davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-11-03
CHEER UP, BOYSl YOU'LL DO
YOUR BEST WORK AT 100
CREATIVE AGING. By "a

CREATIVE AGING. BY Ed
ward L. Bortz, MD. MAC
milan; $4.95.)
DR.. B0rtz Is an eminent
geriatrist, one Of the relative
ly new breed Of medical prac-
titioners who specialize In the
problems Of aging.
On Page 4 Of his genial
book, he tells US that by 1880
we may all expect to live to
be 30. On Page ISL, the title
Of his penultimate chapter re-
veals his ultimate goal: Zone
Hundred Healthy Years"
No use arguing with him,
I'll clue you.
WIN Sparlng use OF Sucn
family cloying terms as Sen
ior Citizen and The Golden
Years, he reminds us that
Verdi wrote his "Te Deum"
at IS; that Pablo Casals plays
better than ever at IS; that
Robert Frost brought out a
new book Of poems at SO; that
Bernard Baruch did a full
days work on his Goth birth
day; that Grandma Moses, on
her Tooth, painted a picture.
The Nations steadily ad-
vancing life span, the good
doctor explains, is due to 'the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-11-03
And Still the Twoin
Shall Never Meet

makes both countries what
they are. His earlier book $50
Wet Man and His World"
brought him immediate recog-
milton in this country, and this
latest volume is sure to extend
his leadership.
His general theme evolves
from his view that Russia is
European; China is Oriental.
The differences that stem
from this simple truth, he
says, make any lasting alli-
ance between these two giants
unlikely. Moreover, the ira
ditions, the customs, the per-
sonality of the countries have
their roots in the past, beyond
the relatively short period of
Communist rule.
In his book. DR.. Mehnert
mixes his personal expert
ences with his scholarly re-
searches to provide a highly
readable, very Informative,
and quite opinionated study
into both Russian and Chinese
societies. This reviewer found
his discussions Of Chinese life
the more interesting.
But DR.. Mehnert Is obvious
ly quite uncomfortable among
Chinese. On many occasions,
he emphasizes the wide gulf
separating the Occidental and
Oriental worlds. He feels
much closer to the Russians
because they are Europe
ans" He rejects the theory
that Russians are "Asiatics, !"
and argues that they should
be encouraged to link up with
the nations of the West, since
such an alliance is more nat
ural than one with the Chi
neSe.
His thesis that sociological
differences have more lasting
effect on the Sino-Soviet re-
lationship than the pull of
communism is a highly de-
batable one, and one which
has led to arguments within
scholarly circles in the West
for years. Certainly. at this
point in the Sino-Soviet feud,
DR.. Mehnert seems to be eS-
chewing the correct interpre-
tation.
BERNARD GWERTZMAN.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-11-03
DOON0
Donizetti and Verdi Are Viewed
In the Light of Operu Today
BOOKS IN REVIEW
By DAY THORPE
star Book Critic

