5oth Birthdav
box 39/1
.— Rew-Teif
Paris, Rom, öan Francisce, Stockhelm, St. Petersburg.
ud Ugeitchn.
S
Wse- 3el.
ARTHLIR-SCHNITZLER.
Arthur Schnitzler is fiftg vears old. When
Anatol was written he was about thirty. Since then
he has published nearlg twentg volumes—dialogues,
one-act plays, long plays, short stories, and two
novels. Anatol was immediately successful. The
Viennese crities Spoke of its good humor, its easy
impertinence, its touch of melancholy, the light
mocker Which Schnitzler was even readier to turn
agains himself than upon other people. All this,
#theg said, is so like Vienna and yet so new.
* So like Vienna and get so new’’—that is one of
the things people still say about Schnitzler. For
the newness is as new as ever, and has still a little“
mysterg. Schnitzler is oue of the clearest among
writers of German, get his books have meanings which“
change their colors in different lights, so that only
an unsympathetie or an unintelligent reader is ever!
sure that he whollg understands. HIermann Bahr,
an old friend, who has dedicated one of his books
to#my dear Arthur Schnitzler,“ does not pretend
qnite to understand. These four plays, he has said
of the volume called“ Lebendige Stunden '’—we are
making oulg a rongh paraphrase of bis words—ex¬
cite a thonsand thoughts and feelings in us, but in
such a wag that each of them is softened and changed
br the oue that follows. The poet’s function is by
his words to make us feel more than words can
express.
Perhaps it is this peculiarity which has so far kept
Schnitzler from being widely popular in this conntry
or England. Yet one is not sure. His short stories,
thongh not more interesting than his long novel.
* Der Weg ins Freie.“ or than such a play as Der¬
Einsame Weg. are in our opinion more perfectly
accomplished. Inthem Schnitzler succeeds most
thoroughig in doing exactl what he wants. Andi
several of them are extraordinarily exciting. It is
bard to read such little intense masterpieces as“ Ein
Abschied.“ Die Toten Schweigen,' or “ Leutnant
Gustl.“ withont holding one’s breath. Seldom has
ang anthor succeeded as Schnitzler has succeeded!
here and in“ Sterben.“ in being both almost un¬
bearablg exeiting and also profound.
Tet it mag be another peculiarity which has post¬
pored Schnitzler’s wider fame. Are his people.
Judged as most of us judge real persons, either good¬
or bad? It is quite plain that Schnitzler does nott
divide them into good and bad. Such a division would
not interest him. Mang of his men and women havel
a grace of nature which survives their“ worst'’ deeds.
And he wakens, in sympathetic readers, feelings which
for the time he can make appear more important,
more fundamental, than a feeling for right and wrong.
Perhaps that explains why he has seldom been among
the best sellers.—New York Globe.
box 39/1
.— Rew-Teif
Paris, Rom, öan Francisce, Stockhelm, St. Petersburg.
ud Ugeitchn.
S
Wse- 3el.
ARTHLIR-SCHNITZLER.
Arthur Schnitzler is fiftg vears old. When
Anatol was written he was about thirty. Since then
he has published nearlg twentg volumes—dialogues,
one-act plays, long plays, short stories, and two
novels. Anatol was immediately successful. The
Viennese crities Spoke of its good humor, its easy
impertinence, its touch of melancholy, the light
mocker Which Schnitzler was even readier to turn
agains himself than upon other people. All this,
#theg said, is so like Vienna and yet so new.
* So like Vienna and get so new’’—that is one of
the things people still say about Schnitzler. For
the newness is as new as ever, and has still a little“
mysterg. Schnitzler is oue of the clearest among
writers of German, get his books have meanings which“
change their colors in different lights, so that only
an unsympathetie or an unintelligent reader is ever!
sure that he whollg understands. HIermann Bahr,
an old friend, who has dedicated one of his books
to#my dear Arthur Schnitzler,“ does not pretend
qnite to understand. These four plays, he has said
of the volume called“ Lebendige Stunden '’—we are
making oulg a rongh paraphrase of bis words—ex¬
cite a thonsand thoughts and feelings in us, but in
such a wag that each of them is softened and changed
br the oue that follows. The poet’s function is by
his words to make us feel more than words can
express.
Perhaps it is this peculiarity which has so far kept
Schnitzler from being widely popular in this conntry
or England. Yet one is not sure. His short stories,
thongh not more interesting than his long novel.
* Der Weg ins Freie.“ or than such a play as Der¬
Einsame Weg. are in our opinion more perfectly
accomplished. Inthem Schnitzler succeeds most
thoroughig in doing exactl what he wants. Andi
several of them are extraordinarily exciting. It is
bard to read such little intense masterpieces as“ Ein
Abschied.“ Die Toten Schweigen,' or “ Leutnant
Gustl.“ withont holding one’s breath. Seldom has
ang anthor succeeded as Schnitzler has succeeded!
here and in“ Sterben.“ in being both almost un¬
bearablg exeiting and also profound.
Tet it mag be another peculiarity which has post¬
pored Schnitzler’s wider fame. Are his people.
Judged as most of us judge real persons, either good¬
or bad? It is quite plain that Schnitzler does nott
divide them into good and bad. Such a division would
not interest him. Mang of his men and women havel
a grace of nature which survives their“ worst'’ deeds.
And he wakens, in sympathetic readers, feelings which
for the time he can make appear more important,
more fundamental, than a feeling for right and wrong.
Perhaps that explains why he has seldom been among
the best sellers.—New York Globe.