Life, 1898-05-26 · page 15 of 24
Life — May 26, 1898 — page 15: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a book review and summer reading guide from *Life* magazine. The small illustration depicts a domestic scene with the caption "Heavens' Alice, what are you doing?" / "Practicing to be a real companion to my husband." The cartoon gently satirizes contemporary marriage expectations—specifically, the idea that wives must actively "practice" companionship as a marital duty. This reflects turn-of-the-century gender dynamics where women were expected to be ornamental and emotionally supportive rather than intellectual equals. The page itself lists recommended fiction for summer reading, organized by publisher. The literary commentary above criticizes affected writing styles ("preciosity" and "symbolism") while praising realism, particularly Ambrose Bierce's war stories. The cartoon's humor lies in its mild critique of prescribed gender roles—the wife's dutiful "practice" of wifehood as a learned performance rather than natural behavior.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
ALICE, WHAT. e potxe 3 “PRACTICING TO BE A REAL COMPANION To MY HUSBAND.” RECIOSITY in writi is apt to be talked about by other men in the writing business. Any artisan is inter- ested by a new trick in his trade. What passes for skill is often only a bit of sleight-of-hand. Le Gallienne’s * Romance of Zion Chapel” (Jonn Lane) ts literary legerdemain, The saccharine quality of phrase, the contrasts of character, and the mingling of high thoughts and low life, are the elements of the illusion, Lofty love leads to a melodramatic suicide with another girl than the original loved-one as a companion in drinking the death potion. It needs red light, slow music and a quick curtain to make it endurable, * * . HE translation of D'Annunzio’s “The Maidens of the Rocks” (Richmond) half reveals iuto what obscurity the preciosity of symbolism will lead a clever man. If the author knew what he was driving at, the translator has not fully grasped it. * « * From the binful of summer fiction a few others are worth noting. Mr. Sutphen’s “ The Golticide and Other Tales of the Fair Green” (Harper) is amusing to all who play that fascinating game. It is farcical and satirical, and the victims of the mania will laugh at it most heartily, The signs of revolution in Italy will call new interest to the remarkable tale “The Gadfly ” (Holt)--a tragedy of unusual origi- nality and power. Ambrose Bierce’s realistic tales of war in the recently republished volume,“ In the Midst of Life” (Putnam), are full of im- pressive horrors, They were written long 447 LIFE’S YEST-POCKET GUIDE 10 SUMMER READING. FICTION. Hanrer axp Brotiers. Ghosts I Have Met; and Some Others. By John K. Bangs. s Four for a Fortune. By Albert Lee. (3L5. Spun'Yarn, By Morgan Robertson. | (1.25.) A Boy I Knew, and Four Dogs. By Laurence Hutton. (1.25.) . Dreams of the Ghetto, By L Zangwill. (1.50.) hen. (1.00) The Vintage. By E The Golfielde, By : 1tphen. The Ked_ Bridge’ Neighborhood. By Maria Louise Pool. "(1.50.) Cuartes Scriaser’s Soxs. A Story of Land and Sea in the Days of the Revolution hy Gyrus ‘Townsend. Brady, ‘Archdeacon of ) Tales of Unrest. Novels ane St A. T, Quiller-Couch. The King's Jackal, BY Richard Harding Davis. Mlustrated by C. D. Gibson, = Tales of the Cily Room. By Elizabeth C. Jor- dan. (1.00 Pastime Storves. By Thomas Nelson Page. is. Frost. (1.25.) The Dull Misst Archinard, By Anne Douglas Sedgwic Young Blood. By The,Girlat Cobhurst. (1.0.) ennsylvania, (25. By Joseph Conrad. (1 Uniform Edition. Twenty-two Short Stories. Illustrated by A. E,W, Hornung. (1.25) By Frank R. Stockton, Hexry Hott axp Compasy. Rupert of Hentzau, By tAnthony Hope. + lustrated. . ; The,Fire of Life. By Kenneth Burrow The" Durket, Sperret, By Sarah Barnwell ott. Tony Drum, a Cockney Boy. Ulustrated. Tae Ci Hugh Wynne. By Captains Courageous. 1.00, Pris (1.20.) By Edwin Pugh. sTuny Cospasy. 00.) 3. Weir Mitchell. pling. By Rudyard 's of Conscience. By Amelia E. Barr D, AvpLetos axp ComPasy. m of the War God. By H. N. 1.5. ‘Sy Paul and Vietor Marguer- The Bro Brailsford. The Disaster. itte. (1.50.) tandard Bearer. oper. By Clinton Ross. Tniform Edition of Novels, Parker. Hovontox, Mirriix axp Compaxy. The Imported Bridegroom, and Other Stories. By Abraham Cahan, (1.00.) . From the Other Side, By Henry B. Fuller, (1.33) " Tales of Home Fotk in Peace and War. By Joel Chandier Harris, 1.00.) At the Sign of the Silver Crescent. By Helen Choate Prince. (1.25.) ‘ Caleb West. By F. Hopkinson Smith. (1.30.) Penelope's Progress. By Kate Douglas Wiggin. (1,25.) . Story of an Untold Love. By Paul Leicester Ford. (1.25.) Tae Macmittan Company. At YourAlt’s House. By James Newton Bas- ett, The General Manager's Story. E. Hamblen. Illustrated. The Gospel of Freedom. By Robert Herrick. The Loves of the Lady Arabella. By Moily Elliott Seawell. The Pride of Jeni Castle. (1.50.) The Cetebrity. By Winston Churchill. (1.50.) By S. R. Crockett. By Gilbert By Herbert ico, By Agnes W. Egerton For other titles see page 451. comicbooks.com