REALLY A WOMAN

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 166, 9 April 1932, Page 17

REALLY A WOMAN

“Maid in Waiting,” by John Galsworthy (London: Heinemann). Women characters have more often than not proved a stumbling block for writers of the opposite sex. Even if, as has been asserted, women themselves are incapable of understanding their own kind with any real insight, it does not follow that man must bo for ever baffled. Either by a persistent show of misplaced chivalry, or by a mental laziness that provides the easiest way out, too many writers have been content to throw a veil of mystery over their women characters and infer them to be supremely above all human understanding. If only for his creation of "Diuny” Cherrell, Mr. Galsworthy’s latest novel will rank among his most outstanding. The book marks, an interesting milestone in his career, for probably never before has he succeeded in weaving the personality of a woman with such surehess. There is no piling up of characteristics in a short compass, which so often does for the creation of a character in' these days of hastily-producsd novels. This woman is one of a type in some respects and intensely individual in others. It rightly needs the entire action of a long book as a background for throwing into relief her whole self. Mr. Galsworthy has mastered the art of entwining a series of stories witli a common thread, and “Maid in Waiting” carries this method to perfection. There is still the restraint of the Forsyte books, and once more there is the mirroring of a new England, this time in the Cherrell family and its circle, with its quiet adherence to tradition and a high moral upbringing which tempers the emotional winds of a world wherein faith and a sense of duty are in danger of being forgotten'. In “Dinny” Cherrell, Galsworthy lias created an individual and idolised a typo. Self is the unforgiveable intruder. and thus she becomes maid in waiting to those who need her services. None of Galsworthy’s other women have her quiet humour, stability and breadth of mind. There is none of Fleur’s mental incisiveness and spontaneity, none of June’s restiveuess, nor yet 'the sublety and emotional tire that made Irene so aloof. In their place is the paramount law of right-doing, ingrained by training and tradition, “self-consciousness, developed and controlled to the point where it becomes un-selfconsciousness.” This virtue is the key to a notable character, the central figure in a book of absorbing interest. AN ANTHOLOGY OF VERSE. "Nineteenth Century Poetry,” an anthology chosen by John Hayward (Phoenix Library, London: Chatto and Windus). Mr. Hayward lias attempted to represent a large number of poets as far as possible according to their relative importance. In the limited space at his disposal and with the great amount of material available, this has not been easy to do. An anthology such as this is chiefly valuable for the opportunity it gives to include work by less wellknown poets. Thus the presence of Oscar Wilde’s beautiful “Requiescat” or Thomas Lovell Beddoes’s "A Voice from the Waters,” gives it a greater importance than it would have were such lines excluded to make room for Shelley's “The Skylark” or Keats's "Ode to a Nightingale.” Of course in any attempt to make a representative collection the major poets must have a place—and a proportionately large one at that —but Mr. Hayward was working along the right lines when he chose to represent them by poems not quite so widely appreciated as are the ‘‘old favourites.” . Mr. Hayward has been successful in a difficult task. The nineteenth century teemed with poets, good and bad, and no anthology could hope to. please everyone. This volume comes us near to doing so as coiild be reasonably expected. RUSSIA EXPERIMENTS. . “The City of the Red Plague,” by George Popoff (London: Allen and Unwin).; In this record of personal experiences under Soviet rule there is much that horrifies and much to pity. In January, 1919, the Bolshevists invaded Latvia and captured from a small 'force of Baltic volunteers the town of Riga, where the author and his family were living. A reign of terror began and continued with increasing ferocity during five months. The city was placed under Soviet discipline and a ruthless policy to humiliate the bourgeoisie was instituted. Later this was pursued with greater vigour until during the last days of Bolshevist rule it became more a policy of annihilation than humiliation. Hundreds of citizens were 'imprisoned on technical grounds and scores of the more prominent executed under shocking conditions. ■ There is no pleasant rending in this book. Riga, gripped by the Red Plague, is. shown ns a place of terror, of starvation and merciless perseciitiom Extreme misery and destruction of life and property were lhe only results achieved by this experiment of establishing a Soviet system in a foreign country. The book, of course, is not in itself nn .indictment of the theories of Communism. It is. however, terrible evidence of the methods employed by Moscow to establish its system outside Russia. . As the author says, “it is not n Communism by persuasion, but a Communism by force only." FICTION IN BRIEF “Gulfs,” by Lieut-Col. Noel Craig (London: Jenkins), tells nn absorbing story whose undercurrent is a comparison of conditions and aspects of life in the Ohl and New Worlds as personified by an American girl who meets a man of typically English outlook. The narrative later shifts its venue to the Near East, where the two principal characters move in an exciting and romantic atmosphere of political intrigue. “Miss Mackay,” by Margaret Behrens. (London: Jenkins). A bright and amusing tale of a reformer of humanity, who attempts to save people ‘.‘morally witli extracts from ‘Last Words’ and physically through a smattering of knowledge; gleaned from the ‘Home Doctor.’" It is very pleasant nonsense. “A Path to Paradise,” by Coningsby, Dawson (London: Cassell). This is a rather complicated love story based on' “the eternal triangle.” Santa, a vamp/ marries the wrong man, is later divorced, and returns to her first, love. After many, trials which bring her near to tragedy, and a series of dramatic happenings, she eventually finds happiness and all ends' well. “Winning Through.” by Jesse Templeton (London: Ward, Loci:). An Atlantic liner is wrecked and a small party of survivors are stranded in Labrador, There are many perils to be faced before they again reach civilisation. A love story threads its troubled way throughout the bool:. “East of Singapore.” by Sydney M. Parkman (London: Hodder and Stoughton). Mr. Parktnan knows well how to write what is sometimes called ‘‘a man's .book.” "East of Singapore” is packed full of adventure. Jimmy Carfax, the hero, is handy with his fists and has many onnortunities to use them to advantage. This is a most exciting novel. “The Valley of TuMtil Trail®.” bv W. C. Tuttle. and "Th« (»■•}• Bandit of (lie Bordtr.” by Tom Gill (London: Collins). Two more spirited talcs for the rather fortunate members of the “Wild West, Club.”