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Page 10 The Southern Israelite Ten Best Books by Jewish Author:> A Review of the Literary Field of 5690 By HENRY MONTOR The Jew is constantly becoming a less important factor in literature, flic number of books written by Jews may increase, but they reflect a gradual loosening of the relationship to Jewish life. The Jewish people, as a generic whole, may boast of some of the foremost figures in the contemporary world of letters, but these writers neither concern themselves with the background from which they have sprung nor are their writings marked by a spirit which may he classified uniquely as Jewish. This is as true in France as in America. Perhaps it is even more true in the former country, where the tendencies toward assimilation have been operating over a longer period of time. Literature has indeed become the barometer for determining the various degrees of Jewish emancipation. Not so many years have passed since Israel Zangwill represented to the world at large the most distinguished Jewish literary figure. In that time, however, both his approach to Jewish life and his concern with Jewish problems have given way to a general and profound indifference on the part of Jewish writers who have steeped themselves in the universal environment about them. They have taken tip all progressive causes; they have been permeated with the modern spirit in style—always drifting further and further from identification with the Jewish community. Undoubtedly an indifference to Jewish life is an effect and not a primary cause. Jewish life in most countries has become sterile and shallow. The only time when the soil for Jewish writing has seemed in the least fertile is when the pressure on the Jew as such has been so great that it has forced him into a consideration of his origin and his future. Perhaps the next few years may see a new birth of Jewish literature in America, which will develop in the hothouse of an increasingly malignant anti-Semitism. These outer elements have had no deteriorating effect, however, on Jewish writers as artists. Never before has the literary world been so filled with Jewish writers who have added substance and tone to modern letters. Some critics maintain that even though they have not dealt with the Jewish milieu these Jews have nevertheless given evidence of what is vaguely described as the Jewish spirit. This spirit is held to include a profound sympathy with human problems, a revolutionary courage in dealing with social questions, a biting satire in unmasking mankind's foibles. But Jews have no more exclusive claim to those qualities than any other group of writers. Perhaps no Jewish writer of today compares with Thomas Mann in his genuine understanding of man's frailties. Theodore Dreiser towers above his compeers in sympathy for his fellow mortals. Tens of others could be added to these two to prove that literature cannot be cuhbyholed by race. The foregoing remarks may seem superfluous as an introduction to a list of the ten best books written by Jews during the past year, but they serve as a background. Some of the remarks arc even disproved by three of the books that have been selected. But the general thesis remains true. It must he pointed out that sonic of the books mentioned hereafter were originally published earlier than last year. One of them appeared almost fifteen years ago. But for the purposes of this review all hooks whose English editions appeared between the last half of 1')2t) and the first half of 1030 were taken into consideration. The following are my five choices for the best fiction of the year, placed in an approximate rating: “Class of 1002,” by Ernst Glaeser; “ & Co.," by Jean- Richard Bloch; "Hound of Florence-” by Felix Salten; "Jews Without Money," by Michael Gold : and "The 42nd Parallel," by John Dos Passos. The five non-fiction choices, in their order, are: "My Life," by Leon Trotsky; "Byron," by Andre Maurois; "Uprooted," by Maurice Hindus; "July T4,” by Emil Ludwig ; and "The Life of Solomon," by Edmond Fleg. Ernst Glaeser’s novel of war as it affects the citizens behind the front is one of the two greatest war books that have been written, its only equal being “All Quiet on the Western Front.” Its simplicity, conciseness and imaginative prose place it far ahead of Arnold Zweig’s overpraised "Case of Sergeant Grischa." Bloch's book is an epic of an Alsatian Jewish family. Its Jewish angle is negligible, for what Bloch has really emphasized is the con flict between the French environment and the German patriotism of the (Dne of the most important channels through which Jews contribute to contemporary civilization is that ot literature. Have Jews written any books during the past year which may be characterized as important addi tions to the world of letters. p Read this comprehensive article by Mr. Montor and see whether you agree with his views on Jews in present-day literature and with his selection of the ten best books by Jews written during the year that now ends. His winners include Jews of Austria. France, Germany. Russia, and the United States.