star Book Critic
DONIZETTI AND THE
WORLD OF OPERA IN
ITALY, PARIS, AND WEN
Ma IN THE FIRST HALF
OF THE NINETEENTH
CENTURY. BY Herbert
Weinstock. pantheon
Books; 500
VERDI. HIS MUSIC, LIFE,
AND TIMES. By George
Martin. (DOdd, Mead & Co.;
SI2.)
The reading this week of
two long books concerned
with the life and times of
two Of the greatest COM
pOSers Of opera, Donizetti and
Verdi, has naturally prompted
reflection on the difference
between the state of music
drama throughout the 18th
century and that in which we
find it today, and to conjec-
ture why today opera is dead,
and its embalmed corpse dis
played on catafalques car
pentered in various degrees
of theatricality. It is too COM
pick a subject to be investi-
gated at all thoroughly in a
column or two, but a few per-
tinent topics may be sug-
geSted.
| do not believe that today's
audiences, either in America
or In Europe, are any less
susceptible to the appreciation
and enjoyment of opera in
widely varied styles than were
those of the 18th CEN
fury, nor do l believe what
Rudolf Bing and other leading
producers tell us that we do
not have the voices today re-
quired by many works Of the
last century. Mr.. Bing could
cast any opera he had a mind
to produce even civilian
Tell"-if he did not. always
with bis eye on the box office
that opera management of the
last 60 years has trained to
respond only to the ''big
namC," depend to such a large
extern; on singers whose prime
is so far in the past that they
have neither the ability nor
the inclination for taxing roles,
but do still have the invaluable
asset of a reputation as in
vincible as that Of Ivory Soap.
Added to the adroit creation
of the prima donna Cor rather
the public image of her) has
been the skillful installation of
the belief that there are only
a few operas that the public
really wants to hear. Thus
imagination, originality-artis-
tic endeavour in general-has
become less and less impor-
tant in the opera house. and
a few operas can be produced
in mass production and sold
through the highly developed
techniques Of modern public
ity. But alas, the process
has reduced the public to a
clique Injured to a ritual, for
the most part puppets with
very little sense of participa-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-11-03

printed for the first time.
The contemporary cartoons
of Edward Jump supple
ment the text.
HOW TO INCREASE SALES
AND PUT YOURSELF
ACROSS BY TELEPHONE.
By Mona Ling. prentice
Hall; $3.50 A guide to the
more efficient use of the
telephone for the secretary
to the president.
MEN OF THE CONTRAM
COUNTRY. By Ed Mack
Miller. Prentice Hall;
$4.95.) A collection of true
stories of the famous flyers
and airmen of the 10Th GEN.
fury.
NORTH KOREA TODAY.
Edited by Robert A. Scala
Pine. (Praeger; 81 A sur
vey of what is going on
above the 18th Parallel,
based on a special issue of
"The China Quarterly"
THE HISTORY OF PROBES
SIGNAL FOOTBALL. By
Harold (Spike) ClaaSsen.
(Prentice-H Hall; s12.5O.) A
complete account of profess
sional football from 1895 to
the present, written by the
football editor for the ASso-
ciated Press. Richly illus
trated with over 100 photo
graphs.
RESISTANCE, REBELLION,
AND DEATH. By Albert
Camus. Translated from the
French by Justin 0'Brien.
"a Modern Library Book;
$3.50 Shortly before his
death Camus selected the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-11-03

PEKING AND MOSCOW. By
Klaus Mehnert. putnam;
$685.
Klaus Mehnert is a quite I'm
usual man.
His interests seem to sweep
the horizon, his knowledge
seems endless. And his COM
passion for Russians and Chi
nese makes him one Of the few
scholars in the world who can
write such a book as ''Peking
and Moscow" and keep the
reader interested for all $50
pages of text (and so pages of
notes and photography.
DR.. Mehnert is a German
Scholar-journalist who has
been in Russia and China
many times over the years.
He speaks both languages,
and has delved into the So
Geological mysteries Of what
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-11-03
TO BE REVIEWED
DURING THE WEEK

The editorial page feature,
"a Book for Today" this
week:
MONDAY: "The Haunted
Fifties," by l. F. Stone. (Ran-
dom House,
TUESDAY: "The Magic and
Mystery of Words" by j.
Donald Adams (Holt, Rinehart
& Winston) and "a Book of
Cliches," by Joseph W. Valen-
tine. (Vanguard.)
WEDNESDAY: ''The Mem
oirs of Lord Chandos: An I'm
expected View From the Sum-
NIT" by Oliver LytteltOn,
Lord Chandos. New Ameri-
can Library.)
THURSDAY: "The Anatomy
Of Inquiry, Philosophical Stud
les in the Theory of Science, +"
by Israel Scheffler. (Knopf. }
FRIDAY: "Smoke Screen:
Tobacco and the Public We'll
fare," by Maurine B. Neuber-
ger. (Prentice-Hall
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-11-03

