Life, 1904-01-21 · page 15 of 20
Life — January 21, 1904 — page 15: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This *Life* magazine page contains two distinct pieces: **Upper section:** Book reviews, including discussion of Wagner's opera *Parsifal*, which had recently been successfully produced by impresario Heinrich Conried at the Metropolitan Opera. **Main cartoon ("A Wrong Diagnosis"):** A humorous dialogue between an "officious passenger" and a bedraggled automobilist. The joke plays on the passenger's assumption that the man's disheveled appearance indicates he's a married man in marital trouble. The automobilist corrects him—he's actually unmarried but foolish, having crashed his automobile into a hay-covered trap of jagged rocks placed by a farmer to protect crops from reckless drivers. The punchline mocks automobile drivers as reckless "fools" while poking fun at the passenger's stereotype that looking bad means domestic problems. The final caption sarcastically advises wives to have their way since husbands clearly lack judgment.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
"EERE Autumn Pastoral, which to describe would be to rob of its delicate Icisa bit of the true matrix of Greek th ina modern (Houghton, ad Cousy $1.50.) Che Wh A Handbook of Modern Japan, Senest W. Clement, is a com ODE LAS bination of gazette World's almanae, prospectus and bibliog. ogether a very convenient little reference book can get upon the tra almost any desired . C. MeClarg and Comps Gwendolen O and Robert Herrick are represented by to new volumes i Muacinilian series of “little novels by favorite authors.” Chain, Miss Overton's story of the New Mexican desert, isa vivid little picture, although it hardly gi inkling of her real strength ; while Their Child, by Mr. Me a powerful, if uncheerful, piece of work. (The Macmillan pany. 50c, each.) BOK Conried and + Parsifal. ye THE EDITOR OF LIFE: One of the results of Mr Conried’s successful production of Parsital” is the endless repetitions of other operas from which the unfortunate subscribers at the opera are made to suffer. It is quite evident that Mr. Con- ied’s sole interest is in the W: operas, and that anythin no matter how often repeated, will do between the © Parsifal” per- forman + Parsifial contains great music. Wagner un- doubted! er, ght be called the father of mode 2 sty cand there are musical people who like y in their operatic menu, and for whom Mozart and Gounod count for something. Those of us who love and venerate Beethoven or Beahins do vot insist on a constant ion of their works in the symphony er hypnotizes his votaries until they cannot see anything worth while ontside of his singularly undramatic operas, “They have even narrowed themselves down to a blind adoration of the king and Parsitai, regarding with mild scorn the beauties of “Lohengrin” and" Tanubauser,” and possibly the exquisitely melodic **Meistersinger.” There are those to whom the mystical, mythical legends whieh Wagner has chosen for his cyele appeal, and there are others, who, while thoroughly ic, are bored beyond endur- ance by the wrangles, long-dravn-out woes and shocking affaires du cvur of these immoral gods and goddesses, with their band of trained animals, Mr. Conried is greatly to be commended for giving us ** Parsifal,” but let him remember that the season is getting on, and that there are many operas, deservedly popular, which should have a hearing, A Wrong Diagnosis. i as OFFICIOUS P SENGER : Excuse me, sir; but we have a little bet up, which you may be able to settle for us. Now, I appeal to you, as a married man — Tue Party Appressep: But Iam not married. Lama darned fool of an automobilist who tried to run over an cart loaded with jagged rocks and covered with a thin spreading of hay, fixed up by an honest and long- suffering agriculturist for the express purpose of fooling just such fools as I am—that’s what makes me look so bad. BE sure you're right —then let your wife have her WHY Nor Tis protective Taney way. comicbooks.com