THE BOOKSHELF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21112, 20 February 1932, Page 9 (Supplement)

THE BOOKSHELF.

"SKETCHES AND LYRICS." THE AUTHOR OF " CAVALCADE." / " L?t us bf> g-iy " and read "Collected Sketches and Lyrics," by Mr. Noel Coward. The revues from which they are taken have been merely tantalising and alluring names to followers of the theatre, until one would be grateful for -—crumbs if that were all Mr. Coward's book contained. But the contents of the volume arc more;than crumbs. Tho book even fulfils expectations, and_that is high praise when a publication has been anticipated for several years. Yet, just as one realises that Gertrude Lawrence or Gracie Fields would not disappoint , were one granted, the opportunity of hearing them, so one knew that *Noel Coward was worthy of his reputation. " Collected Sketches and Lyrics " are, of course, writt.cn to be heard rather than read, but t'hey make delicious read- / ing and stir dormant dramatic sensibilities jn the most retiring and spinster heart. Jlr. Ivor Brown, the well-known dramatic critic, said recently that Gracie Fields captured her audience as boys tickle trout. Well, this is exactly Mr. Coward's touch. His sketches have much of the deftness and finishing kick of an 0. Henry story. From the opening line they are full of verve. They are pithy and they are deliciouslv and unexpectedly naughty. Quotations must be resisted because each lyric or sketch is complete in itself. The " Swiss Family Whittletot," « sketch inspired by the well-known Sitwell trio, is full/of pearls to the initiated. The reader does enjoy being included in .a joke against such " highbrows" as the Sitwells and is equally entertained to read that there was a furious correspondence in consequence. It ia certain that Mr. Coward's book will have a great vogue. It is the very collection tha£. tlie " bright, voting things" have 1 been looking for. Let them, however, step warily lest the author's talent show their lack of it. The simplest seeming things are ever traps for the enthusiasts. " Collected Sketches and Lyrics," by Noel Coward. (Hutchinson.) ROBERT LYND'S ESSAYS. WITTY AND MELLOW PEN. / Most readers in these enlightened days fight shy of books of essays, because when bought they often prove to have been turned out in haste. As the articles are often topical, usually slight, seldom written with flaming pen, and as the public has its eyes too wide open to rush .in with eager money, it is difficult'to see why they are published in permanent form. Presumably the authors aro flattered to see an ever-increasing row of books bearing their names on the back. It is useless to disguise that tho attractively entitled " Rain, Rain, Go to Spain " is a book of this kind, but when it is remarked tluit its author. Robert * Lynd, is identical with " Y.Y." of the ' " New Statesman," many people will make an exception of this book and desire to read it. Everything that "Y.Y." writes is characterised by a wit, a wisdom, a mellow understanding, a literary style which places him at the head of his kind. Like Duke Frederick he can find good in everything—in the weather, in , the rising generation, in sailors, in sweepstakes, m people who do not bath', in clergymen, in women, t.ven in grammar. He has his, dislikes, too, chief of them dislike of community this, that, and the other, community singing, spending, hiking. He strikes an interesting note in .. his dislike of smooth English translations of foreign books.- Far better, lie cries, give them in their crude but colourful literalness, which is just as lucid and gets nearer the heart of the original, than an emasculated, anglicised version. < Mr. Lynd's examples tell strongly on his side of the argument. " Rain. Lain. Oo to Spain." by Robert Lynd. (Methuen.) LIFE—OR COMIC OPERA? Mil. POWYS' PHILOSOPHY. In " Impassioned Clav " Mr. Llewelyn Powys attempts to formulate a theory of life, the origin of the human race, the / why and wherefore of it all, and a philosophy to live by. He covers an immense-field of time and space, tracing life from the first semi-animate stirrings controlled by the laws of nature until race followed race, and civilisations flourished and died. But what it is all leading up to is -a statement of. Mr, Powys' ready-made philosophy, fiist formulated by Epicurus, that the tiue intention of life is happiness. " Life is its own justification; life asks for notning more than to be allowed to live, to be allowed to eat and reproduce its kmdj and for a season to feel the sunlight. It is men that he is speaking of, not dogs or pigs. "It is the vanity of man that is ever on the itch to discover other matters. It is as clear as day that there are none. So we are to sit down in the sun and ripe and ripe, and then rot and rot. But Mr. Powys seems not to know that for some people this is not happiness; / ' for some tho passionate pursuit of pleasure is infinitely boring. " With conccntia e purpose follow the deepest inclinations o your being, and snatch, snatch at happiness with passionate eagerness. A delightful pursuit'for sylphs and satyrs, but what a world for average human beings! Jt will be seen that Mr. I o\\ys teaching is sensuous and slightly decadent. He is undoubtedly sincere, but the wonder is tl'iat be cannot see that Ins j philosophy is pure comic opeia. " Impassioned Clay." by Llewelyn Powys. (Longmans, Green and Co.) STORIES OF THE CIRCUS. LADY ELEANOR SMITH'S TALES. Lady Eleanor Smith, in "Satan's Circus and Other Stories," has some Strange tales to tell. Tales of ciicus life —of raggle-taggle gipsy life that rely lor their ciilhralinent upon the strangeness of their background. There is something about a circus that touches the imagination, or did when we were young and innocent. It probably touches our pity now, hut the mam thing is that one is touched, one'is accessible. Not that these stories are simple or touching; they are, on the other hand, decidedly unpleasant,: but, like tlie murder mystery of the present day, they are so divorced from the gamut of the reader's experience that sheer .surprise very often carries them through. I-"or instance, there is the storv of the Brandts. They were a Weird couple, full of strange power, who ran most elusive circus. Madame Brandt had only to pass through the menagerie and the animals were so maddened that they were unworkable for the test of the day. Anatole, one of the hands, , was afraid Of her, and scorned her love. She used her power and Anatolo lost his life in the lions' cage, lhe story is web told, hut is the more horrible and none the less probable for that. The success of Lady Eleanor Smith's first novel, Red Waggon." Has encouraged this author s readers to have certain pleasant anticipations concerning her future books. Her line is obviously that of the novel, not of the short story, which demands a very special talent. Satan's Circus and Other Stories," by Eleanor Smith. (Golluncz.)