LIBER'S NOTE BOOK

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 158, 23 March 1918, Page 11

LIBER'S NOTE BOOK

War Classics, In "To-day" Mr. Holbrook Jackson declares that "most of our war books lack spirituality and vision, and the ceiisorsmp intimidates their observation." Surely he has forgotten Maseikld's "Gallipoli" and certain of tho French books 011 tho war. Mr. Jacksoil names Tolstoy's "Peace and War" ("War and Peace" is the correct title), and ''Sevastopol," Zola's "Le Debacle" , Ambrose Bierce's "In the Midst uf Lifo"; Stephen Crane's "Red Badge "of Courage," and Sakurai's "Human Bullets" as being "war classics born of actual experience or fairly near association.";, Tolstoy saw service in the Crimean War, and Ambrose llicrco (whose "In tlio Midst of Life" contains the best war stories ever written) served, I believe, with the Federals. But Stephen Crano had never seen a shot tired when lie wrote. "The lied Badge of Courage," and Zola got all his information second hand. 1 agree with Mr. Jackson, however, that the "verdict of posterity will probably be cast in favour of the unstudied and often unliterary . epistles which soldiers have written to their friends." I have read letters from New Zealand soldiers which are true masterpieces of simple, direct description, and, read between tho lines, as truly romantic and spiritual as the most labo'ured efforts of professional writers. It is to bo hoped that after the war is over some of these letters may find their way into print.

Stray Leaves. I hear some people grumbling becauso the price of the ordinary—many of them so very ordinary!—novel Ims been 'advanced to 'Is. 6d. But the grumblers should remember that they are still getting their fiction at a lower price than is paid by readers in the Old Country. Precisely tho same novels for which 4s. 6d. is charged here arc sold in England at c-i'thor ss. or Cs. Before the war most English novels were published nominally at. Cs., but as a discount of 25 per cent, was almost universally procurable the net price was. 4s. Gd. The same novels in the "colonial editions" (often identical in print and binding with ■ tho English editions) wero sold hero at 3s. Od. Nowadays, nearly every book, novel or otherwise, is issued in England at a net price. As to tho advance on net books, when one considers that freights hnvo recently been advanced GO per cent., an increase in prico was inevitable.

It is amusing to read in an American advertisement of a book by tho great Russian political loader, Loon Trotsky, "The Bolsboviki and World Peace," that ■ "the Bolsheviki are really anti-. Hohcnsrallern," and that to-day the poor Russian "who. lived six months in a Bronx-tenement" is "dictating to the Kaiser."

"Do not uso enemy language! 'Adieu' is French; say instead —'Auf ein Reclithcrziegesfrohesbaldigeswiedersehen.' This, so "Exhanged Officer" tells us in his book, "Wounded and a Prisoner of War" (Doran), is one of tho notices posted in German hospitals. Some of the so-called "new" poetry, of which there is now such a plentiful outpouring, is dreadful stuff. Thus iu a poem on London, in "Wheels, a Second Cycle" (vorso written Oxford students), I find tho lines*, bv Osbort Sitwcll: I love the wistful monumenlr of Albert— Whose glowing Gothic colours alanca across Towards tho classicism of the Concert Hall. Another youthful poet, Aldous Huxley, in a "Farewell to the Muses," confesses to "ceasing to bo a coot" because — •My typewriter has been • writing crookedly For a very considerable time. It is consoling to know these "new" poets are mostly quite young men. They may do better later on. Wo wil' hope so, at loasfr. Heinemanns announce a book on "The Now Zcalanderß in Samoa," by Lieutenant Keary. Incidentally tbo author throws some curious sidelights ou the oxtcnt of German influonce in the Pacific.

Those of my readers who have a good knowledge of French may note the fact that that brilliant French writer, Andre Gide, has recently published a now book, a novel entitled "Les Caves du Vatican." ' Its chief hero, Lafcadio Wluki, is tho son of a French Ambassador to Bucharest and a cosmopolitan lady. According to a "Times" critic, M. Gido's latest book contains "somo satire, much fantasv, and more seriousness."

A new Chesterton hook, "Utopia of Usurers," has, I see, bceu published in New York, although I fail to trace any new publication of that titlo in the latest London book lists. ,The themo of the book is, so I read in the New York "Eveuiug Post," "tho condition of England controlled by Capitalism, a condition which Chesterton prophesies in the hope—that of all good prophets —that it may not come true." Tho Utopian developments of tho Plutocracy, which has its social ideals as well as have the dreamers, will result, Chesterton tells us—will, that is, if .wo don't knock them down as fast as they arise—in a society in which "everything, tolerable or intolerable, will have but one use; and that use what our ancestors used to call usuanco or usury. Its art may be good or bad, but it will be an advertisement for usurers; its literature may bo good or bad, but it will appeal to the patronago of usurers; its scientific selection will select according to tho needs of usurers; its religion will bo just charitablo enough to pardon usurers; its penal system will be just cruel enougli to crush all critics of usurers."

lb appears that there arc still some unpublished 0. Henry stories. It was generally understood that "ltolling Stones" inclined every scrap of unpublished matter from the lata Sydnoy Porter's versatile pen, but in Doubledny l'ago's latest list I find an announcement of vet smother volume, "The Hansom of Red Chief, and Other 0. Henry Stories."-