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Venice, remained to make him an ex¬
ceptional personallty. But even this
had to be advertised—he had to keep
on telling the story In order to catch
the eyes of the young men, who were
alreadg becoming interested in chan¬
nel swimmers and flagpole sitters.
Tronic indeed, this last wish of
Casanova's—to win a charming young
girl. thus to give the lle to the mirror
which told him that he was growing
old, that his skin was that of an
aging man, that he had lost a tooth,
that his face was filled with the lines
of time. Whatever romance he spun,
he was able to see the change, yet
his pride and self-assurance made
him think himself better than many
a young man who sought clumsily to
win a lady. To test thls out Casa¬
nova resorted to devices, but when he
recognlzed, at the end, the futility of
his scheming, the uselessness of the#
bloodshed in which he had engaged,
there was a bitter after-taste which
he could not down. Casanova’s Home¬
coming is practically a tract on the
vanity of human wishes.
Dr. Otto P. Schinnerer has written
a historical introduction for this edi¬
tion of Casanova's Homecoming.
which has been published once before
in the United States. He recalls that
the problem of the approach of age
has repeatedly occupied Schnitzler.
We already find it touched upon in
Bertha Garland and in Beatrice,
both of whom are widows who have
passed the prime of youth. Doctor
Graesler in d variation of the same
theme in the case of d vonfirmed
bachelor. In The Vast Country too,
the killing of Lieut. otto Aigner by
the manufacturer, Friedrich Hofrei¬
ter, in a duel, is motivated in the last
analysis not by the latter’s outraged
feelings as the decelved husband, but
by the jealousy of an aging man for
a young rival. In the present story,
too, in one of the most effectlve and
brilliant scenes, when Casanova fa¬
tally wounds Lieut. Lorenzi in a duel,
we have the same juxtaposition—age
facing youth.“
And Dr. Schinnerer makes one other
observation—that an author may put
himself into a story or through his
personal experience become more sym¬
pathetic with a situation; that in
1915, when Schnitzler set to work on
this book, he had just reached the
age of fifty-three. As Josef Korner
has remarked, only a young man of
the world could have written Anatol,
only a mature man Intermezzo, and
only an aging one Casanova's Home¬
coming.“ Dr. Schinnerer thinks the
book reveals Schnitzler at the height
of his powers.
Another reprinting of importance is
that of Stephen Crane's Maggie,
which may now be had with the im¬
print of the Newlands Press. The
edition profits by a number of un¬
usual impressionistic etchings by Ber¬
nard Sanders. This is the tale that
nobody wouid print in the nineties,
and which Crane finally published
Kunder the name of Johnston Smith
and tried to sell on the newsstands at
50 cents a copy. The public did not
get interested in the slin: coptes, but
the tale won the admiration of Ham¬
Iin Garland, who persomally sought
out Crane and encouraged hir and
introduced him to William
Howells. The royal welcome that
Howells gave Maggie is we'l known
and is a tribute to Crane's literary
taste and acumen. It is not difficult
to see why Maggie did not sell—it does
not sell as a popular number even
today. It is not an aphrodisiac nor
sufficlently sensational to make 1#
emotional melodrama, and its hokum
is disappointing. Why should it have
sold generally? It won the approval
of discriminating erlftes and judges
of literature and remains one of the
most important of American short
stories.
HARRY HANSEN.
asanovas Heimfahr
box 4/11
30 See ne e enen che e en
Press
Pittsburg Pa
AUG 101930
HEMSTREET,
96 WARREN STREET
NEW YORK CITY
A Few Facts
N Fheview
ig 9-30
Höode
SUMNER SEIZES
PYOYYON
COPIES OF B0OK
CASANOVA’S HOMECOMING. Bp Arthur-
Schnitaler. (Simon & Schuster).
He Thinks That“ Casa¬
REVIEW of this book at this late
date is a little superfluous, so about
nova’s Homecoming, by
A. all one can do is praise Schnitzler
and assert once again it is the duty and pleas¬
Schnitzler, Is Immoral
ure of everyone to read everything this author
writes.
Acting under a special warrant
All in all Casanova's Homecoming' is
signed by Magistrate Maurice H. Got¬
about 15 years old and was published in Eng¬
lieb, Saint John S. Sumner of the New
lish as long ago as 1921. Due, however, to
York Soclety for the Prevention of
certain moral prejudices afflicting the keepers
Vice, selzed several copies of“Casa¬
of the public mind at that time, the book in
nova’s Homecoming,“by Arthur
its original translation did not enjoy free cir¬
Schnitzler, yesterday and ordered the
culation.
publishers, Simon & Schuster, 386
In the belief—apparently a well founded
Fourth avenue, to appear in the Vork¬
one—that America has become more bröad¬
ville Court Aug. 18. Summonses were
minded in the ensuing nine years, the firm öf
also served on two salesmen. The
Simon & Schuster now brings out this work
seized copies were removed to the so¬
in a new edition. It is included in the new
ciety's offices, where, Mr. Sumner de¬
Inner Sanctur' s1 fiction series.
clared, they would be kept until after
As all those interested in the writings of
the charges against the defendants had
the Viennese master know, Casanova's Home¬
been heard. If the charges are dis¬
coming' deals with a favorite theme of Schnitz¬
missed the books wili be returned to
ler's: The tragedy of age to one who has put
the publishers.
all his eggs in the basket of youth. The pres¬
ent work, however, probably is the most fas¬
cinating variation Schnitzler ever has played
on this thäme.
In Dr. Graesler' Schnitzler dealt with
much the same thing and there he dealt with
it coolly and with the utmost nuance. But in
Casanova“ there is the quality of high feel¬
ing and refined bitterness, heightened perhaps
by the author’s extraordinary simulation of
eighteenth century prose style.
This book often has been referred to as a
vlittle' masterpiece. Just why little“ I don't
know, for as far as I can see the size of a
HEMSTREET
masterpiece is something for only a Scotch¬
96 WARREN STREET
man to worry about.
C. F.
NEW YORK CITTIIGPSiSSE
Brocklyn Daily Rte eee
TOHN N. SUMNER, described by Courtnay Terrett as the “innocent
J victim of the obscene book racketeers,“ is at it again. On Friday
he raided the publishing house of Simon & Schuster and marched off
with 477 copies of its latest offering, Casanova’s Homecoming.“ by
Arthur Schnitzler.
This is his second rap at the work, he having seized an edition
published in 1921 by Thomas Seltzer, charging the story was obscene.
It was thrown out of court.
Simon & Schuster will fight the case through the courts, Mr.
Simon describing Sumner’s organization as an extra-legal society
pitting its opinion against the almost unanlmous edict of critics.
scholars, men of letters and civilized readers generally.“