There are also some parodies
of ROBERT BURNS, some jokes about bathing-machines and some digs at the
Kirk. One has been, of course, before to seaside places that were a bit too
bracing, and I am afraid that the air of Bunkie leaves me cold.
* * * * *
I really think that _The World of Wonderful Reality_ (HODDER AND STOUGHTON)
may come to be something of a test for your true follower of Mr. E. TEMPLE
THURSTON. You recall the ingredients that went towards the first, or
_Beautiful Nonsense_, book? Sentiment in the slums, Venice with a very big
V and poverty _passim_ might be regarded as its composition. Well, here you
have _John_ and _Jill_ home again; no more Venice, a palpably decreasing
sentiment and only poverty to fill up with. I am bound to confess that I
found _John's_ protracted preparation for his nuptials rather less than
enough as subject-matter for a whole book. Of course all this time there
remained _Amber_ (you recollect her; she "also ran" for the _John_ stakes),
and at the back of your mind a comfortable conviction that two strings are
still better than one. Having censured the book for insufficient plot, I
had better not proceed to give away what there is. I will content myself
with a personal doubt as to whether _John_ and _Jill_ will quite
reduplicate their former triumph--and that for various reasons, not least
because (for purposes of sequel, I suppose) even _Jill_ herself has been
permitted so grave a lapse from the attitude of stand-anything-so-long-as-
it's-slummy-enough that so endeared her to her former public.
Pages:
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59