Life, 1927-03-24 · page 35 of 38
Life — March 24, 1927 — page 35: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains two distinct sections: **Literary Criticism (left):** A book review column discussing recent novels, notably Sinclair Lewis's *Elmer Gantry*. The reviewer praises Lewis's satirical portrait of religious hypocrisy in Kansas, particularly the protagonist's final ironic moment of spiritual devotion while eyeing a choir singer's ankles. The column also critiques Ellen DuPois Taylor's debut novel *One Crystal and a Mother*, initially praising her wit and sophistication before condemning a jarring tonal shift around page 85 as "Democratic" in nature—the reviewer considers this a failure caused by the author's limited literary experience. **Advertisement (right):** A full-page Palmolive Shaving Cream ad featuring an illustration of two well-dressed men in conversation. The ad employs a marketing strategy emphasizing product quality over salesmanship, offering a free 10-day trial tube rather than direct sales pitches. This reflects early 20th-century advertising philosophy prioritizing product merit demonstration.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Life and Letters (Continued from page 23) movement, also seemed inevitable enougl. In fact, Mr. Lewis's impli- cation is that there are several more at home like Elmer. Although “Elmer Gantry” is by no means a tract, there is as much truth in it as fiction. And some reve- lation, too, for those who don’t know just how bad things are in Kansas. 1 heartily commend it to you, and I hope that you will share my delight at its conclusion, wherein Elmer, recently saved from scandalous pub- licity which would have ruined him, and resolved to avoid entangling al- liances with women in the future, marks, as he kneels for his prayer of thanksgiving, the pretty ankles of a new choir-singer. Hi first few pages of “One Crystal and a Mother,” by Ellen DuPois Taylor (Harper), had me all agog. Spurred on by the extrav- agant praise which the jacket quoted from Ford Madox Ford, I said to mysclf: “Now here is a first novel as is a first novel nd rejoiced in the discovery of a woman writer who could be trusted with adjectives be- cause of her fresh and subtle way of using them. I> came early across statements as: “I had read Villon and André Gide in riginal, but a woman of thirty t applauded for such dim em- slments when her lisle stockings larned beyond the point of de- y and she has never experienced nicure outside the pages of Elinor Glyn or Robert W. Cham- bers,” and, “After all, a cup of tea that actually happens is more thrill- ing than a rendezvous with a duke experienced vicariously through Ouids or Mrs. Humphry Ward.” And then, along about page 85, which is far, far too soon, the book went Democratic. I could not, for the life of me, make out what it was all about. The papier-maché plot curled up a trifle around characters that would have been right at home in a psychopathic ward, but still the author went on commenting with the same bright felicity—similes to right of lor, epigrams to left of her—and an astonishing consciousness of sex, clothes and the French language. On page $20 her narrator says: “I've read Delteil and Van Vechten and Virginia Woolf and I ought to know better.” Then I knew at once what was the matter. A little reading, for a writer of Mrs. Taylor's talents, is a dangerous thing. A word of explanation about the title, which arouses the curiosity of everybody who glimpses it. Crystal (Continued on page 34) We Advise Men— “Don’t Buy, Yet— Accept, first, a 10-day tube of this unique shaving GENTLEMEN — We've been in business enough years to know that major success of a product rests en- tirely upon the merits of the product itself— not upon advertising, not upon “selling talk.” So from the beginning we asked nobody to buy Palmolive Shaving Cream; but first to ac- cept, free, a 10-day tube to try. That has brought this comparatively new preparation to a top place in its feld in a re- markably short time. We made it on the expressed desires of 1000 men who told us what they wanted in a shav- ing cream. They named four things—we met them all, then added a fifth to make the supreme creation. cream to try” We think it will surpass your present favor+ ite in these 5 ways. Please mail the coupon, and prove the point at our expense. These 5 advantages . Multiplies itself in lather 20 times. . Softens the beard in one minute. 3. Maintains its creamy fullness for 10 min- utes on the face. . Strong bubbles hold the hairs erect for cutting . Fine aftereffects due to palm and olive oil content. Just send coupon Your present method may suit you well. But still there may be a better one. This test may mean much to you in comfort. Send the coupon before you forget. THE PALMOLIVE COMPANY (Del. Corp.), CHICAGO, ILL. 10 SHAVES FREE and a can of Palmolive After Shaving Tale Simply insert your name and address and mail to Dept. B-1290, The Palmolive Company (Del. Corp.), 3702 Iron Street, Chicago, Ill, Residents of Wisconsin should address The Palmolive Company (Wis. Corp.), Milwaukee, Wis, (Please print your name and address) comicbooks.com