Evening star., 1937-10-09
Bv N0rv.Carfer Roberts.

Weg1an Dy Arthur ". OHbteI. NC~
York: Alfred A, Khopf.
w YE ARE told by the jacket
the problem Of marriage
and divorce" and--egrettably
does. 1t has no more significance than
that.
It is dreary little tale of how
couple. after l6 years Of marriage. sep
Arated. mourned about unhappily for
q while, and then remarked. Read
irg it, one can comprehend how the
misunderstanding and sorrows Of
these two people were important and
real to themselves. But that they
should ever interest any one else is
highly unlikely. 80
The reason for the dreariness which
90 afflicts the story is not, to be sure,
Mrs. 'Undset's handling. Although she
has used plot of no greater distinc-
ton than those which one finds in
ladies' magazines, she has treated it
with intelligence and dignity. Dreary
1t Is. none the less, and one has to
wonder that a writer Of Mrs. Undsets
genius should have occupied herself
with material so meretricious.
For obviously that business which
the jacket writer called "the problem
Of marriage and divorce" is no ma
terial Of any novel that belongs on
the lofty plane which Mrs. Undset, by
her past work, has set aside for her
own. The pangs of the suburban wife,
as she waits in the evening for hus-
band who does not promptly arrive,
the stealthy little amours Of the fun
damentally moral husband - these
might be held up before the world In
novel II the novelist took care to
stamp them with the folly, pity, stu
pidity and limitation which truly ap-
pertains to them. They are not fit
for novel usage, however, when the
writer assures his readers that any
such personal problem is important.
For it is not important. 1t matters
not a particle whether Mrs. X di-
vorces Mr.. X for his confessed infideli-
ty or not, and whether, having di-
vorced him, she does or does not re-
marry, is similarly without conse-
quence That the Faith Baldwins.
Ruby Ayres, Warwick Deepings and
Fanny Hursts Of the world should
think otherwise, and should prosti-
tute the art of novel writing to the
level Of the mentality of the pulp
reader. is perfectly understandable,
for such prostitution is enormously
profitable. Moreover, it is possible
In the case of one or two of those
mentioned above, that they are inno-
cent of cynicism, that they write sim
cerely, actually believing that the
drivel that they gush forth is true,
beautiful and significant; the re-
viewer has more than once suspected
Fanny Hurst of such illusions. But
Sigrid Undset knows better. Her pres
ent performance therefore is simply
amazing
The reviewer can think Of no more
definite summing up of THE Faith
full Wife" than this-that it could
have been published in Good House.
keeping" with perfect propriety. Those
who read Good Housekeeping" may
take that as recommendation Those
who do not can always re-read "Kristin
Lavransdatter.
EARBOR NIGHTS. BY Harvey Klem-
mer. Philadelphia J. B. Lippin-
colt Co.
THIS is the book of sailors men,
ory, written decade and more
after the last sailing Mr.. Harvey
klemmer, as he tells 1t here, joined
the crew of a lake freighter at the age
Of II and spent the next four years in
ships, with the exception Of an inter-
lude as lumberjack and one or two
other interludes cumming around in
search for work. All this was back in
the days Immediately following the
war. but 1887 is the Autographed
Year of Years and so, with bull fight
ers. gypsy fiddlers, women surgeons,
missionaries, taxi dancers, Hollywood
extras and multi-millionaires joining
the worlds entire corps Of journalists
and correspondents in writing memoirs
there seems to be no reason why a
simple sailor should not break down
and confess, too, even though 1t does
come bit in the wake of the event.
Mr.. Klemmer's narrative is plain
and unadorned. 1t follows the chrono-
logical plan, and is very little given to
comment or editorializing. In such
and such months, 1t says, was on
such and such ships, making such
and such voyages. AS plain as that.
But It's plainness notwithstanding, it
contrives to be a pretty interesting
book. What is sailors life? Writing
with frankness which is quite devoid
Of sensationalsm or artiness, this
author gives the answer as he knows
It,. A sailors life, he says, is hard
work, poor food and cramped quarters
at sea and drunkenness and fighting
ashore. The calling which romance
Is prone to name its own, therefore,
stands pretty cleanly stripped of CLAM
our here. In "Harbor Nights" 1t is
demonstrated as sordid, narrow and
dreary to An almost incredible degree.
Yet this does not mean that the
book itself has those qualities. 1t is
the book of a young mans expert
ences, and Mr.. Klemmer has captured
his youthful reactions pretty honestly.
One gathers that the young fellow who
went to sea in 1915 found things very
different from what he had expected,
but that he adjusted himself to them
without self-pity. He took his part
In the brutal and stupid existence.
Writing of it now. 20 years later, he
makes picture which with a few ex-
ceptiops manages to be convincing
Those exceptions, naturally, are in the
chapters given over to memories OF
love affairs. In those passages, un-
happily, objectivity Of method is aban-
doned. The reader is asked to believe
that the waterfront lady was as won-
derful AS she seemed to the youthful
sailor 20 years ago, and that puts a
pretty heavy. strain on credibility
Such chapters break also the plain