MISCELLANY

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26123, 27 May 1950, Page 3

MISCELLANY

Chekhov in My Life. By Lydia Avilov. Translated with an Introduction by David Magarshack. With drawings by Lynton Lamb. John Lehmann. 152 pp. This attractively presented volume | contains an account by Lydia Avilov of the unhappy love affair, hitherto unknown to critics and biographers, between herself and Chekhov which lasted on off for 10 years during the most important period of Chekhov’s authorship. Great claims fo’the importance of the love affair are made in the introduction. It “seems to explain more than anything else tne peculiar ‘heartache’ motif that runs through most of Chekhov’s stories and plays,” says David Magarshack. He maintains that Chekhov was deeply in love with Lydia and only did not press his suit because she was the mother of three children, and the affair would be bound to end unhappily. However, when the reader comes to the actual text, in which Lydia Avilov describes her meetings with Chekhov, it is difficult to resist the feeling that the introduction has given the whole matter too much of a build-up. Lydia Avilov is obviously a rather shallow creature, vain and romantic.*bored with her husband, and, being herself a dabbler in poetry and fiction, much attracted by the literary glamour surrounding Chekhov. It seems possible—reading between the lines—that she rather threw herself at Chekhov, and the whole account does little to dispel suspicions that she may have erected a grand passion out of a mild flirtation. The main interest of her work is that it explains the origin of one or two scenes in “The Seagull.” in the course of which play Chekhov sent a concealed message to Lydia Avilov from the stage.

St. Francis of Assisi. By Omer Englebert. Translated and edited . by Edward Hutton. Burns Oates. 352 pp.

A complete bibliography of works on the life of St. Francis would fill many pages. His “rediscovery” dates from the middle of the last century, since when there have been several standard biographies, notably those of Karl Hase. Sabatier and Joergensen. In 1884 Renan wrote a beautiful and sympathetic study, and in thia century Chesterton contributed his sparkling essay on the saint. The present biography is a fully documented work written by an experienced writer. His approach is that of a Catholic apologist, the book bein« one in a series of lives of the Saints. It is solid and interesting, but neither searching nor original. It is unlikely go the way of Sabatier’s biography vvhich was put on the index. Nevertheless. a straightforward account of the life of “The Little Poor Man” who took literally Christ’s command to “sell all thou hast and give to the poor” will always find readers. From a literary point of view, the references to the influence of the code of chivalry and courtly love upon the attitudes and utterances of St. Francis are well worth reading.

Rural Rides. By William Cobbett. Abndaed and edited by S. Buckley. Harrap. 302 pp. The reflection of the face of rural England in the early nineteenth century. mirrored in clear and vigorous prose by William Cobbett, is clouded very little by the process of abridgement in this edition of “Rural Rides ’’ There is some exclusion of the tirades \yhich characterise the writings of Cobbett the reformer. But if the best of Cobbett’s writing is that which deals with the land—Cobbett the countryman reporting brilliantly that which he knows—then the best rei mains in this edition. Moreover 1 judicious editing leaves enough of the i angry, impatient reformer for th« i reader to see and to appreciate, and ior him to relish much that is of conj temporary application in Cobbett—for I example: “O! accursed paper money! ' Has . “ el l a torment surpassing the i wickedness of thy inventor!” ‘‘Rural is a worthy addition to the ' H P| b ? rn . Library” of important works ; published at a popular price. It will i extend appreciation of William Cob- | bett—the “typical John Bull”—to many to whom he is unknown territory. Happy Pilgrimage. By Sir Harry Brittain. Hutchinson. 344 pp. I “Happy Pilgrimage” is a second of- ; termg of the reminiscences of Sir Harry Brittain, a notable and remarkable figure in several spheres of British life in this century. Readers of the palatable and satisfying first offering, “Pilgrims and Pioneers,” would imagine there to be little scope for a second offering. But “Happy Pilgrimage is no collection of left-overs. It is a book of reminiscences drawn from a seemingly inexhaustible store. It is crammed with stories, facts, observations and reflections of first-class interest about politics and political life sport and social events, and about the authors activities in imperial, national and international affairs. The reader’s interest in what the author has to tell will be equalled by admiration for qualities which have supported so vigorous and useful a life, and for a personality which has attracted a x’eritable multitude of friends. The buoyant reading matter of Ihe aptly-named 1 happy pilgrimage of Sir Harry Briti tain is Supplemented by njore than 100 I interesting photographs.

The Viceroys and Governors-Generai of India, 1757-1947. Bv Viscount Mersey. John Murray. 162 pp. , L ?£ d M ?rsey, whose “Kings of England and “Prime Ministers of England ’ are standard works, writes about another group of distinguished Britons. Lord Mersey is well equipped for the • besides being a clever and FA,?- wrlter . he has known personally 10 Viceroys of India, and having served as a member of a Round Table Conference appreciates something of the labours difficulties and limitations which always beset Viceroys in office While the story of the Viceroys is part of the story of British rule in India the book includes no attempt to present a history of the Indian Empire. The author confines himself to sketching the personalities of the successive Viceroys and to filling in briefly the issues and problems that characterised their respective terms of office. The Viceroys are shown to be men of diffei ’hig personalities and canabilities. but each a man imbued with : nigh senses of public responsibility and : duty. The desire of them all to serve 1 India runs impressively as a common ’ theme through a book which will be 1 sought for interesting reading and for ; its reference-book value. It is mag- 1 nificently illustrated with well-selec- ’ ted portraits of the Viceroys. ‘

Tommy Handley. Bv Ted Kavanagh. Hodder and Stoughton. 254 pp. All lovers of Tommy Handley and the ‘ Itma” programme will enjoy this book. It opens with an account of his funeral, which xvas a fabulous demonstration of national mourning for the “beloved jester” who kept England laughing through the grim days of war. The book describes Tommy’s early days in Liverpool as a mischievous scholboy with a passion for dressing up, his stage career before he began broadcasting in 1924. and his marriage (one of the first studio romances) and finally gives a detailed account of his broadcasting career, showing how the Itma programme evolved. The book is lavishly illustrated, and contams excerpts from many of the best Itma shows and plenty of authentic Handley anecdotes. Ted was the script-writer for the shows and his long association with Handlev makes him the right man to have xvritten this life-story. New Zealanders xvi 1] be interested to read that Kavanagh got his first experience of what he then thought of as humorous writing in Auckland University magazine articles in his student days

Five Minute Recreations. Edited by A. B. Harley. Oliver and Boyd Ltd. 240 pp. This is a revised edition of a popular book of selections in verse and prose, intended mainly for the professional elocutionist but designed also as ‘an acceptable entertainment for the great world of readers.’ The pieces inevitably chosen mainly for their effectiveness as recitations, rather than for their literary value. Authors like Ella Wheeler Wilcox, Austin Dobson Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and Masefield (“The West Wind”) are the best known poots represented A large section is devoted to humorous verse. The prose portion of the book is divided between humour, sentimental selections, and character pieces, with Leacock and Barrie to the fore