THK process of making a novel
out of a play is only a shade
less hazardous than the re
verse transformation. It by no
means follows that even a very suc
cessful comedy that holds the stage
without effort will make a good story
! in expanded form. The more direct,
mimetic element of the play is apt
to be lost, with small compensating
values in the written word. In short,
a good play generally needs the liv
ing voice and personality of the actor
I to make it effective. If much is lost
in 'ransferring it to the moving pic
| ture screen, still more often evai>o
rates in making a novel out of it.
| As a general thing the novelized
drama is a poor affair.
Nevertheless it can be done, and
[this book is a good example of a
| very fair measure of success in doing
it. It is not meant in disparagement
| of the result when we add that those
j who saw the play on the boards will
j continue to prefer it to the novel.
For others the book remains a lively,
entertaining, light comedy story. Mr.
Milne has made extremely good
use of the situations and the central
idea in the book.
George Marden, the conventional,
conservative, not overbrilliant Eng
lishman who hates anything irregu
lar?anything that "isn't done, you
know"?and who is suddenly threat
ened with an extremely unpleasant,
upheaval in his family affairs, is es
pecially well presented in the book.