added years that science Is
offering u.s."
SHOULD these years be
spent In loneliness, boredom,
and fruStration?" be asks, or
tShall we learn how to use
the contributions which only
the experience and wisdom
gained by long living can
maker" With gentle persua-
sion and much supporting de-
tail, he makes clear his pas
sionate conviction that the
right answer to the first ques-
ton is NO." to the second
eyes"
He has a wealth Of sugges-
tons for creative, graceful
aging - about diet, rest,
work, play, retirement, and
so on. Above all, he opts for
''the stimulation Of contented
work and interests" and
participation in community
affairs" (Adler's famous ge-
meinschaftsgefuhl, though be
doesn't so label it).
The book is warm, affection
ate, expert, and mtechnical.
/ recommend 1t for anyone
with an interest in these COM
phcated and important prob
lens, whether the interest be
personal or on behalf of 9TH
erS.
CHARLES COOKE.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-11-03
By BETTY JAMES
Star Staff Writer

Perry Mason steps into one
of his best cases when he an
swers a cry for help from a
girl who believes her widowed
aunt is about to be murdered
by a letter-writing Bluebeard.
But Bluebeard is murdered
instead, and Aunt Lorraine,
who swears she saw someone
else beat him to death, goes
on trial for her life. A pOliti-
cally ambitious district attor-
ney from another jurisdiction
than Hamilton Burgers is
thwarted by Mason and his
aide, Duncan Crowder, who
hopefully will join Paul Dmke
and Della Street as part Of
the Mason team. The charac-
tiers spring through an excit-
ing story that is sound and
surprising, too. THE CASE
OF THE AMOROUS AUNT
by Erie Stanley Gardner
civilian Morrow & Co.; $3.50
Is first rate.
THE VENETIAN AFFAIR.
By Helen Machines. liar
court, Brace & World;
$5.95.)
A drama critic who picks
up the wrong raincoat at 0rly
Field in Paris is thrown into
the world of espionage with
its present dangers and cruel
memories of his former wife's
unmaSking as a Communist.
Bill Fenner finds $1OO,O in
the lining of the coat, money
that was to have been used
as part Of the proof" that
the United States was reSpon-
Sible for an assassination the
Communists, in fact, have
planned. His former wife de-
cideS to defect, and picks him
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-11-03
Pooh PerpIex:
A Variety of
Witty Criticism
THE POOH PERPLEX: A
Freshman CasebOOk. By
Frederick C. Crews. (E.
P. Dutton; $3.50

FRESHMAN CdSeDOOk. by
Frederick c. Crews. (E.
P. Dutton; $3.50
Using winnie the Pooh"
as the subject of his lesson in
literary anatomy, Frederick
C. Crews has compiled an
academic casebook satirizing
the various critical ap-
proaches that have made col
legiate collections of essays
on Melville, Salinger,
James, Faulkner, and other
members of the establish
ment almost indistinguish-
able from one another, like
teIevision shows with hoSpi-
tails for their mise-en-scene.
The style can quickly be felt
in Mr.. Crews preface, a
chatty note to college stu
dents supposed to have &C.
quired the book for freshman
English:
Like other casebooks,
such as those on Harpers
Ferry, Edith Wharton, and
the personality adjustment
difficulties of Poe and Ezra
Pound, this one is frankly de-
signed to keep you in confu-
sion. No longer will you
be inclined to believe every
thing you read as the say
ing goes. Quite the contrary!
Your instructor will let
you know which essays are
real howlers,' and you can
have a BALI discovering
the misconceptions and falla-
cies in them -. When you
find a topic that fascinateS
you, why not get the whole
gang together in your dorm
for a bull session, and kick
the ball around for a while?
80"
Mr. Crews thereupon kicks
the ball through a dozen paro-
dies of PROFESSIONAL criticism,
each with its short biograph-
ical notice. There is para
doxical Persona: The Her
archy Of Heroism in Winnie
the Pooh," "a Bourgeois
Writer'S Proletarian Fables"
30 Felix Culpa! The Sacra-
mental Meaning of Winnie
the-Pooh," "a La recherche
du Pooh perdu," and so on.
The trouble is that the sat
ire Immediately disinte-
CRATES into broad burlesque-
burlesque in which the au-
thor's unrestrained attitude
Of "Get this, isn't this a real
riot?" is seldom communicate
ed to the reader, who if the
book means anything to him
at all is already familiar with
the dismal features Of our
present-day pedagogic ex-
cesses. For parody to be dev-
astating it must be sharp, but
Mr.. Crews is laughing so bois-
terously we can hardly hear
him.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-11-03

