconceived
interest in Turkey and Turkish az
fairs.
For the writer, in her travels into
strange and little frequented places,
seems, in her meticulous attention
to detail, to have little care for per-
spective in her narrative. She proceeds
on the method Of telling everything
which happened and everything which
she saw, no matter how minute the
happening or the scene. Thus she
lays before her reader vast body
Of information put together with mo-
sale flatness. The result IS that one
is apt to get a bit weary in the long
level Of her story.
Her findings about the regime of
| the notorious Kemal Ataturk are, on
| the whole, optimistic. She finds the
| educational system improved, the
backward living conditions of the land
undergoing modernization, and the
spirit of the people being turned
| toward the future and away from
the worship of past greatness. There
are exceptions, of course. TO this move
| ment, and she notes them. But in
the sick man Of Europe" is turning
| toward health
| Her book is illustrated with 81 pho
! tographS and map. On the whole
| it is a solid, informative volume.
THE GREAT GOODWIN. BY Alva
Johnston. New York: Random
| House.
THE bouncing irrepressible magnat<
| Of the movies. that mischievous
| baldheaded elf Of Metro -GoldUyn-
| Mayer, Sam Goldwyn, Is. as astute
readers may have guessed. the sub
| lect OF this book. 1t Is called q
| portrait in four sittings' and there
really are four chapters to the small
| volume, But it is essentially all the
| same stuff-an explanation and tc
| a great degree, glorification of the
| personality of the producer whose &C.
| centricities have become, In the popu-
| semi -literate but shrewd executive
! who has made of our movies Whai
They Are.
That happy hysteria which is known
| as Hollywood seems, indeed TO have
| found It's personification in Mr. Gold.
wyn, if we are to believe this book
| His career Is fabulous, but with tha
| particular fantastic fabulousness which
| belongs only to the products anc
legends Of the movie capital. There
is no point in being more specific
| the whole story is cockeyed and NJ
part more so than another Reae
it and die That is the best advice
! the reviewer can offer
Some GoldWynisms may, however
be quoted Mr.. Johnston supplies .
list of them which. he says, are au
thentic. Here are few:
We can get all the Indians ".
need at the reservoir.
Our new executive Was born in Al
orpheum asylum.
You're always taking the bull be
| tween the teeth.
And-"It's too caustic," said di
rector when asked his opinion of ,
script. ITO he'll with the cost" re
piled Sam. IF it's good pictur,
well make II"
Well, read it. And die, indeed.
PLACE IN THE CITY. BY Howard
Fast. New York: Harcourt Brace
THIS is one Of those novels which
takes the life Of New Yori
street and carries the inhabitants 0
that street through certain periot
Of time and personal development
The pattern Is a Well-Vorn one bu
can always be interesting. We hav
much the usual cast assembled--th
dying young poet, the young wifi