Salt Lake Telegram | 1928-09-23 | Page 3 | English Critic Vigorously Denies Nathan's Charges of 'Snootiness'

English Critic Vigorously Denies Nathans Nathan's Charges of Snootiness Arnold Bennett hose recent book ot of essays The Saviour of Life was wa an intimate reflection of his thoughts about lIfe and literature litera- litera tune ture and many other pleasant and puzzling things has written a reply reply re- re ply to George Jean Nathans Nathan's attack on English critics In an Issue ot of The American Mercury It appeared in the London Evening Standard and Is in part as follows George Jean Nathan athan says sars in hIs usual stately that the unfairness ot of English literary critics crit crit- ics towards American books Is so excessively ely irritating that unless something Is done about it quickly something will come about which bode ill III for tor International amit am- am it Ity lie He refers to the arbitrary snootiness condescensIon a and n d downright animosity of at England and the I English to almost all AmerIcan Amer Amer- lean Ican literary endeavor Again hardly an American book can be Published In I England without callIng calling call call- Ing forth In English newspapers and periodicals a violent nose nose-fing- erInI ering and AgaIn or of the English reviewers reviewer's Work ork Snide and dirt dirty deal And lastly On all sides arC wrIter an and critics like Arnold Dennett lIen Den nett and Chesterton and a hundred lesser men who lose no to deride and Insult American writers writ writ- ore ers denying them fair criticism etc etc Take Theodore Dreiser More than a quarter or of a century ago I J I received td SIster Carrie for tor The Academy I had never heard ot of Nobody had I 1 praised his bOOk with My I article crossed the Atlantic Atlantic- and I was told laid the foundation ot of hi hIs fane fame In America At an any rate Dreiser was extremely grateful to me I have hac been preaching Dreiser ever since In 1927 1921 I 1 wrote here At A the end or of the year ear 1926 I recall t lat the most important large works work ot of ins ins- which I have c rend read In 1926 are both American Two books were ere Dreiser's An American Tragedy and Pierre The author of Pierre I is Herman Melville but how boss many American would know this offhand ot Of late years Melville has enjoyed a boons boom One OnA ot of the bf of that boom WAS a solemn b by Frank and myself lt that the fin fin- oct est or of nil Sea atones storie was 11 1 Mohy DIck and that the fact should 1 be proclaimed l. l It wall va proclaimed No o doubt a dirty deal t. t I have ha consistently praised Sinclair Sin Sin- clair chair Lewis I have ha letters from frons him attesting his d deep p satisfaction thereat Ot Of J Gantry I Wrote Tote here that It was a a. bIg novel I warm warmly I defended Isis his style against ridiculous current jibes chiefly American I think this treatment must be a snide James Branch Cabell got Into difficulties with American mor- mor er I wrote for American Amen Amer- Jean ican that I was promisingly on his and agaInst his hh enemies Probably an insult A lean ar or two ago Elizabeth Madox Ma- Ma Ia- Ia dox flobert was stas unknown I had never neer heard ot of her when I came across her fIrst novel no The Time ot of Man Ian ot of which I wrote here It Is a wonderful and an imperfect nov novi I. I rhe style American Is ex- ex The descriptions are most delectable the psychology searching search search- Ing the detail plenteous eXact md and skillfully hand handled Also the other day I drew attention to her second novel This r may be nose finger finger- Ing J I was as loud In m my acclaim ot of Thornton Wolder in England I 1 wrote here hele IiI In my opinion The Thc Bridge of San uis Hey fey Is an a absolutely ab- ab I first rate work It dazzled me 1110 by Its The writing simple straight just and and powerful has not been surpassed In the present el epoch och I have been told with what truth J I know kno not hut but both boils In the prESs and privately that my verdict transmitted to sew ew York was partly for Mr Ir Thornton Wilders Wilder's immense success in America It was certainly so for his Immense success In England Eng Eng- land An Instance I daresay ot of m my British condescension There Is not the tear fear ot of English criticism of American books fostering any English anti ff In the States For one thing neither the American publIc pub pub- lie lIc nor any other pUblic is so Ims- Ims interested d In literature as asto asto to render such a Phenomenon at all possible The suggestion is mere malIcious bosh boh But there is a 1 t tear r that deliberate excitations to international inter inter- natIonal ill will such as G. G J J. J Nathans Nathan's Nathans Nathan's Na- Na thans than's may not be bc without some sinister effect I will stop slop I want to wake ake Mr I Nathan up but In the ot of the devine de Dorothy Doroth there here Is no need let wake a a. sleeping man with a mallet mal mal- I