writings that make up this
volume - a collection Of his
pieces representing the pri-
mary concerns of his life.
The titles of some Of the Sec
tons Of this book indicate
the themes that preOccupied
him, such as: "PessimiSm
and Tyranny; "The Unbe-
lever and Christians; de
tense of Freedom"
THE ART OF CARVING. By
the Editors of House & Gar
den. With an introduction
by James A. Beard. (Simon
& SchuSter; 1885, No mat
ter how you slice it you are
bound to do it better with
this detailed step by step
Photographic guide at hand.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-11-03

roles on eight or 10 cOnsecu-
tive nights-that often the
singers Of the first half Of the
last century were artists who
did not always rely on per-
formances Of unblemished
perfection. But their hearers
wanted a show rather than
a live LIP.
The story Of Donizetti's life
is largely that Of a virtually
unbroken succession of oper-
attic triumphs. Born in a eel
lar in Bergamo, the son Of a
janitor in a pawnshop, not
only he but both his brothers
became m usicians. Zone
achieved great fame and
honor in COnstantinople; the
other, good-n atured and
weak-minded, was a town
drumme at home
Donizetti himself had the in
credible good fortune to study
under Rossini's teacher, the
Bavarian Johann Simon
Mayr, who had a music
school In Bergamo. A prolific
composer, Donizetti was also
one who could feel the public
pulse and from the beginning
Of his career he was a sue
cess. He married happily; he
was so respected by his fell
low composers that Verdi,
who usually would trust his
productions to no one but
himself, was glad to have him
oversee the Vienna premiere
Of Hermann; in 1845 he be-
gan to suffer paralysis and in
sanity. Otherwise, the high
lights Of his life were his
operas, and Mr.. Weinstock re-
counts each production in
great detail. His book has al
most nothing to say about
Donizetti's music, but almost
everything about inc history
Of its production.
= -
George Martin, on the
contrary, in his book devotes
a great deal Of space to the
discussion Of Verdi's music.
1t is too bad, for we are treat
ed to such nonsense as "In
'Falstaff there are not only
no arias, there are almost no
tunes" The man Verdi sell
dom comes alive In his
pages, and the book Is Of lit
tie value as a reference work
because Of apparently aim
less organization and many
errors Of fact. It Is remark
able that Verdi, who as a man
was one Of the most individ-
ual and provocative Of all mu-
sicians, and as a composer
was a central figure through
out most Of the 10th century,
has so far not had a really
satisfactory biography in Eng
ish.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-11-03
From Southern Sunlight
To the Haze of Britain

have only a corner Of the
story. They are full Of sugges-
ton and underdone, subtly
conveyed.
Miss GordOn's great tour de
force in this collection Of rev.
cries Of the Old South is a driv-
ing, first-person narrative Of a
frontier woman whose house
is burned and whose children
are killed before her eyes by
Indians. ''The Captive" moves
along at a suspenseful clip.
The woman rec0unts her
trials in perfectly matter-of-
fact tones, which heighten
the narrowing effect Of her
tale. The last line is perfect;
" Lord Cod l said, I was
lucky to git away from them
Indians
If Miss Gordon is all South
ern, H. E. Bates, today's 9TH
er short story writer, is quin-
essentially English. His tales
are set in broad meadows and
London streets. His men have
stiff upper lips. His heroines
are for the most part bellies
danes sans merci, who word
leSSly take men in their arms
and leave them "alone and
palely Loit'ring."
As one who admires Mr..
Bates, this reviewer found
the present collection Of a GER
tain monotony and predict
ability. That element Of gay
ETY. which informed some Of
his other recent offerings is
absent. The informing theme
here Is sombernesS. Mr..
Henry Miller has contributed
an almost inarticulately en-
thusiastic preface, in which
he compares Mr.. Bates to a
Flemish painter. 1t seems an
inept comparison. Mr.. Bates
colOrs are for the most part
pastel and not entirely suited
to his subjects.
MARY McGRORY.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-11-03

