A Literary Log

Southland Times, Issue 21073, 3 May 1930, Page 13

A Literary Log

ROLLED BY

IOTA.

CONDITIONS IN SPAIN. Blasco Ibanez was a striking instance of the industry of Spanish novelists. These men of the writing craft, once established, arrested the world as much by their industry as by the apparent ease with which they maintained their individual standards of quality. The Germans write long books —some of them seem interminable —but the Spaniards write, many long books and never grow heavy with weariness. Blasco Ibanez was one of these and at his death left behind a heap of works, still being published posthumously. The latest to appear is “The Intruder,” laid in the mining district near Bilbao, where half-starved miners are exploited bj - greedy owners. Blasco Ibanez always used ink tinged with political feeling, but in the later stories his antagonism to the monarchy, exemplified in the reign of Alfonso XIII, rose to passionate strength. Sanchez Morueta, the mine-owner, is the uncrowned king of the district, but opposed to him is Dr Aresti, his cousin, through whose mouth Blasco Ibanez speaks. Aresti is a man of science, broad-minded, a radical, and a despiser of wealth, but he has a deep affection for Morueta, who stands for conservatism, vested interests, sharp, harsh rule, and their wives, too, are fond of each other, but they are finally separated by “the intruder.” The story opens among the mining settlement, and the author paints the terrible conditions of its people, at the same time revealing the enthusiasm of the Bilbayans for the “nationalist” cause. Under all thus one senses the stirring of revolt, the first sounds of approaching thunder. The intruder is the Church in the form of the College of Jesuits. Sanchez’s wife, Dona Cristina, is completely in the hands of the Jesuits, and estranged from her husband, whom she barely tolerates. Sanchez keeps a mistress in Madrid and seems to bear up under this arrangement, and he disregards Aresti’s warning that he has an enemy within his gates who will be his undoing. The lady in Madrid is faithless, and in the moment of his despair, Sanchez is caught by the “enemy.” In other words he becomes devout and finds peace in stern religious exercises. Then the storm bursts, and Sanchez is found with the Church, whose supporters are firing on the Socialist agitators. He meets Aresti in the height of this riot, which fhe author uses for one of his bitterest scenes. It is a quick-actioned book, done with the bright colours Blasco Ibanez invariably used, but it is one of his bitterest without being one of his strongest. Pictures of Spanish life are drawn with skill, and the action is controlled with all the craft he has shown in his other works, but the people are puppets and move only to illustrate the author’s arguments. It is interesting, vastly interesting, but too polemical to be a great novel. “The Intruder” is published by Messrs Thornton Butterworth Ltd., London. THE MANICURIST. Sally was a beautiful manicurist in Sloper’s hairdressing saloon, and she was unsophisticated, “supercharged with sex appeal” and yet innocent. It sounds like one of those Incredulities sometimes found in Shaun’s Patch; but that is the picture Oliver Sandys gives of his heroine in “Sally of Slopers,” a pretty story of the Berta Ruck type, though told without that lady’s lately acquired embroidered style. Sally, sharp of wit, and armed with sharp scissors, keeps the bold bad men at bay until an young Australian, fabulously wealthy, of course, arrives and with a bold assault completely captures her heart. But for the existence of an actress, who has tried many husbands and found them all trying, the love story would have ended there. The wicked actress endeavours to secure this rich but simple colonial —Australians are like that of course —and the lovers are in danger of separation through the misunderstandings she engineers. For some time she is successful, but then true love asserts itself and the happy pair are reunited. “Sally of Slopers” is a pretty story, innocuous and pleasant. It is published by Messrs Hurst and Blackett, London. THE POPULAR MAGAZINES. A very large section of the population has a greedy appetite for magazines and the variety of these periodicals seems to be without end. The American firms supply a big lot of the monthly magazine fare, but Britain also is catering for the public taste with much better results than formerly. This is shown by the success of “Britannia and Eve,” a monthly which can write such a collection of names as Lord Dunsany, the Earl of Birkenhead, Sir Philip Gibbs, George Adam, Beatrice Grimshaw, Shaw Desmond, and Coemo Hamilton in its table of contents. Dunsany writes of Mars, and Lord Birkenhead of current politics. The tenth of a series of “famous Women of History” deals with Theodora, that magnificent sensualist. The illustrations are very fine and include two recent photographs of Princess Betty. This is a magazine to make an appeal to both men and women. Woman’s Magazine, edited by Flora Klickman, is quieter, solider but equally interesting, though its appeal is not so wide. There is excellent verse in this magazine, and, of course, those features which the editor has made famous. This is essentially a magazine for young women. The March issue includes an instalment of “The Listening Post” by Grace S. Richmond. Every Girl’s Paper is a younger cousin, an admirable paper for youth, full of variety, and with plenty of helpful entertainment.

Weldon’s Ladies’ Journal for April has an article on Paris notions, “Let’s Tidy Up Our Fashion” by Isobel, and some fiction, “Thd Man Next Door,” by Mrs Belloc Lowndes. Patterns and embroidery transfers are given free as usual. Weldon’s Bazaar of Children’s Fashions for April has patterns of children’s gym dresses and a coat, in addition to which there is the usual wide range of ideas for outfitting the little ones. Joan Kennedy supplies a short story and Nurse Vincent’s department of advice is included in the issue.'

