Show The liThe Polyglots Cri Critical Study of Anton William Ge Gerhardi Inspired to Write by Kind Words from from- Katherine Mansfield By ATH AThENE E FARNSWORTH William Gerhard Gerhardi whose latest novel The Polyglots has Just been published staggered Into the literary limelight according to to hi his own admission leaning on the shoulders of two women women the the late lale Katherine Mansfield and Mrs Edith Wharton Having tried the publishers publishers pub pub- pub pub- lishers ushers In vain he wrote to Katherine Kather Kather- ine me Mansfield to whom whom- he was unknown un un- un- un known to a ask k If it she would read the manuscript of his first novel Futility She agreed and within a week I 1 think your novel is awfully good and found an English English En En- glish gUsh publisher within another When the bool appeared Edith EdlU Wharton to whom likewise the an anthor au author thor was a a stranger wrote to him him enthusiastically Do for the sake of us keep It up This book also received praise from such literary successes as us' asH H H. G G. G Wells and Re- Re Lecca West est Once launched it would seem there was nothing but butt butto butto t to go ahead But Dut novels of the Gerhardi Ocr Gel hardi quality y cannot be turned out overnight The author bided his time with a critical study of the Russian master Anton for which task as the Russian corn child of English parents he was pe peculIarly peculiarly peculiarly pe- pe fitted and the book is s still m the only complete critical stud study of ot that author available anywhere The Polyglots dedicated to Edith Wharton is s the result of two years years of seclusion seclusion- and hard work in a Tyrolese town The general tone of this novel might be expressed ex expressed cx- cx pressed as one of ot sportive fatal- fatal Ism It deals with the amorous adventures and r reactions of a young man of meditative nature Cosmopolitan Cosmopolitan Cosmopolitan Cosmo Cosmo- politan society serves as a background background background back ground for this leisurely tale enlivened enlivened en enlivened en- en livened with bits of subtle humor irony and satire Polyglots Is another story without a plot sketching the adventures adventures- If we can call th them m that of a young British officer who at the end ot the World war finds himself ordered ordered or ordered or- or dered to Vladivostok Vladivostok purpose purpose in in- in definite In Japan en route and subsequently In Harbin Georges meets his Aunt Teresa Uncle Emmanuel Emmanuel Emmanuel Em Em- manuel and Cousin Sylvia with whom he feels that he is In love Aunt Teresa Is the type who imagines Imagines Imag imag- ines Jnes herself a a confirmed Invalid nevertheless domin dominating tirig the lives desires and plans of everyone with whom she comes comes In hi contact Uncle Emmanuel is the sort who prefers Japan to Belgium his native country country country coun coun- try during the war and who Is quite satisfied to let anyone else assume the responsibility for tor the support of ot h himself and family while he carries on his secret amours with anyone from the street up Yet all th the time we find Uncle Emmanuel prating about the of the home and so on Sylvia expressed in modern slang Is beautiful but dumb The entire book Is an endless chronology of purposeless events In IncIdent Incident Incident In- In either to his commission in Siberia or family affairs emph emphasizing ing ng th the mindedness chIldish of the entire world after the war and showing sho the utter futility of ot everything everything everything every every- thing even life Just as a single example after atter spending the summer summer summer sum sum- mer trying to locate lost coats poor poor Captain Georges was only to discover that It was caps he was to find and that it really didn't matter matter matter mat mat- ter after atter all whether found or not It also points out ut the absurdity of titles titles Innumerable Innumerable generals etc today with power and authority authority- tomorrow no commission of any sort There are flashes of keen humor and of deep pathos throughout the book but the commonplace is emphasized emphasized em em- always The love affair in Polyglots culminates culminates culminates cul cul- in Sylvias Sylvia's being married to Gustave a bank o official Aunt Teresa's Teresa's Teresa's Te Te- Te- Te resa's work Then Georges finds that Aunt Teresa has s sent nt Gustave home on the wedding night and Sylvia asks Georges to come to her Aunt Teresa decided to return to Belgium on th same boat with Georges Georg s and takes the whole fain fain- ily with her Gustave the husband is to follow when he can The story ends with the he landing landingIn in hi Engl England nd and Georges already bored with Sylvia Polyglots might be summarized as the depiction depletion of ot the lives of at a heterogeneous mass ot of people and tongues thrown together at the end of t the e earth going on living from day to day ay but always the question ques ques- tion what tion-what what for tor Duffield Co New Now York TH THE E WIDOWS WIDOW'S WIT An Irish sheriff had to serve a writ on ott a Glever young young widow and on coming to her residence said very politely Madam I have hays an attachment for tor you You have have said she blushing Then I may tell you that your af affections affections af- af are reciprocated It was the sheriffs sheriff's turn to blush and ho he explained You dont don't understand me rue madam ma ma- dam You must proceed to court Well Va I know its it's the year after leap year she replied but Id I'd rather you did the courting your your- self M Madam dam he said sternly this Is no time for tor fooling fooling- The Justice Is waiting The Justice was the final an an- Well I suppose I must go but its it's nh all so sudden and besides Id I'd much prefer to have a priest do It Answers Answers London Here wai waitress ress this doughnut has hns a tack in It it Well WeIl I declare Ill I'll bet the ambitious ambitious am am- thing thinks its it's a flivver r tire |