Salt Lake Telegram | 1929-08-11 | Page 4 | African Lore in 'Congo Gods' by Danish Novelist

African Lore in I Congo Gods Gods' by I Danish Nov Novelist listl N Naturalistic Style Revealed in First Book by Otto Olto oto Lulken n By HARVEY HANCOCK Once e. e again tho the lure of ot an African background has captured th the fancy 0 of a story stor teller teler and Otto OUo L Luthen brings o. o to America one of Denmark's most recent best sellers seler In Congo Gods GodS Doubtless tho the timely translation trans traits lation of or the volume this s summer wa was was' actuated by a a well wel defined curlent cur cur- cur i lent of or popularity In this country ot of fiction concerning te dark co con Magazine articles of the thc past several months months' purporting to relate the tho true story of ot an African slave shave have hayo been so 50 widely read and ad Cued caused so o much comment that publishers pub pub- Ushers lishers undoubtedly have taken the cue and followed th the trend They n are arc skilled skied artisans when it conies comes to discerning the Intricacies of ot public imbUe opinion One vill wf not miot find an any amly silly siy ro romancing ro- ro r- r mancing in fit Lutkens Lutken's book bool It It i Is hi a n first novel no cl but not tho time work vork o or of a breathless youth an anxious lous lou's t to td get gel on Pap paper r his his' autobiography He has hast hasiot haf ot i written as if it he lie ere were out out on alark a alark alark lo lark in a strange land Jand and filled up after with th page fer page the les that often e escape the time unsuspecting reade readers leaders t His is purely co continental stark continental stark stark realistic almost naturalistic Words mean mea something to him hint and lie he uses them cautiously and sparingly His style Is dominated b by a plc pleasing ln- ln simpli city LutJen has arrived arrhe at man many striking co conclusions ns ad adopting principally prin the most recent trend of writers to give the tho ne nero negro r a ch chance ne nce in fiction He is not afraid to ad ad admit mit lt the time superiority of or a black blackman man nor fearful In pIcturing th frailties s of tho white in comparison His al almost ali at i most st affectionate understanding of tho time negro r Is expressed expressed- In 11 asua had hiatt the time discovery that there herd EIO white men an and nn l white men That was no tie small smal discovery for a Kasai bushman to m make o In three Ulee brief weeks Some Seine w white n live hive Jve in Africa most of or their lv lives s without realizing that there are negroes negroes and negroes Against the time background of Belgian Bel Bel- gian glan Congo has has' set his characters Lucien characters rs the tho timid little HUle white collar colar clerk from rein Brussels one of the lie white races race's weakest members members mem niem- bers son of or a u. a native chief intelligent strong one of ot the thc black races race's finest sons song an and the pretty colored wench wh who married marrie r sul seduced Luc n. n vor ore only only a string of or blue glass beads lends and kept money In the savings s batik bank With a wry smile smie of ot Irony Lutken Luthen contemplates his fellow fellos whites whiles In Africa Afria who with wih ostentatious altru altrO- altruism ism tal take e up the white mans man's burden bUden with one hand and and fill tf their own own pockets with the other othier He has sur surpassed surpassed passed many fine writers in his characterization of handling especially well wen tho the transformation from a life Ue guided by rigid in moral ral to Lh the Iniquities of ot a asor- asor sor sordid did di African existence ari an ar existence determined by the futility of t life UCe and an appalling death rate rhe The author was a r roving vinG soldier of fortune and had served six years as a captain in t the tho c Belgian arm army In Africa He worked for an American commercial concern In the time Congo was torpedoed by submarine during tIme the war as he commanded Danish vessels was shipwrecked in Iceland organized the stevedores of or Petrograd harbor for Cot tOl the soviet so shipped as a wireless operator on n a transatlantic steamer And lAnd then when wheat h ho hal Was s 47 his he health failed H He could get ct no no work and tind he and his wl wife and young son M n faced hunger Almost In desperation he lC turned tuned to writing and nd set down con cons fl as s a a sh short rt story Quo one of t his experiences exper exper- lences in iii tho tIme Congo He Ho sent it I to the tho Ito leading Copenhagen Copenhagen Copenhagen Copen Copen- Copen- Copen hagen newspaper and and much to to his delighted astonishment the time edItor accepted it I and cried for more mOle More short stories followed and amid then a play The Grand Duke performed at the n Experimental theatre thea thea- tr tre and then Congo Cono God Gods