C
THEl M1('I(,AN DI)ALY
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IN
THE
WORLD
OF
BOOKS
HUXLEY
Exchanges His Satire
For Exposition
In Latest
ENDS AND MEANS, by Aldous Hux-
lep, Harper & Brothers Publishers,
1937, 386 pages.
By HUGO M. RICHARD
Aldous Huxley has come a long way
since the days when he wrote those
light satirical early novels of his.
He has become so thoughtful that he
is better viewed now as a literary
philosopher than as a mere novelist.
In his latest book, a kind of exposi-
tory 'treatise called Ends and Means,
he shows himself more profound than
ever, also more controversial and pro-
pagandistic.
Ends and Means is an attempt to
relate the politics, economics, and
reform movements of our modern
world to a personal ethic. In elab-
orating this thesis, Huxley touches
on practically every issud of our day.
He writes extremely absorbing and
provocative discussions of reform,
violence, the modern state, the plan-
ned society. He considers the prob-
lems of war and inequality. He an-
alyses education and religion. And
his final chapters deal with the prob-
lems of good and evil, mind and body,
a chaotic or purposeful universe, and
the formulation of an ethical credo.
Huxley covers so much ground with
so much brilliance and erudition that
one is likely to be dazzled into accept-
ing his conclusions too gullibly. The
truth of the matter is that Huxley
is writing a prolemic; consequently
his assertions must all be examined
critically. At least three of his con-
tentions are exceedingly suspect. In
the first place Huxley chooses to
think that the universe we inhabit
is orderly, purposeful, meaningful;
while a universe of this sort would be
a very nice thing to have around,
(so friendly and convenient), it can
be percieved, Huxley admits, only
Au-A-air, freedom, dignity and hope, in first time in history, thousands of country, to 'reveal' some of their new-
R E IN. AAwhich there was room for growth." educated youths, stirred to great von learning to the intellectually
- Review Of Its History One of the most memorable para- dreams themselves by a universe of sterile countryside, the dark-living
graphs and a fitting close to an in- scientific knowledge to which they peasantry, and have sought to en-
adequate review follows: have suddenly been given access, list its alliance in building this ''.ore
RED STAR OVER CHINA, by Edgar with length and width, but no per- forced around all Soviet districts by "dqat reis 'lowsshave 'enly be gen acced lis t lie i building
Snow. Random House. New York,'cpil eth h hns Cr-N fUti"nyafw What this communism' has have 'returned to the people' turned abundant life' . .. and to a startling
$3.00. munists emerge as real, vital people e ago, whens.h Unte on t f amounted to in a way is that for the back to the deep soil-base of their degree they have won it."
By JOSEPH BERNSTEIN The life of Mao Tse-Tng, the Chi-theuointh the o ntf
There have been a number of re- his own words and is as integral and Party had been virtually effected,,
views of Edgard Snow's Red Star great a part of Red Star Over China Communism was a crime punishable
Over China. Those in the New York- as soliloquies in Shakespeare's plays. by death in China. This explains the
er, Nation and New Republic are par- There is no attempt to reconcile ir- scarcity of news, except for accounts_-.-.------
ticularly fine. John Gunther calls reconcilables, it is not written by a in the Communist International's
it "magnificent"; Havelock Ellis, Marco Polo of the 20th century or by publications.
"The Real China"; Herald Tribune, a partisan attempting to throw ban- Formerly the Chinese Communists _ _ __ _ _
"Authentic"; New York Times, "de- ana oil on troubled waters. Mr. Snow occupied territory in the southeast
scription of one of the major and neither falls in love with a Chinese portion of China, where they with-
most dramatic facts in modern his- princess, nor rides across Inner Mon- stood four giant "extermination"
tory"; Malcolm Cowley, "one of the golia on an elephant, nor suffers a campaigns led mostly by Chiang
greatest feats in our century"; and great moral transformation resulting Kai-Shek. They were almost com-
so on. When this reviewer, then, in his retiring to an Italian villa to pletely unsuccessful: "it has cost the _----- -
tells you that he considers it worth- speculate on life. It is the work of Chinese people about $80,000 for
while, he is in good, though varied a good correspondent who saw where every Red soldier killed." In 1933,
company. history was being made and not a Chiang Kai-Shek mobilized almost
Mr. Snow has avoided the marring scoop with complete pictures. one million troops for a final cam- -
personal superfluities of most for- There are about 9,000,000 Chinese paign. Meanwhile, Japan had "ac-
eign correspondents filling in their Communists living in China's great quired" Manchuria during one "fi- PRIC ES PA for p
spare time by writing a book. His northwest. They are occupying a nal exammation" drive. Invaded
book is a straightforward, convinc- territory about twice the size of Eng- Shanghai during another and the
ing model of reportage; generally re- land. Mr. Snow is the first person to province was badly impaired during
portage is a two-dimensional form have broken the news blockade en- the fifht "remnant-bandit extermin-
ation."
------~-~--~~~~~~~~~ ----~~~ The Chinese Reds decided to leave
their insecure base and establish a
Eve Curie W rites Superlati enew one in the northwest. The story
of this heroic trek provides epic ma- __
terial for a greater war and peace.A N YT M E__
BO ffluustriov s Lvlotrer After marching more than 6,000 _
IImiles, fighting all the way, they "fi-_
--- - ---___ -- --- --- ---- -nally reached their objective with _------
MADAME CURIE, a biography by Pierre and Marie toiled and slaved their nucleus still intact, and their
Eve Curie. Translated by Vincent together, he working for a professor- morale and political will evidently as
Sheean. Doubleday, Doran and sestrong as ever. . . Hannibal's march
Co., New York. $3.50. ship, she for her doctors degree. Ma- over the Alps looks like a holiday ex-
rie decided to base her thesis on te cursion beside it." Mr. Snow de-!
