LITERARY GOSSIP.

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20772, 4 February 1933, Page 13

LITERARY GOSSIP.

In an article on Francis Thompson, Mr Shane Leslie draws attention to the frequency. with whieh authors, finding it easier to write than io'title a book, have drawn upon the poet's treasury of phrases: e.g., The Traffic of Charing Cross, Carven from the Laurel Tree, Heaven and Charing Cross, The Unhurrying Chase, and Beardless Counsellors.

"In real life, and at the present day, it would all have happened differently." This was one of the verdicts passed pn ," The Silver Box" in a public discussion. that followed "a recent matinee at the Little Theatre in London, Miss Nancy Price'had changed from the drab dress of the charwoman in the dock to; bright green, when, after the play, the curtain went., up again on the scene in the. police court, and she asked the audience what they thought of this and other Galsworthy plays. "What do"'you think is the high water-mark of this play?" she asked. "The Charwoman," came the answer from several. parts of the theatre. Miss Price acknowledged the compliment. "And Mr Jones," added other.members of the audience. "Mr Jones is-fine; he is wonderful," Miss Price agreed. "When I look on his neck in the dock I think how iUbred and common he is. That is th? secret of characterisation, Iptts, whole body is common. He himself is s>o. different." Some criticised the play as propaganda; and Miss Price, noticing now a distinguished figure m the stalls, asked, "Is that Mr Walpole—how perfectly splendid: What is your opinion of Mr Galsworthy's work?" "Tf. one may criticise his plays at all," Mr Hugh Walpole answered, "I think- he is inclined to pity his characters • rather* more than they do themselves. I doubt whether the Joneses see their case quite as horribly as-Tve- do." And so the. criticism went on,.some likine; this and some liking that,-witn a chorus of. "Noes," however,.' to answer Miss Price's question whether the author would have, received the Nobel prize if he had written only plays. " ' :

Reviewing Chaliapin's autobiography in the "Observer," 1 Mr St. John Eryine complained in vigorous terms of 'its lack of detail, and sharply attacked the biographical movement away from fact. "I abhor," ho declares, -"and here abominate all biographies ami autobiographies and .books of memoirs in which dates are ejthcr not i mentioned or are carelessly put down." Especially does he want to know when and where the man was born and what sort of people his ' parents were. goes'on-to say that Lyttoid Sfrachey Tuined the art of biography, which'is now written in the catch-as-catch-can' style. Strachey's "great offence,"*in Mr Ervine's opinion, was that he taught empty-headed disciples the fatuous-doctrine that details of a man-'s ancestry ought not to" bo mentioned ; in his biography —as if a man came into the world - without inherited cbaraeteJistics, as if his talents, were Jiot to be explained in part by his • ancestry,, aii if we could fully understand, a person without knowing something of- -those who begot him. ■' •■

In connexion'with Children's Book Week in Scotland an exhibition of-3000 books was recently opened-in Glasgow, and a committee of bookseller* A «8tal?- • lished a competition on somewhat- unusual lines. "A"book-case was filled 1 with fifty children's ;books, and the children, were invited'to suggest Isvelve' books suitable to their own respective sex and ago ivhich wore' missing'from the fifty shown. Joists graded separately for "boys and for girh up to'eleven, from twelve to fourteen, and for 4fteen*fciio[ v over, wore made up by Hugh Walpole, and in each section .thore, were,,, three prizes for, the children who got nearest , to this list ',Competitions -upon tha same lines wore held' in Ipswich, and other towns. '.' . •' , , * * ■ • The Viennese professor, Dr. - Joseph Marx, has been appointed toac't'asHliß Turkish Government's musical adviser. Although his main, task, will i»„'tq reorganise the coVserva'toiro. its' orchestra as well as its library, he will not exercise the functions of a director of this institution, _ .He will go, to Turkey twice a year for a few weeks. Otherr wise ■he will direct Ms work l * from Vienna. ..-„.'. The body of * Chopin., who died r y in Paris in 1849 and was buried there, U 'to be conveyed to.his native village, ' Ze-» lowa Wote, near Warsaw, for.ioinierment, the French Government having given, permission to, a" Polish. • feommit- •* tee, which is carrying out" the transference. The house at ZelowsV Wola," :i» which Chopin waß born, has beea restored and converted into a' museum for Chopin relics. , , It is reported from Italy that Signor d'Annunzio has finished the novel on, ■ which he has been engaged-for some years. The, scone ■is medieval Prance, and much of the dialogue is said to be written in old Trench.