6
THE MICHIGAN DAILY MAGAZINE
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 1921
7
T
S1ooks and Authors
"THE CHARMED CIRCLE" But I'm beginning to see it's all such
a wonderful little plan. Lines cross-
ing and crossing, and our destinies to
"The Charmed Circle," a first novel make up the pattern-A charmed
by Edward Alden Jewell, is a blithe circle!'"
volume, delicately sophisticated, yet At times the little plan seems some-
pervaded with an ingenuous delight. what too deft and deliberate. Ken-
It is a comedy of adventnre, the ad- neth's clever machinations are aided
Ietus coeynnf dventAmerthad-oytoo generously by kindly fortune, but
ventures of Kenneth, an American boy, the spirit of daring whimsy which
living with his elderly, sentimental colors all the book makes even the
guardian in a Paris pension. most amazing coincidence credible
Kenneth is a worldly young seraph, while one reads.
with a magnetism for friends and mys- The characterization is excellent
s throughout, evidencing the author's
fine perception and keen psychology.
lection of chance acquaintances. For Kenneth is made an unusually preco-
instance, the Spanish fortune-teller, cious youth, a sort of distant cousin
Cassienda, is a bit of grotesquerie. of Edgar Jepson's "Admirable Tinker,"
while Cyprienne, singer at the Opera, with a suggestion, too, of Walpole's
ishaeCysrifnn, fige ofroane. rAs "Jeremy," yet he is distinctly indi-
is a beautiful figure of romance. As vidual and very much alive.
for mysteries, he discovers an almost Bromley, the absurd, susceptible
incredible number of them. There is guardian, is especially well drawn,
thread upon thread of plot, skilfully and Mrs. Brathers is portrayed with
woven into a pretty tapestry of enter- sure, satiric strokes as a mid-Victorian
tainment. pussy. In addition to the romantic
takes its title from a figures of Cyprienne and The Mighty
T e sookt sti Hunter, there are various interesting
Cyprienne's pilosophy: minor characters, sketched adequate-
"Yes," mused Cyprienne, as though ly, though lightly,-Madame Bernard.
pursuing a theme which had been in affable, with opinions and ammunition
her thoughts, "there seem to be lines in reserve, Monsieur Bernard, whom
iMadame didn't take seriously, Miss
crossing and crossing, like a curious Curtis, "an artist with ideals, from
deft little plant. Until this year I've Chicago," Jacques, given to night
never believed in these queer coinci- gaiety and subtle sarcasm, and la
dences. But I'm coming to look at pauvre Eleonoro, awkwardly devoted
everything quite differently. Strange to her first American gentleman.
and wonderful things do happen. . The author was born in Grand Rap-
ids, Michigan, in 1888. Instead of go-
I'd come almost to think there was ing to college, he went abroad and
nothing miraculous left in the world. spent a year in Paris and Rome and
l
Sicily. In addition to his European But the fact that the new writers
travels, he had interesting and valu- are not all following the alluring
able experience on the stage, both in strain of one piper is a healthy sign,
his home town and on tour with Louis for it shows that they are writing
James, and later with Donald Robert- that which is nearest to them, that
son. He decided, however, that writ- which they are best fitted to write.
ing rather than drama was the better All this is a rather lengthy prologue
field for him, and upon his return to to a review of still another first novel,
America he went into newspaper work, but it was prompted by the fact that
was an associate editor of "Every- 'The Blood of the Conquerors' (Knopf)
body's Magazine" and afterward Sun- by Harvey Fergusson is different from
day editor of the New York Tribune all the other fall products mentioned.
from which position he resigned in Mr. Ferguson does not use the harsh
1920, and went to Bermuda to devote naturalism of John Dos Passos nor
his entire time to writing, yet the polychromatic romanticism of
HoraceFish, although his subject
could be easily adapted to either. He
'THE BLOOD OF THE CONQUERORS' tells his story tersely and convincing-
AND SOME OTHER FIRST NOVELS ly in a well modulated realistic man-
(By t. D. S.) ner.
The first novels that have been He has created for this central
launched this fall are only less sur- figure an admirable character, a man
prising in number than in merit. Those possessing 'that bearing at once proud
put out by the better publishing houses and unself-conscious which is called
have nearly all been good and at least aristocratic', a lover of the outdoors.
two of them have created considerable Such is Ramon Delcasar, a descend-
sensation. To date the list includes ent of a noble Mexican family. Del-
'Erik Dorn,' and 'Three Soldiers,' 'The casar has been educated in a St. Louis
Charmed Circle,' 'The Beginning of law school, and his tastes are those
Wisdom,' and 'The Great Way,' while of the 'gringo' who invades his terri-
John Farrar, Harry Hanson, Pierre tory and, by methods unknown to Del-
Loving, and several others of the casar, begins to gain control. The
younger critics admit to hoarding author does not use his theme as an
manuscripts which they hope soon to excuse to point out the injustice of
see in print, race prejudice. He accepts this con-
A striking point in this list of dition as an inevitable state of af-
maiden efforts is the dissimilarity not fairs and builds up a poignant little
only in the choice of subject matter, tragedy around it.
but in the style and viewpoint of the Ramon fails, of course, not only
writers. 'Erik Dorn' is mostly ex- love but in business as well. There
pressionism, 'Three Soldiers' lop-sid- is a final recourse open to 'him-an
ed naturalism' 'The Charmed Circle' outdoor existence. He accepts his
and 'The Great Way' picturesque ro- failure philosophically and turns to
mance, while 'The Beginning of Wis- a deserted ranch belonging to his
dom' might be roughly classed as family, here to spend, presumably, the
colorful realism. All of which shows remainder of his days.
the danger of generalizing about the Ferguson has combined in his novel
trend of our fiction. However, gener- a good quantity of action, a beautiful
alizations are tempting and it might love story, and excellent character
be interesting to note that, through development-all written in a most
the three most important of these readable manner. If I were asked
novels, runs the motif, now low and for a new book which is entertaining
merely suggested, now loud and deaf- and at the same time short, I should
ening, that has marked so much of certainly recommend 'The Blood of
our modern literature-iconoclasm. the Conquerors.'
1
Phone 2508
ComPany
",me Come of Snergine"
SHOP EFFICIENCY
Our work is good because our men and
machinery are as efficient as possible.
Our Delivery System has been brought
to a point where the best and quickest ser-
vice can be given.
"SWISSIUZED GARMENTS STAY CLEAN LON6ER'
THE HOME OF ENERGINE
Phone 2508 209 So. 4th Ave.
The Only Place Energine is Used In Ann Arbor
Li
$30 Special Offer $30
The New
Century
Dictionary
Latest Edition including Atlas and Biogra-
phical Dictionary. 12 Volumes in Full
Cloth Binding
$30
New Autumn Books Arriving Daily
WAHR'S BOOKSTORES
MAIN ST. STATE ST.