Social Legislation
The Realm of Books The Color of Life b w * by W«. M. P a l g c n b s u iB ttfANA. By Konrad Bormviei, New Forfc; Boni & Liveright, $2, AROUND THE WORLD IN NEW y TQUC. By Konrad Bereoviei. '...
...Bereoviei writes without malice, and with a single exception, with gentleness and understanding...
...The chapter on the Jews is disappointing, but I imagine that I was spoiled by the stirring article referred to above, and nothing short of the noblest sort of writing by Bereoviei will please me now on that subject, and this chapter is short of that...
...Every American should »ad that chapter, if he reads nothing else, and, if, after reading it, he is not overwhelmed with shame for the crimes of the white race, he /is hot fit for, citizenship...
...Egged on by Ms rival's success in earning Money to impress the girl, he catches a rare tropical bird and offers to sell it in the market...
...The exception is the chapter about Negro Harlem, whtre lie writes with fire and passion of the wrong...
...There is...
...Tales that you can bite into...
...polishing up) he has made a place m himself,-as one of our significant writers...
...BMcovici is one of the most interHtfin/ characters in our con tempotary literary world...
...The girl takes him because a man who can spurn so high s price for the sake of the freedom of a beautiful bird can make a beautifulglrl happy...
...Another story is "Revenge," a tale of a rich young Athenian in Paris, .who has nothing to live for until his father is assassinated in a poli Jeal brawl...
...Tales of love and passion ana1 revenge...
...The two lacks are entirely unlike in content «ad treatment, and yet the character iad nature of the gifted writer shines ikfough all his work...
...Iliana" is a series of stories, moat «f 'them of the Gypsy life that Bereoviei knows so well and writes of so srilliantly...
...It is "Happi****," a tale of a halfbreed Indian girl of Panama who has two suitors, eat a thrifty chap, the other a dreamy fellow who would rather look at the stats and sing with the birds than be a brisk business man...
...New York: The Century Company mm L lonrad Bereoviei, author of "IUija,** a new volume of ihort stories, lad "Around tha World in New fork," a aeries of sketches of a number of the national foreign quarters ia l e a metropolis, can say with Bern tap Adhem "Write me down as one -Ao love* Ma fellow man...
...But even in his least excellent Work, Konrad tells rescinding tales, tal?s of real men and women with real blood in them, with instincts and no inhibitions...
...of that great people...
...Our wither leves^hat people and he takes no pains to disguise the fact...
...A Roumanian immigrant,' a habitue of East Side cafes <whers\ those who know him tan find him any hour of day or ajghtAif they know where to look), sqe who has learned his English painfully and who even today writes English as though it was an acquired art fin ("Around the World," alas—his English is all too frequently in need of...
...His article a jiear ago on the Jews of New York iras hi the opinion of this reader one of the shrewdest, keenest, most brilliant studies on that disputatious Subject ever written...
...And the Gipsies— his own people...
...He is offered a fabulous price, but he refuses until the price is raised to $500...
...In Doth he shows Jiis love for the people, his -keen understanding, his zest fer a good yarn and his pity...
...in the city he loves so well...
...a lover of people iavMs stories and in his life...
...Even in his passions, the writer's wrath is tipped with Jiurnanity...
...Konrad Bereoviei loves life and color and music...
...Around the World" is Bally a diary of the author's prowling...
...May his love never die...
...And he does...
...Other chapters, telling of the people and the cafes and the ideals, and the religious and club life, are about the Syrians, the Greeks, the Italtars, the Jews, the Balkans and others...
...Bereoviei has prowled in every section of the city, anrMts his friends everywhere...
...One thing the reader- cannot escape...
...His earlier books, notably ^•urdo," were real contributions to American literature...
...There is no other like him in America, and I for one, love him...
...And in these b,ooks, even though they are not up to his best standard, he gives us light and color and music...
...Any white rtan who can gaze into Negro •yes without horror of the wrong done them jduring centuries should h* . . . . . . condemned to read the prophet Isaiah's fifth chapter for the rest of his life...
...The travel book is one that it is difficult to write about without enthusiasm...
...A lover of his fajiow man, no matter what the color t?.raee o r residence...
...then in a burst of emotion he refuses to sell because he cannot bear the thought of the beautiful bird taken to the cold climate of New York to grace a cage in a flat...
...1 It is a fine, iirave chapterin a fine, hrave book...
...their story is told with love and understanding...
...The best story in the book is not I Gipsy story a t all...
...may he continue to explore and seek out queer places and peoples, and write about them, and contribute to our literary life the product of his unique pen...
...But when ha sees that his enemy is a craven coward, the joy he took in the revenge he was planning died within him, and having nothing to live for he took his life...
...Gorgeous tales, tales «bout people...
...Didn't you know th#t there is a Gipsy quarter in this American city of ours...
...The chapter on the Czechoslovaks i» a colorful piece of writing...
Vol. 1 • November 1924 • No. 43
