Evening star., 1937-11-28


(Simon & SchusterJ
varying manners and by varying
approaches, the effort is made to con.
trast East and West and show the
effect of the clash of the two cultures
The reviewer has listed the work.
above in what seems to her the order
of their lasting worth.
Lin Yutang is well known to Amer.
leans, OF course, from his book of two
years ago, MY Country and My Peo.
pie" His present work is subtitled
"A Personal Guide to Enjoyment. >
Its subject is Chinese philosophy in
its practical application to life: its
purpose is to explain that philosophy
and its method is to contrast the Chi
nese attitude toward that of various
Western peoples. including some OF
the ancientS as well as the moderns
The method, however, is by the way
The works solid beauty lies in what
DR.. Lin has to say of the manner In
which a cultured Chinaman accepts
the universe.
This, he says, is done by the work
lngs Of race mentality which has
progressed through sophistication to
unsophistication-the wheel come full
circle, in other words. The mentality
OF his people, he tells us, has as its
chief component realism. 1t avoids
the defeat that comes from disillusion
because it allows for no illusion. 1t
aims at enjoying life sensuously, with
a conscious and humorous acceptance
Of the gifts of the senses 1t is essen
TALLY the attitude toward life of the
"old scamp" as he puts it. His own
words tell the story best.
90 y" I am doing my best" he
writes. "to glorify the scamp or vaga-
bond. I hope I shall succeed For
things are not so simple as they some
times seem. In this present age of
threats to democracy and individual
liberty, probably only the scamp and
the spirit of the scamp alone will save
us from becoming lost as serially num-
bered units in the masses of disci-
plined. obedient, regimented and uni
formed coolies. The scamp will be
the last and most formidable enemy
of relationships. He will be the cham
pion of human dignity and individual
freedom. and will be the last to be
conquered. All modern civilization
depends entirely upon him.
Probably the Creator knew we'll that
when He created man upon this earth
He was producing scamp. a brilliant
scamp. it is true, but a scamp none
theless. The scamplike qualities OF
man are. after all, his most hopeful
qualities -"
This individualistic attitude, this
attitude which aims at humorous. SEN
suous enjoyment and which soberly
takes account of what may be done,
avoiding losing itself in the vanity of
ideals, this, says Dr. Lin. is the true
Oriental reaction to the opportuni-
ties Of living. And having laid down
so plain framework, he goes on with
equal plainness. He builds no super
structure of religion or metaphysics;
he tells plainly how life may be en-
joyed between the limits Of birth and
death. The pleasures of lying in bed,
the pleasures of sitting in chairs, the
pleasures of flowers, of travel, Of fam
lily existence, of sex, OF idleness-he
treats Of all these specifically. He is
more witty at some times than at
others. but he is always profoundly
sensible and, surely, there is, if not
wit. at least humor in that alone
particularly in this grim age when
people obscurely torture themselves in
the worship of timely facts and un-
derstand so we'll what their diseases
are but have no confidence in health.
DR.. Lin's book seemed to the re-
viewer very good indeed
East Goes West" must be placed In
the category OF autobiography It's
author is now assistant professor Of
comparative literature at New York
University and a member Of the staff
of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Like Dr. Lin, he is the author Of 4
well-known previous book, The Grass
Roof" But when he came to America
after the World War he was just an
other immigrant boy, an 1s-year-old
Korean with 81 in his cap. He tells
here the story of his struggle to be-
come westernized.
1t is an amusing tale; at places it Is
hilarious. The reviewer wondered
sometimes, indeed, if Mr.. Kang knew
how funny he was being. His contrast
of his Oriental viewpoint with his
Western surroundings is the basis OF
this humor. and the question must
arise as to whether he, being part of
the ridiculous situations which he de-
scribes, can perceive the sometimes
exquisite absurdity Of his narrative.
He writes, for example Of his vir-
tual kidnapping by the seller of q home
educational guide; this man, a 60
getting salesman type, alas, saw in
the young Korean student a chance tc
sell his books to people whose sym.
pathies for the alien would be keen
He seized Kang, carried him OH te
his home, where he installed him q.
unpaid man Of all work while l<
trained him to recite the printed sale,
speeches. Then he sent him forth
The pathetic struggles Of the youne
Oriental as he tried to peddle book.
from door to door to New England
housewives, hoping that what his sup.
posed benefactor had told him of thu
merits of the volumes was true, un.
aware Of the hatred of book agent.
which lies in the breast Of the Ameri.
can householder, Is terribly funny
That Mr.. Kang has written 1t in tha'
manner (provided that he did so un.
derstandingly) is tribute to his ar
tistic perception. It would have beer
easy to 1ill pages with self-pity; i
would have been perfectly under
standable. too, for he was badly treat
ed But that would have made drear.
reading following . well-beaten track
The humorous treatment Of sometimes
quite unhumorous material is vastl,
more effective.
The book goes on through the year