“There is somewhat too much of that intellectual writing around a subject which is common with persons who are afraid of the obvious, but, on the whole, the book will awaken thought; it will not do this the less because some of its reasoning will arouse criticism.”
+ Springf’d Republican p9a Ag 15 ’20 1100w
ERVINE, ST JOHN GREER. Foolish lovers. *$2 (1c) Macmillan
20–8447
Mr Ervine’s new book is dedicated to his mother, who asked him to write a story without any “bad words” in it, and to Mrs J. O. Hanny, who asked him to write a story without any “sex” in it. It is the story of a charmingly conceited young Irishman who goes to London to write novels and plays and comes home again to be a grocer. John’s boyhood is spent in the home over the shop where three generations of MacDermotts had preceded him. He grows up under the care of his mother, his Uncle Matthew, the dreamer whose dreams come to nothing, and his Uncle William, who supports the family. He goes to London where he meets Eleanor. He asks her to marry him almost at first meeting, dogs her steps and finally persuades her to marry him, only to find that she has leagued herself with his mother to persuade him back to Ballyards and the shop.
“‘The foolish lovers’ has nothing to commend it but a good beginning. Why did he write it? Or, rather, why did he give up writing it? Perhaps he would reply that what is not worth doing is not worth doing well. It is a possible explanation.” K. M.
− + Ath p78 Jl 16 ’20 600w + Booklist 17:31 O ’20
“It is regrettable that so good a story as this bears so poor a title. ‘The foolish lovers’ is neither an exact nor an appealing designation for a novel that is so full of the commonsense of life.” E. F. E.
+ Boston Transcript p10 My 22 ’20 1950w