Hanover Browsing

ALUMNI, FROM the war classes down to the present time, who are interested in what their generation is thinking in England, can find out by reading Mr. C. Day Lewis' new novel, StarthigPoint. The story opens at Oxford in the middle twenties just before the General Strike, and succeeds in recreating the Oxford undergraduate's reaction to a bitter labor war, which was to accept it as more or less of a lark. Fascism and Communism, as we ynderstand the terms, had not at that time reared their ugly heads, and dialectical materialism was as yet unborn in the facile brain of John Strachey, who left Oxford a little earlier than did Cecil Day Lewis. On the title page Mr. Lewis quotes Franz Kafka: '"From a certain point onward there is no longer any turning back. That is the point that must be reached." He takes four characters, roommates; Theodore, the son of a famous actress; John, a scholarship-supported chemist; Henry, who goes into social work and is seduced by Theodore's mother; and Anthony, a highly intelligent athlete. Anthony alone reaches Kafka's starting point, which is represented by his realization for the necessity of Communism, and he leaves to fight for the Loyalists in Spain as the story ends.

What may have happened to Anthony, and actually did happen to many young English realists who went to Spain, is described in a remarkably good book entitled Volunteer in Spain, by John Sommerfield, and published here by Alfred Knopf. Sommerfield, a friend of John Cornford, member of the British Battalion of the International Brigade, who was killed on his twenty-first birthday, describes the trip into Spain, the lack of modern weapons, and the fighting around University City in Madrid. Whatever your sympathies, here is a picture, brilliantly done, of the savage war in Spain, which may become the preliminary skirmish of the Second World War. My own feeling is that the European powers may localize the disease, but with irresponsible men controlling the destinies of millions it is difficult to guess either way. Required reading. You will have heard a good deal probably when you glance at this article about a novel of the early Boers, TurningWheels, by Stuart Cloete (Houghton, Mifflin). This story concerns the early Boer settlers in South Africa, their trekking across the veldt, their being wiped out by the Zulus, and the effect of hot sun on a fanatical Calvinism. The book is full of action, and almost all the characters die before the tale is finished. Only old Anna, who reminds one of Olive Schreiner's Tant Sannie, survives to bring up her greatnephew. Decidedly worth reading, and far above the average contemporary novel. The second novel of the proposed "The Four Winds of Love" by Compton Mackenzie has appeared. It is called The SouthWind of Love, and carries on the careers and lives of John Ogilvie, Emil and Julius Stern, from 1912 on into the war years. The author draws on his own experiences as an Intelligence Officer during the war in Athens and at Gallipoli. Although this novel runs to over eight hundred pages there is not a dull one among them. So far it is not inappropriate to call these novels a more mature Sinister Street. Dodd, Mead is the American publisher.

American scouting on the Western Front during the World War is described in Colonel T. R. Gowenlock's book, Soldiersof Darkness, published by Doubleday. Maps help one follow the author's exploits.

Dean Bill writes: "It seems to me that a large percentage of Dartmouth alumni would greatly enjoy the grand book Memoirs of the Notorious Stephen Burroughsof New Hampshire," the best edition of which is that published in 1924 with a foreword by Robert Frost. Steve was in all probability the most versatile rascal who enjoyed the two advantages of being a Hanover boy and a student at Dartmouth College, Class of 1785, non-graduate."

I have mentioned this book in these columns before, and join heartily in what Mr. Bill says about it; The edition mentioned was published by The Dial Press and was remaindered. If you are fortunate you may be able to locate it on a bargain counter. I believe I paid only fifty cents for my copy.

The next time you visit Hanover ask at Baker Library to see the source books, manuscripts, notes, and maps used by Kenneth Roberts in writing his monumental book, Rabble in Arms, which he has loaned to the College to aid students interested in writing historical novels. They will learn one thing at least, and that is that an enormous amount of work and physical energy is necessary to. write a good novel. I imagine that Mr. Roberts would subscribe to the theory that writing is ninetenths perspiration and one-tenth inspiration. Whatever the ratio, hard and constant work is essential.

Oliver LaFarge has returned to Indians for the theme of his latest novel TheEnemy Gods. This book is perhaps not as charming as Laughing Boy, but nevertheless it is good. The story concerns a Navajo youth, who backslides into American ways, but is saved by the love of an Indian girl, and returns at last to his people. Mr. LaFarge is excellent in his descriptions of the Indian schools, and he knows, as perhaps does no other American of his time, the real psychology of the Western Indian.

Readers of autobiography will be amused by Frank Swinnerton's, Swinnerton: An Autobiography. He describes among other things his early days with the "terrible Mr. Dent," with Chatto & Windus as reader, his friendships with Arnold Bennett, H. G. Wells, and so on, and his one American tour made during 1923.

David Pilgrim's So Great a Man, published by Harper, is a historical novel about Napoleon, and covers ten months from March, 1808 to January, 1809. Readers of Anthony Adverse will find this a palatable dish.

Most of us shy from poetry, and if you are one of these, I recommend to you A. F. Bradby's little book (Oxford Press) AboutEnglish Poetry, which tells in a few pages what poetry is, what it trys to do, and so on. After reading this, you may then turn to the following fairly recent volumes of poetry which I strongly recommend.

Arthur Guiterman: Death and GeneralPutnam, Dutton, 1935.

Louis Macneice: Poems, Faber and Faber, 1935.

Robert Hillyer: A Letter to RobertFrost and Others. Knopf, 1937.

Marianne Moore: Selected Poems, Faber and Faber, 1935. This contains a laudatory and critical introduction by T. S. Eliot.

If your knowledge of English grammar and syntax is rusty, and if your calling demands much writing, I am sure you will find useful An A. B. C. of English Usage, by Treble and Vallins. (Oxford Press.) This is an inexpensive and excellent little book.

Wallace Stegner, who teaches English at the University of Utah, won the novelette contest sponsored by Little, Brown & Co., with a pallid story entitled RememberingLaughter. The author has adroitly manufactured a perfectly artificial story (Calvinism versus Paganism) leaning heavily on the model of Ethan Frome. It certainly is an A paper, but lacks any real vital sincerity and truth. It is written in a kind of Atlantic Monthly prose, bloodless but correct. The four novelettes also published, which failed to win the prize, are more honest books, and all worth reading. Mr.

Theodore Strauss, author of Night at Hogwallow, may be watched with interest.

Over in Weston, Vermont, Vrest Orton continues to publish real Yankee books. One at hand is called The Country Cookbook and is written by Cora, Rose, and Bob Brown. Glancing at the table of contents is enough to make one's mouth water, and I should like very much some evening to set down to some "vittels" prepared by the authors. Here is a sentence from page one: "Salt-rising bread, apple butter, plenty of cream from the crock in the spring house, salt pork bobbing in the barrel, cider snapping like champagne, grandma's homemade huckleberry wine." No can openers here, and the recipes, clearly written, bring back memories of childhood summer days spent down East. "I'll have a toasted tuna fish, Mac!" Alas!

Other books in the series are The Country Craft Book, by Randolph W. Johnston; The Country Dance Book, by Beth Tolman and Ralph Page.

A Merry Christmas to you All!