—The Editor. Simlers; th? intermarriage motif is extraneous and unconvincing. It j s , a towering achievement. "The Hound of Florence” Felix Salten has again treated us to analysis of human emotions, subtly approached through a genuine under landing ( ,i animal psychology. There is only one man in the United States whose sty 1< resemble that of Salten: Robert Nathan. Both achieve the maximum of effect with the minimum of visible effort. "Jews Without Money" is a trifle boisterous and sen sational, but it is a faithful, awe-inspiring rendition of the sights, smells and sounds of the greatest ghetto in the world—that of New York City. Here are to be found Jew’s without pretensions, Jews in the raw. Some of the specimens are not attractive sights. But Gold has given us only that which he knows. Incidentally, "Jews With out Money" might just as well be placed in the non-fiction list. The first three of the fiction books are by a German, a French and an Austrian Jew respectively. The last two arc by American Jews. In "The 42nd Parallel" Dos Passos has given us an exhilarating cross-section of American life, from the I. W. W.’s to the capitalists. Jew and Italian, stenographer and executive, radical and reactionary—all these elements have been thrown together in order to produce an appreciation of the melting pot that is America. In the non-fiction list Trotsky’s autobiography takes first place because it i> the life record of one of the outstanding Jews of modern times. He claims tm relationship to Jewish life today, but he was born in a typical Jewish environment, as he himself writes. More important still is the fact that the world at large counts him as a Jew. On that account the narrative of his aims and achievements is an important historical document. Verboseness prevents it from being the great ant" biography that it might have been. Andre Maurois—originally Emile Herzog—has written a finely tolerant biography of Byron. It is not creative but interpretative. In “Uprooted” Maurice Hindus has written the finest and least biased story of what is going on in Soviet Russia that has appeared thus far. Hindus treats all phases of the situation and all groups within the population. His diagnosis of the Jewish situation is the best proof oi ln> thoroughly impartial attitude toward the scenes which he describes. Thoroughly objective, Hindus need not be looked to for corroboration of the many legends which enshroud the U. S. S. R. today. Ever since Versailles the question of war guilt has attracted the attention ot both scholars and writers. Of the latter Emil Ludwig has proved most cosmopolitan His "July ’14” is an indictment of all the statesmen of Europe. Each of them secures his proper niche of responsibility for launching the war. The b>"k brought Ludwig condemnation in Germany and attacks in France. That ought to be ample proof of its generally fair interpretations. Edmond F'legis "The Life of Solomon" is not by any means as imaginative a> hi» biography of Moses. But it has sufficient richness of style and wealth of laltnudu reference to entitle it to a place in the five most important non-fiction books the year. In addition to the foregoing ten volumes there have been a number of others interest. A great many of the books by Jews published during the year are not r» worth mentioning, however. Scores like them appear every year and are destined t" oblivion. Neither Jewry nor culture is the worse on account of it. It is interest! to note that this is the first time in three years that Ludwig Lewisohn has not secur a mention among the first ten Je\o4i books. His "Stephen Escott " a - neither fish, flesh nor fowl. I arts <’t it revealed Lewisohn at his most felicitous. But it was entirely t doctrinaire without being convincing For the sake of completeness I shall list a number of other books by J ev that were published during the pa t year which may survive the dust time—at least for a few more > car: " The fiction group includes "Judge a« Fool,” by Vladimir Jabotinsky: Up Your Lovers," by Lorn- 1 "Wings of the Eagle." by <>' Seldes; "A Hungry Young Marian Spitzer; Edwin Seavcr: "Coronet. Komroff; "Money for Josephine Herbst; "Diana Ludwig; and "Anthony in by Myron Brinig. (A 0 ' ady/ The Company, w Manuel vc." by by Emil Nude, on 61)