Evening star., 1938-07-17

trio love story is what it turns out to
be. 1t is entirely readable.
DAUGHTERS AND SONS. BY I.
Compton-Burnett New York: w.
w. Norton and Co.
This satirical portrait Of an Eng
lish family is told about entirely in
dialogue. The Ponsonbys are an up
per middle class family and their un-
disputed ruler is Sabine, the 85-year-
old grandmother, who seldom spoke
anything but evil Of any human
being" Her pompous, vain son John
is distinguished novelist and her
daughter Hetta has dedicated her life
to her brother. Johns wife is dead
and as Sabine knows nothing to say
against her, she never speaks of her.
The other members of this family
are i've young people. Johns chill
dren. There is a succession Of gov
ernesses for the youngest girl and
a fawning tutor to the two boys.
Daughters and Sons" is almost en-
tirely a novel of ideas with little or
no plot, but matters are complicated
by such strange occurrences as the
jealousy aroused in the father when
one of his daughters writes a prize
winning novel and publishes 1t under
the name of the governess.
The Ponsonbys are, of course, an
entirely unbelievable family. That
so much malicious pickering and acid
comment could flow so continuously
from the lips of dozen people is
beyond the realm of reason. But
Miss Compton-Burnett is creating a
little world and Is by no means re-
porting one photographically. This
is satire-and satire of the most re-
freshing kind. Into the mouths Of
her characters she puts her own wise,
witty and pungent observations of
mankind. The dialogue is always
sparkling and rare is the page which
does not glow with fresh, pertinent
epigram.
All this makes joyful and reward
ing reading; but not exactly easy
reading. All the characters, from Sa-
bine the matriarch to the youngest,
l1-year-old Muriel, talk exactly alike
and this Is confusing. 1t may not be
entirely amiss when one considers
that these people live in a tight little
world of their own and no outside
influence ever intrudes. Even the
governesses must fit into the pattern
or they are bounded out of the house
by Sabine's savage tongue.
The field in which Miss Compton,
De-, 4akA haf ~ IT, -
lectual satire-is not an overcrowded
one, but she has no equal either here
or in her own England She appears
incapable of writing hackneyed
phrase or expressing banal idea.
LOVE AT THE MISSION. BY r.
Hernekin Baptist. Boston: Little
Brown & Co.
MIR. r. HERNEKIN BAPTIST, the
Az author of this book, has made
his name so far by books and stories
on African life. He knows this life
we'll, for he has spent many years in
South Africa. His work has presented
it, 50 far, from point Of view SOL
Idly based on historical and racial
knowledge, as well as on mere OBJ
servation. In his present book he
carries on with the African theme.
The story is set entirely in the pres
ent, but the influence Of history and
the past is used as a great motivat-
ing factor in 1t.
It is the unpleasant little tale of
three daughters Of Swiss missionary
whose home is lonely mission station,
where their father is the only white
person whom they see. The theme is
that 1t is highly indiscreet for sanity
old gentleman with three growing girls
to 50 isolate his domicile, and that
II such an old gentleman does 50 he
had better keep . sharp eye in his
head. The old gentleman of the story,
alas, keeps no eye at all: his vision Is
turned inward on the contemplation