The Empire Frontier is a fiction magazine specializing in adventure in distant lands. There is a wealth of excitement in these stories and t|h?y make good reading, especially on train journeys, and at the price are very good value. From the same house comeS Short Stories, published fortnightly, and, like its brother, all British. Here again one finds a good collection., of healthy, vigorous stories of adventure in all sorts of places, and the entertainment

is provided at a very low charge. All these magazines come to me through the N.Z. Book Depot, Esk street. AN AFTERMATH OF WAR. Here is a story of war’s aftermath among little people, a story of merciless persecution under the name of patriotism, and a story of a woman’s long suffering. It begins with Naomi Swold’s knowledge that her son Ralph was shot for cowardice at the front, and that he was convicted on the evidence of John Lislain, the village grocer, but then a sergeant. The secret of Ralph’s death is kept, and the old mother persists in drawing attention to the fact that his name appears on the War Memorial in letters of gold. But Sir Peter Mynch, the fire-eating squire, filled with patriotism, discovers the truth and it is only after a hard fight that he is persuaded from moving to have the name taken off the memorial. Nor is this the only trouble met by Naomi. Mrs Lislain, fearing that Naomi bears her husband malice for the part he took in Ralph’s death, used every possible means to keep the old woman out of the store, causing intense pain by her efforts. Finally Naomi is the victim of a tramp who turns out to be one of the men of the firing squad who killed her son. Realizing her position, and using her fear of the public discovery of her secret, he imposes himself on her for food and shelter. It is this last humiliation which saves Naomi. The village suddenly becomes aware of what has been done. It begins to understand the patience with which Naomi has borne all her trials, without succumbing to bitterness or despair and the hearts of all her neighbours ..are softened. This is a quietly Hold story. It is called “The Lilac Bush” and in it Vincent Brown has dealt with war memories in a way that should remind people of the evil of bitter recollections and the value of charity. “The Lilac Bush” is an excellent book. It is published by Skeffington. NEW ZEALANDER’S NOVEL. Elizabeth Milton, is a New Zealand writer who has had one or two works of fiction published, and evidently has established a market for her wares, but it cannot be said that “Wandring Wood” is in any sense a New Zealand story. The scene opens in the North Island, but moves quickly to London, where Erena Spenser, daughter of a New Zealand farmer, who fancied himself a descendant of the poet, suddently finds herself alone and bereft of all evidence to establish her claim to the fortune she and her father have crossed the ocean to obtain. Erena, thrown on her own resources, is strangely unfortunate in her efforts to obtain employment, and strangely fortunate in the friends she makes, and especially in attracting the attention of the young man with whom is in love the English girl holding the estate Erena can claim. The author works coincidence overtime in this light, sketchy story, and the effect is one of pleasant ineffectiveness. ' “Wandring Wood” is not the equal of the same writer's “Love and Chiffon.” It is published by Messrs Mills and Boon, London. THE FIRST INDEX. Correspondents of a London Journal have been considering which was the first book containing an index. One writes: “Seneca prepared notes of particular passages; Cicero used the word index to signify the table of contents of a book; Erasmus supplied alphabetical indexes to many of his books. I refer your correspondent to H. B. Wheatley's "How to Make an Index’’ (Book Lover’s Library), the earlier chapters of which are historical.’’ This is the opinion of another writer: “The index, or concordance, of the Bible compiled by Hugo of St. Cher in 1247 would probably, and we hope certainly, take the well-deserved place of the first well-authorized, of an X book.” SAWDUST. The announcement that Hugh Walpole is about to publish a novel of 792 pages has raised protests in England against the very long novel which, it is said, has become the fashion. A good novel is never too long, a poor one always is. The Great War remained untouched in the Forsyte Saga, but John Galsworthy has now traced the course of Soanies Forsyte’s feelings through the war years —as well as the feelings of all England—in a new “fragment,” entitled “Soames and the Flag.” The book will be published in a limited edition by Messrs Heinemann. A tremendous lot has been written about Napoleon, but a book around him by a girl of 18 is somewhat of a novelty. She is Miss Marjorie Johnston, and her book is promised to us by John Murray, with the title “Domination.” Its theme is Napoleon’s personal domination of character from the time he was emerging into the limelight, until. 1840, when, at his final funeral, his spirit still dominated France. A new novel from the pen of H. G. Wells is always interesting and one is announced by Heifiemann under the title “The Autocracy of Mr Parham.” It shows Mr Parham, the epitome of English culture, in conflict with the acquiring Sir Bussy of colossal wealth and big interests. The setting of the story is a world-war which surpasses in magnitude and importance all wars that have been known before. The romantic life of Madame la Duchesse de Berrie is told afresh in a volume by a French writer, Armdnd Praviel, which Miss Arabelle Yorke has translated for English re.aders. In 1816, amid showers of blossoms and all sorts of Neapolitan celebrations, Marie-Caroline embarked for France to marry the Due de Berfi in Notre Dame. The brilliant and fashionable Paris of the time was soon at her feet, and she led the life of a fairy-tale princess until the assassination of her husband left her alone to bear the heir to the French throne. A work which Gerald Duckworth published some time ago, “My First Two Thousand Years,” by George Sylvester Viereck, had a remarkable success. Another book from the same imaginative pen will shortly come from the same publisher under the title “Glimpses of the Great.” It sets out to be a “mirror of mankind,” and an “interpretation of the world-spirit” in the first quar ; ter of the twentieth century. In form it is a series of conversations with thirty-one notable men of our day, including Mussolini, Clenienceau, Einstein, Hindenburg, Bernard Shaw, and Ramsay MacDonald. Viereck, by the way, was a German official propagandist in the United States during the war.