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Sassoon writes quietly, with an effect of naivete that often cloaks irony. The naivete is superficial, the irony fundamental. When he was brought back to London after being wounded, his stretcher was taken off the train at Charing Cross Station, where "a woman handed me a bunch of flowers and a leaflet by the Bishop of London who earnestly advised me to lead a clean life and attend Holy Communion."
The Author. The Sassoons, rich, prominent Anglo-Jewish family (they are supposed to have originated in Bagdad) are said to resemble early Assyrian wall sculptures. Siegfried, 44, is son of Sir Edward Sassoon, Anglo-Indian merchant whose father-in-law was Baron Gustave de Rothschild. Siegfried's cousin Philip was Under-Secretary for Air. Tall, bony, loosely built, he has a big jaw, nose, ears, hands; speaks usually in a slow, troubled voice. After his country gentleman's education at Marlborough and The House (Christ Church, Oxford), he spent his time mostly hunting, playing cricket, tennis, music, printed a few poems privately. During the War he emerged as one of England's most authentic War poets.
Other books: The Heart's Journey, The Old Huntsman, Counterattack, Satirical Poems.
Norse
THE SON AVENGER—Sigrid Undset— Knopf ($3).
In Norway they write long novels. The Son Avenger, although complete in itself, is only the fourth and last section of The Master of Hestviken, life story of Olav Audunsson. In long words it might be called the definitive section of an historical tetralogy.
As every schoolboy who has read the first three novels knows, Authoress Undset's scene is medieval (14th Century) Norway, her people medieval Norse Christians violent in action, grim of conscience. In this instalment old Hero Olav has withered into the sere & yellow, but he is still master in his own house, who can save himself much speech by an occasional frown. Unconfessed sins have darkened Olav's mind. His dead wife's bastard son. Eirick, is a living reminder of the murder of his wife's betrayer. Eirick, son avenger of the title, never learns the secret of his birth, but he and his supposed father are continually running foul of each other. Eirick comes home from his wild-oats sowing, has a change of heart, wants to become a monk. Olav thinks that might be a good idea. But in a year Eirick is back again; he was not meant for monkhood. As Olav grows older and more dour, as his sister's marriage ripens into tragedy and the burdens of the family increase, Eirick shoulders them all, quits himself like a man. Once in a fit of rage he almost falls from grace, is about to murder Olav. But his sister intervenes. Eirick avenges his father's murder more subtly, more Christianly. When old Olav lies dying, his secret still unconfessed, Eirick stands by his deathbed and forgives him. Then he goes to the monastery. This time they will let him stay.
Authoress Sigrid Undset won the Nobel Prize in Literature (1928) with her tril- ogy, Kristin Lavransdatter. She was the third Norwegian to win it. (Others: Bjornstjerne Bjornson, 1903; Knut Hamsun, 1920.) A convert to Roman Catholicism, she was decorated "Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice" by Pope Pius XI. She has also written Jenny.
Real Western