LITERARY GOSSIP.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19622, 18 May 1929, Page 15

LITERARY GOSSIP.

Erich Maria Remarque, the author of "AU Quiet oil the Western Front," was born 81 years ago. H» belongs to a family of French extrnotion that emigrated into Germany ft* the time of the French Revolution and settled in the Rhineland. At the age of 18 he went straight from dwlM the armv and was sent to the Wert** Front. During the course of tne w his mother died and all his friend! were killed. At the end of the wa*J» found himself alone in the world. Hto subsequent history is typical of deep unrest that men of his geaeratiesi experienced as a result of the war. A% first he felt the need of rest sad and became a teacher in a small w» out-of-the-way Tillage oft the Bnt after some months of this J» found the kmetineas depressing Hon then in quick succession w |MUW ■ organist in an asylum* & intisio a manager of a small hummm* nowiw ear dealer, technical irtwthlßißk and dramatic Ofitic. Then w liW# [ for a time abroad. Whilst abroad 4® won a rather large sum at roulettey and with this be travelled. On Ul turn he became foreign omtpondMl for a large firm, then publicity man* ager for the itnw undertakingj tad finally editor and motor specialist la Berlin. I«st year he wrote don, without taking any previous thought* his own and his friends' experiences iK the war. His book appeared in Germany on January 31st. and th» lishers had sold nearly 900,000 ooafsS , before the translation into Tffimiisll was .completed at the end of Mum Mr Frederick Watson, son of a tlsh toaanee writer and member «f aa old firm of London publishers, write* discerningly on the subject "TU Scottish Novelist" in a recent "UNk* man." Certain tilings no Seetttsk novelist dare attempt. Be cannot write about romantic love, asserts Mr Wat» son, because for centuries it has take* no parts in Scottish life. In the ¥ism Findliter, two women novelist*, ltrt> land possesses, he states, ftlil work has not had wide teeonittd, the highest Scottish art: lan Madam, i» his romantic love stories was, ft it significantly remarked, "ill al mm." Mr KeU Mnnro la mentioned aft th» ablest of contemporary ' flatMM writers of fiction; Mr Jeha BdlMt it best in the Stevenson traditioa» J®* James Barrie is described as a of genius who still finds the nerliam reception just a little uneasy. "W# Scot yet born can pretend to think very much of Peter Panism. Bat note," remarks Mr Watson, "the splendid encompassing silence. Then are no clever critical studies. Bjrt there are also *o attacks frwa tfeft rear.''