Evening star., 1938-03-06

is the story of his developing interest
and improved technique in his chosen
career. and as such the work ought to
have great interest for the amateur
of pictures At the same time. this
main narrative is enlivened by many
episodes of mortal danger and so it will
hardly be necessary for the reader
to have an interest in photography
In order to be entertained As said, it
is book of thrills and plain old
fashioned taste for the thriller ought
to suffice.
ADONA1S. BY Dorothy Hewlett
indianapolis: Bobs Merrill.
THIS new life of John Keats seems
to the reviewer to fall somewhat
between two schools-the scholarly
and the popular. The work unques-
tionably represents great amount Of
research. Yet the new material which
it brings to light in no considerable
way modifies the poets life story; 1t
merely adds to it. On the other hand
the book cannot be called q biog.
raphy of the popular type. It has
very much the style Of writing which
appertains to the strictly scholarly
work, differing from that type of COM
position only in its authors editorial
expressions of admiration for her
subject. It is not, apparently. written
with any effort to attract wide pub
lie. For these reasons 1t seems hard
to catalogue the volume accurately.
1t is neither one thing nor the other.
Yet this does not mean that the
work can be lightly dismissed. 1t is
veritably life of Keats and it con-
tains substantially the poets story,
with all the wealth of tragic and
fateful incident which surrounded
him. The concept of the man
emerges clear and well-rounded. even
though the method of the writing Is
not picturesque. To read it is to know
the poet, or perhaps one should say.
to know the facts which center in the
poet. The volume is a valuable one,
in that sense. 1t can take its place
beside the already-existing lives with
perfect desert.
FAR FROM C1BoLA. BY Paul
Horgan. New York.
THIS brief novel was first published
in "The American Caravan" of
1886. Its author belongs in the ranks
of the younger writer's; among them
he has been making steadily growing
reputation for some seasons. His
present work is loosely constructed
story dealing with the depression in
q California rural district. All the
action takes place in a single day
and concerns slightly related groups
There is tramp who dies of cold and
hunger; there is the keeper Of cheap
restaurant whose remorse over his
failure to feed the tramp leads him to
conduct; there is a
mob which storms the local relief
office and a young boy who is shot in
the disturbance. And there are others.
The lives of all the characters are
shown inter-related and reacting on
one another 1t is bitter piece of |
work but unquestionably well-done |
and effective. 1t is one of the few |
works on the depression which the |
reviewer has read in which there is
a hint Of vision beyond the immediate |
time and perceptible effort to show |
our momentary troubles in some meas
ured perspective and not, as is the
habit Of most writer's on the theme
NJ
moment were the sum Of history and |
its ultimate ending. The book can be
recommended to the serious. It would,
however, hardly please the seeker for
light reading.
AFRICAN HUNTER. BY Bror Won
Blixen-Finecke. Translated from
the Swedish by F. H. Lyon. New
York: Alfred A. Knopf.
THE author of this book has been
for 20 years and more a hunter
and leader Of hunting expeditions in
the big game country of Africa. He
writes now not a record of his ex-
periences, but q sort Of book of
anecdotes. It makes immensely good
reading.
1t is not necessary to be q hunter
oneself in order to enjoy the work.
For that matter, 1t is not even neces-
sary to have any particular interest
in hunting or sympathy with the sport.
It is only needful to have q sympathy
with the professional state of mind,
with the attitude of the man who
knows an occupation thoroughly and
follows it wisely and lovingly. This
is no book of slaughterer. It is the
book of a man who loved the chase
and object Of the chase more than
the trophy. There is fine feeling OF
expertness and commonsense in every
sentence of the work.
Animal lovers, indeed, may find
much material in the book to delight
them. The stories Of the authors
various pets--of Kom, the lion who