Life, 1920-08-05 · page 30 of 48
Life — August 5, 1920 — page 30: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily **book reviews** in verse and prose, not political cartoons. The single illustration depicts a domestic scene: children running errands, with one boy complaining of sore feet to his mother. The cartoon's humor is **generational and timeless**—it satirizes a child's reluctance to do chores by exaggerating minor discomfort into a complaint. There's no specific political or social reference; it's gentle domestic comedy about childhood behavior that would resonate in any era. The book reviews themselves focus on contemporary 1920s literature, including *Miss Lulu Bett* (a story of a mistreated woman finding independence and remarriage) and works by W. Somerset Maugham. The reviews use rhyme and wit to make literary criticism entertaining for *Life*'s readers, emphasizing humor and social observation as selling points for these novels. The page represents *Life*'s role as a **literary and cultural commentary magazine**, blending high-brow book discussion with low-brow domestic humor.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
aLHE LATEST BOOKS, 7@ Rhymed Reviews Miss Lulu Bett na Gale, D. Appleton & Co.) SS LULU BETT, austerely tall, Was Mrs. Deacon's maiden sister, The household drudge, the butt of all The Deacons—Mrs., Miss and Mr. These Deacons, decent, stupid folk, Were often kind; but, oh! poor Lulu! Their slights to her might well provoke The indignation of a Zulu. Now Mr. Deacon's brother came To visit them, and while he tarried, This person, Ninian by name, And Lulu suddenly were married. But luckless Lulu soon returned. Her mate had owned a strange misgiv- ing: He'd had a former wife, she learned, Who might, for all he knew, be living: Then Deacon, fearing scandal, spread The lie that Ninian had merely Deserted Lulu, newly wed-— Which damaged Lulu’s pride severely But Truth entombed will rise anew, The missing wife was shortly heard from; A better fellow married Lu; And Deacon?—not another word from! So thus, in spite of all the Fates, Miss Lulu Bett, though far from flirty, Within three months has found two mates, Which isn’t bad at four-and-thirty. And what is more, Miss Zona Gale With humor, truth and mental clear- ness Has done a homely, human tale That's worth a ton of Russian drear- ness. Arthur Guiterman. RS. CRADDOCK, by W. Somerset Maugham. (George H. Doran Company.) An earlier novel by the author of The Moon and Si. Tt has curi- ous suggestions of an English Madame Bovary about it. Sex satire? Well, yes; with Maugham’s witty ence. admixed as usu comedy-of-society. The portrait of Miss Ley is superb. The end of the book will disappoint nearly everybody, but after you read the first forty pages you can't stop. “LIFE: This Simian World, by Clarence Day, Jr. (Alfred A. Knopf.) Assuming monkey ancestors, what sort of a world would it be if we were the lescendants of lions—or leopards—or elephants? Be- hind the fun and fancy of this little book are ambushed some searching human in- sights. If you have any reflective gift whatsoever, you'll be fascinated. The Searchers, by John Foster. H. Doran Company.) Detective without—marvel !—a trace of “love inter- est.” ot (Geo. story Concerns hereditary jewels and a torn document of even a woman! 1563; moves in Italy and the Scottish highlands (a little in London). good. Track Athletics Up-to-Date, by Ellery olerably H. Clark. was all-; Ameri (Duffield & Co.) athletic in 1897 and 1903. can judge, he seems to have written a useful handbook for track amateurs. Thc book has photographs. The Shadow-Show, (George H. H. Curle has certainly been to most places surface. The Shadow- cely a “travel book” in the ordinary sense, but a sort of mixture of Mr, Clark ‘ound champion « So far as we by J. H. Curle Doran Company.) Mr. J on the earth's Show is se: things seen and dogmatisms arrived at after seeing them. But he is very reada- ble, unless his opinions make you angry He closes his rovings with England chapter on and a metaphysical chapter, (Continued on page 252) WHEN HIS MOTHER ASKED HIM TO RUN ON AN ERRAND HE COMPLAINED OF SORE FEET comicbooks.Qotil