I, Erzählende Schriften 29, Doktor Gräsler, Badearzt, Seite 129

29. Doktor Graesler
Badearzt
n en e eie Aen enen aun e de Ke. an di. S eteenen enee ue eneen
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12
FCTlON 7%
Dr. Graesler
bu Arthur Schnitzler
Author of Casanova s Homecomig
Translated by E. C. Slade
NCHNITZLER brings a wizard-like qual¬
O ity to bear upon any character he
chooses to write about, whether a rakish
Casanova or an ardent young dreamer, like
George in Dhe Rond to the Open. He gets
under the skin of his pcople, he knows their
subtlest feeling and motives.
Dr. Gracsler is a physician at a cure re¬
sort, also a bachelor who is past middle age
12
and has become weary of bachelordom.
The interest is to see whom he will
choose for his wife, the right woman orthe wrong woman,
—this mature man with his long and varied experience.
Like all of Schnitzler’s work, Dr. Graesler is written
with the perfection of artistic finish. It ranks among his
best works and deserves as wide a popularity as Casanova’.
Homecoming.
92.50

box 4/9
MY World
Nov. 2.0/14
923.


The First Reader.
Those Crocodile Tears
fore. Not love—not yet. But
It will be recalled that a Grand Jury
something akin to love and some¬
indicted Thomas Seltzer for publish¬
thing which may very well grow.
ing Dr. Arthur Schnitzler’s “Casan¬
into love.
ova’s Home-Coming,“ and the anony¬
Though my feeling for yon Is
not romantie, it is very real,
mous." Foung Girl’s Diary.“
Partly, too, I am sorry for your
Mr. Seltzer has just published the
and perhaps 1
loneliness
new Schnitzler novel, Dr. Graesler.“
am fond of you because I admire
Neither publisher nor novelist sceins
1
you as a doctor. Yes, I really
do. Some people, might find your
at all perturbed by the recent as¬
professional manners a little cold.
saults by the purist forces, for Dr.
That is only your way. Funda¬
Graesler“ is written in much the
mentally, you are sympathetio
same freedom that characterlzed
and good.
•Casanova.“ The plece is the same
When you come to-morrow, I
Kaslender volume that is typical of
will make it easy for. yon. Von
Schnitzler. One might say that his
need merely smile, or kiss my
novels are nearer to the form known
hand again as you kissed it in
In our inferior magazines as the
parting this evening, and then I
Pcomplete novelette.
shall knowit ls all right.
This new book has little of the
Otherwise, if things are not as
beauty of setting of Casancva’s last
I fancy, say so bluntly. You need
adventure, and is even more falnt in
not be afraid. We shall shake
its resemblance to reality, yet Is done
hands on it. I shall cherish the
with the delicacy of that book. The
memory of the pleasant hours we
more one reads Schultzler and ob¬
have had together this summer,
serves how delicately he handles a
and I shall tell myself not to be
situation that another novelist would
presumptuous.
approach with a simulated blush, the
more one agrees with Magistrate
Dr. Graesler runs away from this
Simpson, who gave both books a
note. Schnitzler plunges him into a
clean bill of health before the case
llaison with a girl in a hat shop in
went to the Grand Jury.
his native city on the instant of bis
return home. A jury would nöt like
Dr. Emil Graesler, a physichan
this scene. Too many jurymen and
whose hair is beginning to go, sets
too many Judges might find it raking
ent to flnd a wife. He meets three
up memorles of their own past as they
women he considers eligible for the
read. It is done so cleverly and with
position (ft would be more a“situa
such a gently sad irony, shaping to a
tion“ than a positlon), and the novel
conclusion that finds the reader as¬
s based upon his method of choice.
tonished to admit that the novelist
For a setting the novellst has thrown
has hit him a sentimental biow.
in a few practical trees around a
Schnitzler, whether in The Affairs
health resort, with a second act in a
of Anatol' or in“ Casanova,“ may be
Verman elty. With Schnitzler the
writing because of the pleasure he
etting always seems a non-essentlal
derives from it, but he’s determined
and he thinks more In terms of a
to make you very sorry for us all be¬
stage designer than of a novellst.
fore he’s through. He had a splendid
The first act finds Dr. Graesler re¬
time of it in Casanova, but he could
eeiving a written proposal of mar¬
not refuse himself the mawkishness
rlage from Sabine, the daughter of
of that last journey tothe final kennel
a retired opera singer. One might do
in Venice, where all were invited to
well to study the design of Sabine's
sorrow over a spent roue.
letter; it is Schnitzler. It is too long
o be reproduced. Here are some of
In Dr. Graesler“ Schnitzler’s irony
the points the letter ralses:
matures in the death of the doctor’s

Von are coming to see me
mistress. On the floor below the doc¬
again this evening, but I want
tor’s apartment a little girl has scarlet
you to get this letter first. For,
Ifever. Dr. Graesler attends her and
unless I write to you, perhaps
Jeventually his mistress comes down
you will go away thls evening
with the malady. Whereupon thei
just as you have done all these
novelist becomes pathetic, only later
days and evenings, and will go on
on to plle his irony high by marry¬
vour trip without having spoken
ing the doctor to the mother of the
a word, persnading yourself that
little girl and describing their visit
von have acted wisely
to the grave of the mistress.
yon will read what I have
One would swear from an outline
written, will perhaps find it not
that"Dr. Graesler“ is not a pretty
unwelcome, and will, I hopen
story. Tet, Schnitzler’s faint touch
not consider me unwomanly be¬
Tean take any situation and handle it
cause I feel that I can write to
beautifully. One wishes that other
tell you that I should not take it
Viennese, Ferencz Molnar, might
amiss were you to ask me to be
make Dr. Graesler“ into a play in
vour wife. There you have it in
collaboration with the author. Be¬
plain terms. I should like to
Itween the two of them only a strong
marry yon. I feel a great, cordial
audience could endure the contrasting
laughter and deft fronie sadness.
friendship for von, such as Ihave
LAURENCE STALLINGS.
not felt for any human being be¬
m
to
m
Se
be
he
th