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Parnassus, v.1, issue 1, 1940s

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took place which led to his being confined in a mental institute. Fluctuating between sanity and madness, he spent better than a year in the asylum painting spasmodically during his lucid periods, and was finally released into the custody of his brother. Shortly after this, he took his own life with a pistol, having achieved during his short lifetime, nothing but ridicule for his "atrocious" paintings. However, he died satisfied that he had been faithful to his art, and that he had set down in paint his observations of life as he had seen it and interpreted it. Whether or not the subject matter was considered indecent, or ugly, or contemptable made no difference to him. He saw nothing but beauty in everything, even the most sordid. That his faith in himself was justified in proven by the undeminishing popularity of his art today with people in all walks of life.

I notice that Dale Tarr in his TID BITS FROM TARR mentions James M. Cain and speaks highly of him. I'll add my recommendation to that of Dale's. If you like your sex served to you in generous portions, along with some terrific hard boiled dialogue and action coupled with some very searching analyses and criticisms of society and sympathetic characterizations, then you can't pass him up.

My particular favorites are THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE, MILDRED PIERCE and SERENADE. The first is a tale of crime and passion -- but good. Laid in Southern California with a good deal of fine local color, it is an excellent character study of an honest and reasonably intelligent man who goes over the deep end for a dame who is pure unadulterated SEX. How he and she kill her Greek husband and the final denouement are almost classic in their presentation. MILDRED PIERCE is the story of one of the most fantastically bitchy girls in literature. SERENADE is the story of an ex Met tenor who in bumming around Mexico City when he more or less falls in love with a beautiful senorita who is also a first class prostitute, with her own peculiar code of morals. How he is haunted by his suspicions of his own homosexuality and his efforts to prove his manliness through the agency of his Mexican mistress, her efforts to save him by the direct method of eliminating his enemies all make for very delightful reading. I reiterate, if you've never read at least one of these books by Cain, you're missing one of the reading experiences of your life.

For those of you who like ancient history in fiction, I suggest that you glom on to Robert Graves' very fine novels of the Roman Empire, I CLAUDIUS, GLAUDIUS THE GOD and COUNT BELLISARIUS. The first two, told in the first person by the Emperor himself parade the full pomp and glory, corruption, perversions and licentiousness that existed in the Roman Court during the reigns of Tiberius, Caligula and Claudius, the period covered in these two books...Remember L. Sprague de Camp's fine fantasy in UNKNOWN -- LEST DARKNESS FALL? If you will recall, the hero, Martin Padway, waged a successful campaign against the mightiest general of the Roman Empire, which was at that time centerred at Constantinople. The life of this man, Count Belisarius, is very detailedly set forth in the book of the same name. This novel of the decline of the Roman Empire is in my estimation the finest of Graves' historical novels. Told through a Eunuch, personal servant of Belisarius' wife, the notorious Antonia (ex dancing girl and prostitute it takes the Count through his full, exciting, and often fantastic life down to the tragic end. The historical veracity of the conclusion is questioned by some authorities, but its terrific punch is a fitting climax to a remarkably powerful no_vel.

I have heard so many conflicting opinions expressed about the STUDS LONIGAN TRILOGY by James T. Farrell that I have decided to ignore most of them, and continue my merry way, praising the triology and recommending in wherever possible. Studs Lonigan is a morbid, depressing novel that is yet so fascinating that it is almost impossible to

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took place which led to his being confined in a mental institute. Fluctuating between sanity and madness, he spent better than a year in the asylum painting spasmodically during his lucid periods, and was finally released into the custody of his brother. Shortly after this, he took his own life with a pistol, having achieved during his short lifetime, nothing but ridicule for his "atrocious" paintings. However, he died satisfied that he had been faithful to his art, and that he had set down in paint his observations of life as he had seen it and interpreted it. Whether or not the subject matter was considered indecent, or ugly, or contemptable made no difference to him. He saw nothing but beauty in everything, even the most sordid. That his faith in himself was justified in proven by the undeminishing popularity of his art today with people in all walks of life. I notice that Dale Tarr in his TID BITS FROM TARR mentions James M. Cain and speaks highly of him. I'll add my recommendation to that of Dale's. If you like your sex served to you in generous portions, along with some terrific hard boiled dialogue and action coupled with some very searching analyses and criticisms of society and sympathetic characterizations, then you can't pass him up. My particular favorites are THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE, MILDRED PIERCE and SERENADE. The first is a tale of crime and passion -- but good. Laid in Southern California with a good deal of fine local color, it is an excellent character study of an honest and reasonably intelligent man who goes over the deep end for a dame who is pure unadulterated SEX. How he and she kill her Greek husband and the final denouement are almost classic in their presentation. MILDRED PIERCE is the story of one of the most fantastically bitchy girls in literature. SERENADE is the story of an ex Met tenor who in bumming around Mexico City when he more or less falls in love with a beautiful senorita who is also a first class prostitute, with her own peculiar code of morals. How he is haunted by his suspicions of his own homosexuality and his efforts to prove his manliness through the agency of his Mexican mistress, her efforts to save him by the direct method of eliminating his enemies all make for very delightful reading. I reiterate, if you've never read at least one of these books by Cain, you're missing one of the reading experiences of your life. For those of you who like ancient history in fiction, I suggest that you glom on to Robert Graves' very fine novels of the Roman Empire, I CLAUDIUS, GLAUDIUS THE GOD and COUNT BELLISARIUS. The first two, told in the first person by the Emperor himself parade the full pomp and glory, corruption, perversions and licentiousness that existed in the Roman Court during the reigns of Tiberius, Caligula and Claudius, the period covered in these two books...Remember L. Sprague de Camp's fine fantasy in UNKNOWN -- LEST DARKNESS FALL? If you will recall, the hero, Martin Padway, waged a successful campaign against the mightiest general of the Roman Empire, which was at that time centerred at Constantinople. The life of this man, Count Belisarius, is very detailedly set forth in the book of the same name. This novel of the decline of the Roman Empire is in my estimation the finest of Graves' historical novels. Told through a Eunuch, personal servant of Belisarius' wife, the notorious Antonia (ex dancing girl and prostitute it takes the Count through his full, exciting, and often fantastic life down to the tragic end. The historical veracity of the conclusion is questioned by some authorities, but its terrific punch is a fitting climax to a remarkably powerful no_vel. I have heard so many conflicting opinions expressed about the STUDS LONIGAN TRILOGY by James T. Farrell that I have decided to ignore most of them, and continue my merry way, praising the triology and recommending in wherever possible. Studs Lonigan is a morbid, depressing novel that is yet so fascinating that it is almost impossible to