WILMETTE · LIFE November 9, 1928 NOT SO GOOD Esther Gould's Book Corner JUST PARAGRAPHS The "Mem'oirs of Prince Max of Baden" last Chancellor of Germany is a book of great interest to the world. The memoirs cover the whole period of the War, giving an almost hour by hour narrative of the last days before the Armistice. Charles Francis Coe, author of the recently published "Swag" had an experience in anti-climax. His doctors gave him a verdict "ten days to live" yet on the eleventh he was still around. His friends, naturally irritated by this failure to deliver the goods, suggested a trip to the woods as likely to finis}t him. Instead of that he became interested in writing and has been doing it ever since. We wonder if he has been living on his life insurance. SO THIS IS RASPUTIN Tsar and Tsarina of Russia .is one of the most pitiful things · ever put into the boldness of print. Two childr~n holding hands and innocently · and trustingly touching a match to a mammoth barrel of dvnamite while someone sang nursery ·rhymes in the background could not touch for incredibil-: ity that life. Shut away from everyone their 11 idyll" at their palace, they spent their days in simple pleasures, nervously trying not to hear the sounds of the world cracking under their feet.. When they became too nervous they call~d in sue~ men as t.his Rasputin whose reputation for bemg a holy man, representative of God' Himself, rested on his theory, which struck everyone as sound, that in order to repent one must sin, therefore come on and let's sin together. In this way Rasputin justified to thes,. simple souls a life of the most complete debauchery that the world has probably ever tolerated. And more than tolerating, that world revered and worshinped its agent. If one wonders at the- cruelty of the Russian Revolution let him read this book. For its illustrations alone the b_ ook would be extremely valuable. "Coatumea by Eroa" By Conrad .Aiken Charles Scribner's Sons lUVNTAIN SQVAR[. · LVANSTON Telephones: Greealeaf 71M Wilmette 37M in Ropn Park JIZZ Winnetka 520 The Joyous Pretender A new book by a famous Evanstonian, Louise Ayres Garnett, "A chronicle of life and love, sophisticated, yet naive as seen through the eyes of a boy and told in his own language." The Macmillan Company .. $2..00 This book .of short stories by Conrad Aiken does not come up to the standard set by his very unusual novel "Blue Voyage." A style which in that ~o~k was full of poetry and strength, 1s, m these stories combined under the title "Costumes by Eros," decidedly weak. Most of the stories, while their plots are original and they should be good, simply do not "come off." The two. "Farewell Farewell, FareweJI" · and "Your Obituary Well Written," whi~h the blurb informs us are "infused with an enthralling beauty that puts them with the best that have ever been written of · their type" have for rls merely the intention, they meant to be enthrallingly beautiful but they aren't. They ·leave u~ cold. W ~ hope th:1t Mr. Aiken w1ll prove hts sk1ll next time in a novel. "Raaputin the Holy Devil" By Rene Fulop-Miller The Viking Press Portage, Wisconsin and Other Essays Zona Gale Alfred A. Knopf ........ $2.. 50 The 4th Musketeer The Life of Alexander Dumas T. Lucaa-Dubreton Coward-McCann ........ $3.00 The Angel That Troubled the Waters A notebook of dramatic moments. <·-----------:· Just Published Rene Fulop-Miller, on his own and his publisher's statements has uncovered the "truth about Rasputin." If be has or we might say whether he has or not he has said a mouthful. Hi s · nf~nnation has been p:athered . entirely from documents, diaries, etc., so we might accept the statemet:t that it is .a true record, yet the amazmg part of tt is that it so closely follows the sort vf rumor which Mr. Fulop-Miller seems to think he has denied. Instead of uncovering the "simple and lovable man" which the author thinks was a large part of Rasputin, it seems to us that his "truth" paints im more blacklv than ever as probably the supreme fraud and charlatan; an illiterate petty, vituperative imposter. The picture of the reign of the last Thornton Wilder Coward-McCann ........ S:z.so The Jealous Gods By Gertrude Atherton As successor to the Pericles of "The Immortal Marriage" Alcibiades, the maddest spirit of Athens, leaps upon the stage. Arrogant, intolerant, dissipated, yet the people of Athens heaped upon him the highest honors of. the state. Mrs. Atherton has told hi·s story in unforgettable terms. The Star-Spangled Manner Beverly N ichol· Doubleday, Doran ·.··.··. $2.50 Rasputin, the Holy Devil Reni Fulop-Miller The Viking Press ........ $5. oo ·~·------·-·-··· :.111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111~ Horace Liveright $2.50 · The Doctor Looks at Mar .. riage and Medicine Joseph Collins Doubleday, Doran ·.....·. $3.00 ~=- Airways, Inc. John Do· Paaos Macau by ............... ·s 2.oo By Hugh Lofting Doctor Dolittle never fails to charm his ever-widening circle of readers. In his latest book his active efforts in the pursuit of science take him to the moon where he learn'5 the language of the vegetables as he has those of the animals in the past. Di:~he ~!!le I· .,PROPAGANDA" How public opinion is molded to the benefit ·of business, politic~. art, science and social movements is described by Edward L. Bernays' new book;, "Propaganda," which Hor:ace Liverilo!'ht has announced for p.ubhcation on November 15. Mr. Bernays . who helped create the profession ?f Public Relations counsel, and acts tn that capacity for some of America' s A CHARMING NOVEL large st corporations, foreign governments and other groups, talks frankly "Rising Wind" from the insi'de, in analyzing the use~. of propaganda m ethods in modern l!fe . By Virginia Moore His deductions are drawn from spec1fic "Rising Wind" by Virginia Moore is rases. from soap sculpture to Czecho a charming book, modern in them e and Slovakia. feeling, but placed against a Civil War backg~ound in Virginia. Miss Moore ENGLAND'S BEST SELLER hasn't exploited her background, she "This Side Idolatry," by C. E. Bech hasn't loaded her pages with old hofer Roberts, which has caused so Southern gentlemen and devoted nemuch stir among the Dickensians o f groes she has painted it lightly an~ England and America, is now the bestcentered our interest in three very well selling book in England. Mills and drawn characters. They are Mary Boon the English publishers, report Patch and her father, between whom that the book has created the biggest there is a unique understanding and sensation in their memory. An extra love, and later Tom Carver whom Marv fears by loving she is cheating ordinary amount of pro and con cr.iticism has been written of the book m her father. America. Editorials, reviews, articles. The story is the conflict of these etc., have either damned the nove} loves and the outcome. It is poetically heartily or praised it unstintingly. and delightfully told with a feeling for nature which is unusual. There is op"MASKS IN A PAGEANT" portunity for a description of a battle Th~ pa~eant i!' the pageant of poli in whiCh Mary herself takes an empromptu part and which is partly the tics from Harrison to Coolidge. and means of uniting her with Tom once the masks are the actors most repremore. This is a book to be recom- sentative of the changing . show. Mr. mended to and enjoyed by anyone lik- White however. does something bet ter th~n merelv present unrelated bio ing a sensitively told story. graphies; he gives the show a plot. marches it from prologue to denoue ment makes an order1v pror(>!'~ion o i it. :His book is a story with unity in it. the story of a historic rise and £alt.The New York Times. The best gift book of the year for boys and girls is DRUMS by James Boyd With 17 color ' pages and 46 drawings by Frederick A. Stokes Co. $2.50 ~llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllfr "If ever we can overcome sleep, presses will never stop when they start printing anything about Winnie - the - Pooh." Harry Hansen. MESSAGE FROM LORD MORLEY Lord Morley's reasons for resigning from the British Cabinet in August 1914 are now revealed in his "Memorandum on Resignation," which he left to be published at his nephew's discre tion. It was with deep anguish that he came to the decision to ·resign, but h ~ never swerved from his conviction that his country shonld have kept 'out o f the war. ERSKINE'S LATEST John Erskine has gone to Paris to work on a new novel. which wilt he all-American. His new book. "Penel ODe's Man," will be published thi ~ November. It is the stor~' of Odysseus. RECOMMENDED TO BISHOP Svlvia Townsend Warner. author 0f "Lo.llv Willowes." s~vs of RohPrt Na than's new novel: "The Bishop's Wife" should be in the hands of very bishop : even archhishon" might he (slightlv ! the hetter for it." A Wonderful Collection of Successful Books Reprinted at $1.00 N.C. Wyeth famous classic of the American Revolution, a favorite with younger readers since its publication, is now :tdded to the Scribner 12.50 Illustrated Classics in a superb edition profuse! y i llustrated with N. C. Wyeth's best work . c_fityourbookstore THIS Order Christmas Cards Now Lord't-Boolu and Stationery /cut lnauu the W~·t Davi· St. Door THE HOUSE AT POOH CORNER By the Author of \Vhen We Were Very Young $2.00 E. P. Dutton &: Co., Inc. 286-302 Fourth Ave. $2.50 SCRIBNERS