Jottings

Radio Record, Volume V, Issue 13, 9 October 1931, Unnumbered Page

Jottings

Herr Emil Ludwig has written 2 ervaphy of his illustrious fellowcountryman which is a worthy successor to the great German writer’s study of Napoleon. Herr Ludwig is fortunate in his translator, Miss Ethel Colborn Mayne, and the book, so far as one mag judge, loses nothing of excel- ’ Jence of literary quality in the form in which it is presented to English readers. It is an admirable and thought: provoking study of the life ‘and loves, | temperament, friendships and achievement of ‘one of the most greatly gifted: figures of all time; and from the open-_. ing paragraph, when we make © ac--quaintance of the sixteen-year-old Leip--zig student, ‘full of a confident omni- | science," our attention is enchained. | The dual nature of genius is analys-: ed with penetrative skill, the author depicting with sympathy aud sincerity © the diffidence, arrogance, quick re--sponsiveness and wayward aloofness of him who was by turns absorbed dreamcr, ardent romanticist, citizen of the world, and model of domestic virtue, The book is dedicated to Mr. G Ti. Shaw, whom Terr Ludwig hails as most eminent umong authors of our own country. In his interesting foreword he explains that. because. the Gerians long have nourished the iden of a young Apollo and an old Zeus, Goethe has remained at an Olympian distance: but now a generation has ‘avises that loves the enigmatic sage and philosopher, not only for magnificent literary heritage bequeathed to his countrymen, but because of fluctuations of character, warmth and generosity of impulse, and motive forces of endeavour. The author hopes that, in this biography of between three and (i our hundred pages, he has displayed ¢ "Goethe, The History of a Man," in moving panorama the "landscapes of the soul" of a grent and lonely genius, and it would seem that he has succeeded well. Politician and social observer, Diologist, teacher, sceptic and prophet, Goethe wrote the most inspired poetry the German language has produced; and in his genius, felicity of portrayal and infinite scope is hailed as "brother of the great German musicians." For sympathetic interpretation and sound workmanship, this is a book to commend itself to the literary cognoscenti. s be) s "HE Singing Wood," by. Lady. Frazer. Shades of Puss in Boots and all our other favourites-here are eighteen original fairy tales of great charm and wit, written in the good old-fashioned style. I]ustrations by Mr. IL M. Brock, Av ideal gift book for children.

MBS. FALCONER JAMESON, the novelist, who wrote under the name "J. B. Buckrose," died recently ut her home at Wymondham, Norfolk. Mrs. Jameson, who was in her sixtys fourth year, was the author of several North Country novels, short stories and character sketches. Among her works were "The Wood End;" "Little Green World," "Down Our Street," "The Grey Shepherd," "The Gossip Shop," "Whe Silent Legion," and "Payment in Kind." * * Books in letter form are often ted jous. Miss Joan Haslip escapes this fault in her first novel, "Out of Focus," but by far the best part of the book is the description of Hungarian and English scenery and society, seen through the eyes of one who is a keen observer and has a passion for the beautiful in Nature. Lyneth Balfour tells the story of her disastrous marriage in a series of letters to an older male friend, who is used as a sort of safety-valve for the emotions of a very modern, self-centred, and selfanalytical young woman. ¢ ER «x {ez is perhaps significant that Mr. John Drinkwater sbouwld have found it necessary to defend the subject of his latest book, "The Lite and ‘Adventures of Carl Laemmle." In @ chapter that might have served as @ preface be replies to Mr, Hugh Walpole, who had expressed his surprise in a New York newspaper. All that most of us knew of Carl Laemmle was that he was the head of Universal Pictures. Mr. Drinkwater paints a lovable portrait of the man who emigrated from Germany at the age of seventeen, and after twenty years of unspectacular struggle went into "the pictures," gave their first engagepients to Mary Pickford aud other famous film stars, and finally founded Universal City in California, It goes ‘without saying that the book is well write ten. ;