Jottings

Radio Record, Volume V, Issue 30, 5 February 1932, Unnumbered Page

Jottings

THE style’s the thing in Miss Naomi Royde-Smith’s latest contribution 0 fiction. Related with meticulous and ving exactitude, "The Mother" is a finished study of small and happy home circle, told in introspective modern manner, of a woman’s reactions to love of husband and children, en-haloed by memories of cherished days of a time long past. There are two entirely lovable small boys, and We are drawn into a gentle round of English country jome life, from the time when "woods creak under the white mantle of snow that froze on their branches" till the full fragrance of mid-July. Ag a study of psychology, Miss Royde-Smith scores success unqualified, and her book is notable for delicate and graceful phraseology. "The afternoon cooled toward sunset, bringing a sound of crooning from the pigeon-house beyond the rose-garden; while the tobaccoplants in the long border, opening their faint green trumpets, sent forth the first notes of the hymn of sceut now gathering strength for full night chorus to come." The slightest of incidents make the sum total of the narrative’: Nurse writing a love-letter on a sheet of pink ruled paper with an embossed pansy in the corner; a child choosing father, instead of mother, for the honoured recipient of first daisy-chain made with infinite effort in the sunshine; the torrent of introspective emotion thereby evoked, and its final resolution into nirvana of acquiescence and acceptance of sacrificial obligation imposed by an overwhelming love. £ € * "DARA Handy and Other Tales" makes very entertaining reading, gs a selection of sketches, collected tether in omnibus fashion, by Hugh Foulis, a pseudonym of the late Neil funro, who died about a year ago. ceil Munro was @ brilliant historical novelist, but many people were not aware that he was also a humorist of first rank. Writing under his nom de plume, he contributed these delightful stories of the inimitable Scot, which are now published in book form for the deléectation of those who like their humorous fiction in more or less tabloid form. * " * "HD BITTER ORANGE-TRED" is unusual and beautiful and strange. Its author is Panait Tstrati, of mixed Greek and Rumanian parentage, and a wanderer of the world, whose poor childhood was lived from hand to mouth in the slums of the Fast. Drifting to Switzerland, he

learned French and became familiar with the French classics, wrote his books with exquisite art, and finally, after repeated disappointment and attempted suicide, wrote to Romain Rolland in desperate effort to receive recognition. Rolland recognised his genius, and sponsored his literary career. "Kura Kyraline," published in 1923, established Istrati’s reputa-

tion as a high-light in literature. That reputation will be enchanced by "The Bitter Orange Tree," a simple and terrible tale of romance. breathing beauty and fragrance, pity and terror: and running the gamut of human emotion, frustration and sacrificial love, ending only with the durk waters of the Bosphorus elosing over the body of the beloved.

N "The Mango Tree," Miss Margaret Hamilton presents, with charm and authenticity, the viewpvuint of a British child living in India. There is exceedingly candid comment anent parents of Umgheni Sai, who by coercive measures endeavour, without conspicuous success, to inculcate social standards and train up their child in the way she should go. Divers gay adventures and excitements are ehrenicled in this saga of the wanderings of a child who fraternises with snakes°and monkeys, toads und bees; and who contrives for herself a froelk entirely of cabbage leaves, to the satisfaction of herself and the confusion of her elders. It is difliceult to convey the unique and delightful flavour of this little book, which assuredly should not be missed by those who appreciate originality, of conception and naivete of execution. * * * Miss NORAIL HOULT is a young writer of distinct promise, and in "Apariments to Let" she presents a gullery of memorable portraits. There is Mrs. Peabody, a landlady typical of her class and kind, who intimates that her lodgers must conform to her standard and "behave." The dapper draper, Mr. Tlobson, and Willoughby, of the damaged romance, give her little trou- ble, but of two representatives of the eternal feminine Mrs, Peabody finds herself unable to approve. "Miss" Crossley, despite a husband in the mysterious offing, entertains her "boy friend": and the tragie Josephine Moore drags her landlady with her into publicity of the most odious variety. The unhappy Josephine is a notuble study of distressing mental psychology ; and Miss Hoult again has proved her mettle in her latest, and perhaps most outstanding novel. MR. STEPHEN McKENNA’S latest work of fiction, "Beyond Hell," is not in the least like anything he hus written before. IIe has broken away from his own tradition, and in this vather disturbing story of his vision of the future, he sees a time when capital punishment will be abolished and those convicted of the crime of murder will he deported to an island in the South Seas, where a Governor, with fixed ideas of managing such a grim community, is in full charge. Wventualiv an Iinglish professor, sent out to the isle of horror to report progress, witnesses the murder of the Governor, whose place he finds himself forced to tale in the revolution that ensues, As an effort of the imagination the book commands interest and respect, but one can’t help hoping one won't find oneself an inhabitant of such 2 crime-infested island, even in the role of peacemaker,