London
A Londoner’s literary fare these days is strikingly similar to that offered in New York. Most of the recent boo# by Jewish authors or on Jewish themes have been, or a about to be published in New York.
Michael Matveev’s searing account of a Russian-Jewish refugee family in Rumania published here by Cassell as "Bitt## Draught." received literary notice strikingly similar to that accorded it in America where it appeared as "Weep Not for the Dead."
Gertrude von le Fort’s sympathetic story of "The Pope from the Ghetto," which Sheed and Ward brought out in New York and London, received attention here as an engrossing study of an interesting day and life.
RUTH FEINER’S NOVEL
A first novel by a young German-Jewish refugee, Ruth Feiner, who now lives in England, "Cat Across the Path," (Harrap) attracted much attention and the young novelist, whose book was snapped up by the book-of-the-month groups, is being hailed as a second Vicki Baum. The novel is not on a Jewish theme but revolves around two musicians, one wealthy, the other poor, and the beautiful girl with whose life those of the two musicians are closely interwoven. I understand that Lippincott will bring this book out in New York soon.
Another first novel that attracted some interest here was "Waters of Babylon," a story of intermarriage. It is by Stephen Ronley, a former newspaperman previously best known for his magazine short stories. Ronley, so it happens, is one of those rare specimens, a convert to Judaism, and is married to the daughter of an orthodox family. "Waters of Babylon," however, he assures me, is not autobiographical in any sense. It deals with the romance of a beautiful Jewish girl from a Whitechapel tenement, the talented son of a prosperous English family, their marriage, happiness and the tragedy of his sudden death. The Whitechapel scenes in the book are especially well done.
OTHER FICTION
Other recent fiction includes Miss G. B. Stern’s "Shining and Free," which, for some reason or other, did not arouse the customary excitement usually associated with Miss Stern’s books, and Louis Golding’s "The Camberwell Beauty," in which the pugilist-traveller-author forgets Magnolia Street and reveals a new technique. The former was published in America. The latter, I have no doubt, will be very shortly.
Sir Herbert Samuel, Liberal statesman and Jewish leader, is revealed as a philosopher of no mean distinction in "Practical Ethics," brought out by Thornton Buterworth in the Home University series. C. E. M. Joad, writing in the New Statesman and Nation, finds a "Greek flavor" about it and wonders "whether the message of this sane and temperate book is likely to make itself heard amid the shouting voices of the age."
Joseph Roth’s "Anti-Christ," which has been reviewed in The Bulletin’s pages, put the critics here at odds. One of them found that the anti-Christ was to Mr. Roth whatever he happened not to like.
2 HISTORICAL WORKS
Two historical studies of especial Jewish interest are F. E. Baily’s "Lady Beaconsfield and Her Times," (Hutchinson) and Lucy Cohen’s "Lady de Rothschild and Her Daughters, 1821-1931," (John Murray). Of these, more later. One might also call "Fifty Years of International Socialism," by M. Beer (Allen and Unwin) history because of the years it spans. It is the story of the life of this son of {SPAN}###{/SPAN} Galician Jewish butcher—a full {SPAN}###{/SPAN} and a fascinating one in which {SPAN}###{/SPAN} writer boasts of the Jew’s position {SPAN}###{/SPAN} in the van of all liberal {SPAN}mo###ments.{/SPAN} Of this, too, more later.
Vincent Sheean’s "Personal History," (published here by Hami### Hamilton as "In Search of History," has provoked a storms### as. I should assume, it did ### America, mainly around its Pal### tine section and Mr. Sheean’s re###tions with the Jews. The book a ### "best-seller," and would be ev### without the additional inter### aroused by this debate.
HITLER BOOKS ENDLESS
Of books on Hitlerism, there no end. The most recent of the however, "I Was Hitler’s {SPAN}Prison###{/SPAN} the diary of Stefan Lorant, {SPAN}(###lancz),{/SPAN} stands head and should {SPAN}###{/SPAN} above the pack. Lorant was {SPAN}###{/SPAN} editor of the Munich {SPAN}Illustrie###{/SPAN} Presse, which happened to be chief competitor to Herr {SPAN}Hitl###{/SPAN} Illustrierte Beobachter.
V.###
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