OLD RED. By Caroline Cor
don. Charles Scribner's;
S4.50.)
THE BEST OF H. E. BATES.
(Atlantic Little, Brown;
S4.95.)
All but one of Caroline Cor
don's thirteen stories are set
In the South and they are
drenched in Southern atmos-
phere. The one exception,
Emmanuel EmmanueIe!"
happens to be the longest, and
it is a brilliant study in decay
as seen by the secretary of a
great French master Of let
tiers.
The others are mostly rev.
cries, about romances long
dead, hunts long over, fare
well fishing trips and splendid
meals in old houses. There is
a line in tom Rivers" which
summarizes the spirit: ''Still,
In a large family connection
such as ours every member,
no matter how remotely re-
lated or how mimportant, has
his place and a sort of record
In memory" And another,
from the same story: I'VE sit
here under the trees all after
noon and talk about people we
used to know: Cousin Owen,
who walked from house to
house, carrying his teeth in a
basket; Cousin Ella, who was
forced to play cards all her
younger days to entertain the
old folks, and so bore three
sons who were gamblers;
Cousin Henry Hord, who was
defeated by cannonading in
the Civil War and lost all his
property by ill-advised invest
ments and had to live with
any Of the kin who would
put up with him"
Many Of the episodes relat-
ed are told by children who
only half understand what is
going on, or by observers who
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-11-03
Many Bon Mots
In q Small Package

THE NEUR0TIC'S NOTE
BOOK. By Mignon Nc
Laughlin. (B b b s-Merrill;
$500
There's actually very little
that's neurotic about the cpl
grams that make up this
book. Samples:
"A man wants a woman
who can still surprise him,
but only when he's in the
mood for it,"
Anyone you can under
stand you can live without" "
Despair is anger with no
place to CO."
The seasons smallest book
and one Of its best.
f T..
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-11-03

ton in the music and drama
on the stage. Consider Stra-
vinsky's "The Rake's Prog
ress," the one indubitable
masterpiece in the field Of
opera Of the past 10 or Is
years; true, it has en-
joyed an outstanding success,
and has had many perform
anceS in more than 150 pro-
auctions in as many opera
houses, but it was born a
museum piece-lacking soil,
its roots are nurtured In a
vase, and its public, however
vociferous it may be, cannot
demand the proper climatic
conditions to develop other
plants in the same garden. On
the other hand look at the
movie, "81h," a magnificent
product of a vital art form.
The international audiences
that delight in it the way au-
diences Of other days delighted
in opera take it neither as
culture nor in isolation-they
come to it with a background
of so or 40 other movies as
Of its class. they come to it
participants in a living art.
- -
Now compare opera at the
time Of Donizetti, a composer
of genius who had in addition
to two peers, Rossini and Bel
lini, and one who was to be-
come a peer, Verdi, a dozen
or so other good composers
competing for the ear of his
audiences when, between
1916, at the age of 10,
and 1874, he wrote 20 operas
and produced So of them. Al
most all Of them commits
stoned, composed, staged, re-
hearsed and performed within
a period Of a very few hectic
weeks, / very much doubt that
Donizetti ever had a produc-
ton such as can be seen to-
day in Hamburg, East Berlin,
or even Washington. He had,
however, what was more inn
observation-disclosures in Paris,
Vienna, or any Of the several
Italian cities In which he be-
came famous in competition
with other composers, that al
ways wanted something new
that would appeal to them
when set against their expe-
rience Of what had gone be-
fore. He had prima dOnnas,
certainly, but few names in
the sense of the word today,
and just as l suspect from the
testimony Of my ears when I
hear old photograph records
that the great singers Of so
years ago we're many Of them
not as good as those we have
today, / suspect also, from
many details OF their perform
ances told by Herbert Vein
stock-as for example that
they would appear in taxing
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-11-03