By ETHEL NORBERG "very active" rays given off ir, certain scribes the Soviet state that was
Discoverer of radium, twice recipi- ores of uranium found in pitchbiende. organized: the program and the peo-
ent of the Nobel Prize, with a list of Four long years of work in which ples, the social and political life,
medls nd onoar tilesfiv paesPierre left his job to help her, two tond tsmahine industry redstrbu
long--this is the record of Marie brains, four hands finally made in a tion of land, abolition of usury, aboli-FOLLETT'S
Curie's life. I draughty shed an astounding dis- tion of tax-extortion, elimination of
Under the skillful pen of her youn- covery-radium! privileged groups," cooperatives, MICHIGAN BOOK STORE
ger daughter, Eve, this powerful, fas- The two young people published the single-standard marriage laws, social
cinating character has come to life. results of their research, the value of insurance, universal education, thea- 322 South State Street at North University Phone 6363
It is small wonder that the biograph- radium, the process of obtaining it. tres, etc. "Here was a life at last of
er should be as brilliant and talented But it was quite awhile before this good health, exercise, clean mountain
by a mystical insight, a method of as is evidenced by her style of writing, 1
proof that is hardly appealing to when one considers her mother's ex-r
many callous realists. In the second treme, almost superhuman, intellect.t
place, Huxley makes a statement that Ably translated from the French by9
is going to make him unpopular with Vincent Sheean, this book is one of1
part of his collegian public; he in- the "musts" of the year.'E
sists that chastity is indispensable to The story unfolds like the most fas-r
a working ethic and to cultural cinating novel. Marie Sklodovski, thef
achievement. Possibly such a posi- daughter of two brillinat school-
tion is the natural recoil or reaction teachers, spent her youth in oppressed
of a novelist who has too long been Poland-oppressed by the might of
preoccupied with oversexed char- Imperial Russia. The family group,
acters. consisting of her parents, three sis-t
The third questionable conclusion ters and a brqther, clung together
that Huxley offers is ,the statement bound by a patriotic fervor for their1
that the means adopted for achieving downtrodden country, venging theirz
an end always modify or infect the hatred as best they could against the
end itself, changing and distorting the Tsarist . regime by which they had1
result. Most people will agree with been impoverished. All of the chil-t
HIuxley that "the goal of those who dren were brilliant in school, but
wish to change society for the better Manya, as Marie was called, came offc
is freedom, justice and peaceful co- with highest honors. She worked like
operation between non-attached, yet a Trojan and even the Russian teach-F
active and responsible individuals."'ers, who despised the little Pole, had1
Yet many people disagree with Hux- to concede that she was an excellent
ley's belief that utterly pacifistic student. At an early age she exper-1
means can bring men to this goal. enced sorrow when her mother andP
Many will urge that more dynamic eldest sister died in close succession.I
and militant means are needed, and At the age of 17 Marie went to
will intimate that Huxley's antipathy ;work as a governess to help put her
to anything but love and charity on sister through the Sorbonne. Later,
the grounds of the ends-and-means by dint of hard work and half-starva-
rule-of-thumb is the rationalization Lion, she entered that famous school
of a man who is afraid to face the herself in the physics department. A
facts, who is skittish and mistaken in quiet, unimposing little figure was
his choice of the means of reform. she, thinking only of her studies. It
[n ENDS AND MEANS Huxley has was there that she met Pierre Curie
written an incisive commentary on who, at first attracted by her re-.
our tortured society and a dubious markable scientific knowledge, soon
fell in love with her.
handbook for reconstruction. There enstiled the happiest marital
relationship imaginable between the
Recent & Forthcomi ng tw ophysicists. working in collabora-
R3uionuntil death by accident took one
Fictiont of them.
boon to science and mankind was
recognized. Then they were offered
the Nobel Prize in physics which
gained them instant recognition.
Public and press, alike, fairly haunt-
ed them, driving them mad. But it
resulted in Pierre's obtaining a pro-
fessorship at the Sorbonne.
However, this good fortune was
short lived. One cold, misty day in
April, 1906, while Pierre was walking
absentmindedly across a crowded
thoroughfare he was struck down by
a horse and wagon and immediately
killed. How did Marie take this loss?
Choked with grief inside, walking
around in a daze, writing to Pierre in
her diary, she did not dare to realize
that she would never see him again.
In the midst of her grief, she was
offered her husband's professorship
at the Sorbonne, the first woman
ever to be given such a position. From
that time until her death, Marie
worked arduously, never thinking of
her health, of herself, of feminine
pleasures. "It was a complete de-
personalization, a concentration of
all her soul upon the work she was
doing ...
I:
TWLJGHT
C ONCERT
I
How About That
J-Hop Date?
Remind her With
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WINTER IN APRIL, by Robert Na-
than. Knopf, $2.00.
THE WOODEN SPOON, by Wyn
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THE PIONEERS, by Courtney
Riley Cooper. Little, Brown, $2.00.
THE SAILOR'S HOLIDAY, by Eric
Lnklater. Farrar & Rinehart, $2.00.
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