Books: Counterpointless

COUNTERPOINT—Josephine Daskam Bacon—John Day ($2.50). Ten years ago the publication of Author Bacon’s latest novel held vast interest for novel readers. Here was a lady whose characters were always engaging; no nastiness could be found in Author Bacon’s bestsellers, just nice people doing nice things. Now, with the publication of Counterpoint after ten years, a few readers, remembering the old books, will be struck with the way a similar article produces a different reaction. Over this story of Will Stickney, of Naomi Lestrange (whom he marries, with whom he parts after vicissitudes, to whom he returns at the last), of many highly imaginary musical celebrities, there is a heavy coating of dust which almost obscures the few virtues which Author Bacon, as an artist, possesses. Whether literature has improved or changed in the last ten years, cannot here be decided; but certainly it has changed its channel, and Mrs. Bacon’s writings, once islands, are now dry, tedious wastes, unprofitable for readers to explore.