fairy folk, weavers and shep-
herds. There is a story about
a sea serpent and one about
the Brownies. And Scottish
lads are smart and sometimes
can outwit the fairies.
In the Polish tales there are
witches and spells, arrogance
punished and kindness especi-
ally to old women and ami
mails rewarded. The young
est son always gets to marry
the princess and COLLINS and
wolves appear in some Of the
stories. Naturally there is a
gypsy and in the story she
appears a jolly tailor sews up
a great hole in the sky.
In the Spanish tales there
Is also the triumph Of the I'M
derdog who is kind. Polite
ness is important and the in
sOlent halfchick is punished by
being forced to become what
was doubtless the first wealth
ervane. The story about the
groom and the mule who
changed shapes is very funny.
AS In the other books in the
series this one contains six
stories culled from the best
of the country's folklore.
COCKLEBERRY CASTLE. By
Elizabeth Fenwick. (Pan-
theon; $2.75.)
In this modern story Of med
ieval days Prince Paul's
parents 60 away and in their
absence he gives a party for
the 40 children rich and
poor who live in the castle.
The story is slight but inter-
esting and boys and girls from
8 to IL will get a delightful
glimpse Of how life was lived
in a castle.
CHESTER JONES. By Barbee
Oliver Carleton. (Holt, Rine-
hart & Winston; $3.25)
Lovers of tall tales and
m0re-than-true stories which
seem plausible will have a
fine time reading about Ches-
ter Jones and his friend Cap'n
TubbS, who was more than a
retired sea captain. DinoSaur
seeds grow into dinosaurs and
an exciting time Chester has
with them. A lot of plot is
crammed into 172 pages but
it is all good fun and will
keep a child of 10 to Il read
ing to the end.
THE NIGHT 1T RAINED
TOYS. By Dorothy Stephen
son. (Follett; $685.
A wicked king did not ap-
prove of Christmas and Santa
Claus. What happened when
ne tried to abolish everything
ChriStmasy is told in verse
and bright pictures. Not a
distinguished but an attrac-
tive book which should please
the young fry around Christ
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-11-03
MYSTERY AND SUSPENSE
Perry Mason Gets
Crime Otto Hot Start

as the man she will meet in
Venice and give further evil
dence Of the plot. American
agents talk Fenner into going
there with a pretty blond
agent to make 1t look like a
holiday, and it all leads to a
bang-up finale in a little pa
laZZo just off the Grand Canal.
If too many cooks spoil the
broth, too much plot spoils
the book. Only Miss Mac
lines touch holds the reader
through a book that's too long.
THE MIRROR CRACK'D. By
Ag atha Christie. (Dodd,
Mead & Co.; $3.75.)
Christie fans will be dis
appointed by the latest Miss
MARBLE story, built around a
widely publicized tragedy in
the life of a real actress. To
name the actress would be
to tell all. Her story leaps to
mind at once, and the iden-
tity of the killer - although
things didn't 60 as far as
murder in real life-is vir-
tually assured.
THE PLAYER ON THE
OTHER SIDE. BY Ellery
Queen (Random House;
$685.
The first Ellery Queen in
five years is a good one, with
the author demonstrating
that his powers for ex-
plotting the bizarre are un-
impaired. Four members Of
the York family live in min
iature castles on four ends Of
York Square, and all are
marked for death by someone
who uses an efficient servant
as his instrument. Ellery
finds the vital cine in fhn
miStS Of ancient Hebrew
thought.