Life, 1901-01-03 · page 6 of 20
Life — January 3, 1901 — page 6: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page The main cartoon, titled "IN THE LATIN QUARTER, PARIS," depicts two figures in what appears to be a Parisian café or restaurant. The caption reads: "She: WHAT'S THE FRENCH FOR WASHED POTATOES? / 'WHY—EH—POMME-DE-TERRE D'AMOUR, OF COURSE!'" **The Joke:** This is a play on language and romantic stereotyping. "Pommes de terre" literally means "potatoes" in French (earth apples), but the male character humorously—and falsely—translates it as "pommes-de-terre d'amour" (potatoes of love), inventing a romantic-sounding phrase to impress the female companion. The satire mocks both the pretentiousness of Parisians and the gullibility of tourists who might be charmed by faux-romantic rebranding of mundane things. It's gentle social commentary on romance, deception, and cultural tourism.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“(THE LATEST BOOK *HE griddle upon which they bake the cakes of histori romance grows hotter and the cakes come up faster and browner. The Son of Carley- croft, by Theodore Burt yre, like a fine racy specimen of tho buckwheat variety, will be palatable to those who take no account of the ultimate effect of such diet upon their literary diges- tion. (Harper and Brothers.) April's Sowing is the title of a little love story by Gertrude Hall. It is pleasant reading and the character of the heroine is well drawn. (McClure, Phillips and Company.) Mr. Austin Bierbower is a philoso- pher who aspires to write wholly in epigrams, and the net result is a great many poor ones to the dozen. He has just written a book entitled Jw to Succeed. (R.F. Fenno and Company.) - LIFE « In Quicksand Mr, Hervey White has done a good piece of work. It is the history of a New England family, sad, even tragic at times, but eminently life-like. The book shows the reverse of the medal of the Puritan character. (Small, Maynard and Company.) The size of the type employed in Edgerton Custle’s Consequences makes a magnifying-glass a desideratum. The story is of the melodramatic order and reminds one of ‘* White Heather” as - seen some time since at the Academy of Music. It is long drawn out and much marred by repetition. (Frederick A. Stokes Company.) A very full account of the numerous experiments in popular government which have been tried in New Zealand is given by Henry Demarest Lloyd in Newest England. To students of politi- cal economy the book should be of value, (Doubleday, Page and Com- pany.) The Hoxts of the Lord, a tale of attempted rebellion among religious “poor Notrs."* pilgrims in British India, by Mrs. Flora Annie Steel, is one of those stories which hold the reader's atten- tion, but with which his memory refuses to be burdened. (The Mac- millan Company.) J.B. Kerfoot. od a 12 BN WNQUE OTHER BOOKS RECEIVED. “More Fables." By George Ade. (Werbert $. Stone and Company.) “A Round of Rimes."* By Denis A. MeCarthy. (Boston Review: Pubitsting Company.) “The Rubdiyét of Omar Khayyam. * By Edward Fitz gerald, (G.P. Putnam's Sons ) “Collected Poem By Arthur Peterson, U.S. N. (Henry T. Coates and Com: pany. A N advertiser cries in the newspapers + My Automatic Ventilating Apparatus is used by Mr. Joseph H. Choate, Mr. Whitelaw Reid, Mr. J. Plerpont Morgan, Mr. Wiillam Rockefelier, and many others, None of the gentlemen named is especially fit to give a'ventilating apparatus a thorough test. If the manufacturer wants his an- nouncement to carry con- viction, he should use such names as those of Chief Devery, Mayor Van Wyck, Abner McKinley, Es: Addicks, of Delaware, T. IN THE LATIN QUARTER, PARIS. MATS THE PRENCH POR MASHED POTATOES? “ WHY—EH—POMME DE-TERRE D'AMOUR, OF COURSE I? Platt, M. S. Quay, * Louis Payn, and others, whose need of ventilation is con- stant and urgent.