Evening star., 1937-03-13
FOUNDER WEEPS FOR RUSSIA
Irotzky the Complete Theost Explains His Dream Giving His
Own Reasons for Failure of Communism Reach Frtion
in Soviet State-Recent Books

reason than this man to write in bitter
prejudice against the present regime
in Russia. Yet this book has dread
full ring of truth about it-not because
1t deals much in figures and facts
Gas it does), but because 1t is true
to the course OF human nature. The
complacent perfections reported by
1ntourist travellers and writer's for the
pinker press cannot have convinced
anybody Of their truth, because they
were fundamentally untrue to the pos
sibilities Of human conduct. The
present book will probably be greeted
by wrathful howls or pitying patronage
from these same authors, whose credit
Is at stake. But, 1t should be re-
membered, Trotzky has nothing at
stake. He is that most completely
isolated Of men--the reformer who
has failed. He cannot expect even to
recoup his reputation.
ARTHUR JAMES BALFOUR. BY
Blanche E. C. Dugdale. Two VOL
umes. New York: G. P. Putnam's
Sons.
GREY OF FALLODoN. BY George
Macaulay Trevelyan. Boston:
Houghton Mif11in Co.
roth of these biographies of Eng
lish statesmen OF t e recent past |
have been written by authors with long
acquaintance with their subjects. Mrs |
Dugdale is Lord Balfour's niece and !
was his confldant for many years. 'r.
1revelyan was close friend and |
neighbor Of Lord Grey. Both books,
therefore, have an intimate quality.
The life Of Lord Balfour, however,
Is vastly the more detailed Of the two.
1t is clearly intended to be the states
mans official biography. AS such, it
is well done. 1t gives every step of
its subjects career, excepting gener-
ously Tor the most part from the letters
and documents involved. While it Is
clearly the work Of deeply respectful
admlrer, 1t remains impersonal in tone,
and avoids much comment outside the
facts. 1t is, indeed, a biography of the
old-f fashioned kind, and good example
Of the type, although not, perhaps, the
very best. It ought to stand as the
authoritative work on Lord Balfour for
long time.
Grey of Fallodon" is more the in
formal sort of life. 1t offers less detail
about its subjects political career and
more about his personal tastes. 1t is
not so much an Official" biography
as a friends portrait Of friend. Lord
Grey as naturalist, country neigh
Dor, q sportsman-these aspects re-
cetye as much attention as does Lord
Grey as statesman. The essentials
OF the political career, however, are all
included.
The two books naturally cover the
same period in English history. Lord
Grey was born in 1862, Lord Balfour
in 1848. 1t cannot be said, however,
That there is any valuable contrast to
be gained from reading them together.
They merely happen to be contemp-
orary lives.
OF NICE AND MEN. ~ John Stein
beck. New York: Covici Friede.
Mr. STEINBECK, who up to now
has written novels here attempts
the increasingly popular novelette,"
form OF fiction, and brings it of very
well indeed. His story is an unpleas-
ant one, the character who gives it
Its motivation being a moron of un-
attractive, If harmless, propensities
but Mr.. Steinbeck has built a WELL
constructed tale around this creature
and has done some extremely good
writing in the process.
The story concerns a pair Of drift
ing laborers in California-Lennie the
moron, and George, the faithful friend,
VINO keeps him out of trouble. It is
Georges secretly cherished dream
that he and Lennie will one day have
bit OF land Of their own and live
by the products Of their own labor
ana cease to work for bosses. In his
own words, this dream takes Up pa
thetically simple form:
An it'd be our own, an nobody
could can us. II We don't like a guv
we can say, Get the hell out and by
God he's got to do it. An il a fren'
come along, why he'd have an extra
bunk, an we'd say, Why don't YOU
spend the night? an by God he
would. We'd have setter dog and a
couple stripe cats >"
simple mans paradise, in other
words. But Lennie falls into trouble,
Is hunted down by mob, and the plan
comes to nothing. as the title suggests.
1t might be banal, were Mr. Steinbeck
not highly perceptive writer. He en-
nVens his bunk-house conversation,
however. with such bits Of yirtuosity
as the following description Of a
workman:
he moved with a ma ajesty only
achieved by royalty and master crafts
men. He was jerkline skinner, the
prince Of the ranch, capable of driving
10, l6. even 20 mules with a single
line to the leaders. He was capable Of
hlnng ny on the wheelers butt with
Dull whip without touching the
mule There was a gravity in his
manner and quiet so profound that
all Talk stopped when he spoke. His
authority was so great that his word
was taken on any subject, be it poll
tics or love. This was Slim, the jerk
line skinner. His hatchet face WAS
aSeless. He might have been IS or so.
His ear heard more than was said to
him, and his slow speech had over
tone not Of thought, but Of under
standing beyond thoughts. His hands.
large and lean. were as delicate in
their action as those OF a temple
dancer"
This seems to the reviewer as fine a
characterization as has been writ
ten. While the plot OF Mice and
Men is itself unpleasant, such ex-
cellence OF writing makes the story
eminently worth reading.
THE AMAZING FREDERIC. Bv
Gertrude Slaughter New York:
The Macmillan Co.
THE best thing about this book is
its title. For, without question,