LIBER'S NOTE BOOK

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 299, 13 September 1919, Page 11

LIBER'S NOTE BOOK

Uncle Remus. - There are few well educated households where tlio names of Uncle l!t>mus, Brer Fox and Urer Rabbit—that cunning little bunny who "lay low an' say nuffin'" to such subtle and nmus- ' itij? purpose—are nol familiar. Just recemly a biography of Joel Chandler Harris, tho author nf the inimitable "Uncle l'emus" yarns, has been published. Harris was born "down in Georgia" He was, when yet a small boy, a great reader, whose favourite authors were. Shakespeare, Burns, and Goldsmith, and his "ideal state of happiness" "a cold night, a hot fire, and taters in the ashes"! When fourteen he became an apprentici in the printing office of a little cou-itry papei, whose proprietor, had a cotton plantation. Hore the lad, on holiday*, came into contact with the old-time "niggnhs" and tho stories he heard from them—old "follc"stories, handed down l>y word of mouth from one generation to another— formed the basis nf tlie delightful yarns the young printer wrote when ho came to manhood. How many thousands of young folks, 011 both rides of the Atlantic, and, 100, I make no doubt in Australia and iVcw Zealand, have not. laughed over "Uncle Remus" over the inimitable "Tar Baby" story, lor instance? As .Harris olten explained, these quaint yarns of huiminised animals were brought originally from Africa by the negroes, tho dramatis personae being altered to lit in with the new enviioumeiit. Some of t.liem have European parallels, such as tlio famous story df how Brer Tarrapiu raced Urer Rabbit, ilid beat him by cuiminr. in which, of course, it is easy to trace 11 neirro variant of tiio ancient fa bio nf the hare and tile tortoise. In private life ('handler Harris appears to have been a most modest, lovable man. I lmvo heard people sny that they found the dialect, in. tho Uncle Remus stories rather bafl'linir. but "Liber's" tip is to read tho stories aloud—and lie can . personally- test.ifv to-the favour with whioh lliev are received bv r. juvenile audience. You can get the Uncle Remus books in well nrinted clieau editions in Routlodge's World Library (about Is. Cd. or 25.).

"Pink Roses" and "Blind Alley." As readers of this column will remember, neither llr. Gilbert Camnm's "Pink Roses" nor Mi'. W. L. George's "Blind Alley" found favour with "Libor." I mil glad to see that mi good a judge of fiction us Mr. II ugh Walpole is of opinion that . in tht'ir latest stories Caiman and George are both very disappointing. Writing from London to the "New York Sun," to which he Contributes a weekly letter on tho English book world, Mr. Walpole says:—

Oannan's "Pink Bosefi" is so poor a book that it is difficult to believe that tho author of "ltouud the Corner" wroto it. It lias been attacked over hero because of its subject; that seems to me the wrong view to take. If Cmnan seriously believes that his knock-lmccd hero, wlio thinks of no ouo but, himself during tho war and quivers with terror at the approach of an air raid, ip Hie best type of humanity now remaining to us, let him press that point of view as urgently »b ho may. It 1b in construction, characterdrawing, description, iialogue-everything that belongs to the art of novel writing— that the book is so disappointing, and it is quite sickly with sentimentality.

Mr. Walpole holds W. L. G'eorgo to be ii more competent (ra.ft.sin,m than Gilbert Caniian, but "Blind Alley" lie dismisses as being "quite unworthy of the author ol' 'Israel lvalisch' and 'Tho Second Blooming.'" Liber's personal opiuion is that both books are. to put it quite mildly, in very bad taste. I tot one refuso to believe that the typical Englishwoman of the war period was an incarnation of unbridled sensuality.' As for the men—save the mark!—in "Pink Roses" they are worse tlmn the women, self-ityjuleent egotist), shirkers of duty, and capable only in the ingenuity with whioh they discover excuses tor regarding tli© .war ;is an unpardonable interruption of their twopenny halfpenny book writing, picture painting, and plensuro seeking.

Strav Leaves. Although Conrad's "Arrow of Gold" was published In New York now some months asro. the English edition is only just- being ipublished. If English publishers are not more wide-awake they will find that Australasian readers will order and buy American editions of Conrad's new books. A second Conrad novel has been running for sotno timo past as a serial in "Land and Water." When it is likelr to appear in book form I cannot sav. Added to "Liber's" privato list of out-of-the-way book titles, "The Taste of Apples," by Jeannctte Leo; "Take One at Night,""by Ke'ble Howard; "Ah, Jlr. Guy! 'Mr. Guy!" by S. W. Webb; "Tho Devil's Chapel," by Sophie Cole. "Mr. Mooney was one of those round, clean-shaven people who combine simplicity and cheerfulness of nature with bronchial obstruction and a passion for tho trombone. His home was shared and managed by an unmarried sister, Miss Jnno Mooney—a thin, unmarried lady, subject to fits and Free Thought. Her freedom of thought ltd her to think that Jlr. Mooney could play the trombone. But ho couldn't."—"A London Lot," by Neil Lyons. "When a woman loves you she's not satisfied until she possesses your soul." —"The Moon and Sixpence,'" by Somerset Maugham. "Ho (Bernard Sliav.-) lias "succeeded in interesting us largely by inventing himself as a public- figure, as Oscar Wiulo and Stevenson did before him," is a line from an essay on "Mr. Bernard Shaw" is a volume of brilliant literary studies, "Old and Nhv Masters" 'by Robert Lyud. which has recently appeared in England. The anonymous novel of wartime life in London,' "Patricia Brent, Spinster," Ihe identify of whose authorship has never been revealed, has been translated into Swedish and Danish-Norwegian. It is now being translated for eaivy publication in Holland and France,' and is ai so lo appear in a niotinn-p' v !uro ver-;ion. "'lt's a lovely name. H'-aulv Glorhi.' said lie. 'And "she's exarllv like ,t bun villi Ihe currants lifl "-I—Hpiv '"-'-or was on this, earth_ so p'ti f 'Tv nlaiu—or sn good,' s.iid her iii"llier. 'From the !''ne she l"o years old she behaved like a f i!'y-ll"d«e.l maiden aunt."'-"The V-uny Grubb'jis," by Christine Jope-Slade.