ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom . . ." quotes Mr. Benet, and in the quotation is found the theme of his book how one Phillip Sellaby, after a rather hectic career during his last year of college (Yale, of course), and for some years following, has the way to understanding--or, at least, fear--of the Lord, paved for him by love. With this knowledge comes to Mr. Sellaby a certainty of principle and purpose with which to guide his actions. Really it is quite an accomplishment--both for Sellaby and the author. One feels that the book is to a large extent autobiographical, that Mr. Benet has had, if not the same experiences, at least some very similar, both as to their temporary and final effects.

There are many good things about "The Beginning of Wisdom." In the first place, Mr. Benet has instilled into his writing a lively, easy style that swings along in great form. His descriptive ability is of high calibre, and the book is vividly colored as a result of his careful observation and, we suppose, also from his training in forming poetic images. The poems that are interspersed here and there have a pleasant swing to them, and often are allegorically related to the story--which adds to their value.

The author has chosen a difficult task. He attempts to portray the psychological development of a not strictly average individual. His method is to picture, in kaleidoscopic glimpses, Sellaby's attitudes towards--well, towards things. Mr. Benet succeeds rather remarkably well, too, because he succeeds in putting his puppet through a great variety of experiences. Some of the incidents are very well told, and might stand alone as good short stories. But with clever artistry, Mr. Benet has inserted one or two themes into his narrative which serve to unify the whole quite effectively.

Our chief criticism of the book is that Phillip Sellaby is not the pulsing human being he should be. His experiences are vivid enough; the author has a faculty for imagining situations. But, as we have said before, the story seems at least partially auto-biographical. The reader feels Mr. Benet is writing more or less about himself and trying to picture how he would react to certain situations; that is, about a kind of ideal himself with whom he is not fully acquainted--or at least whom he is reticent about letting anyone but himself know intimately. The irony, too, which he attempts to put into the later parts of the book, is anything but convincing, and at some places where much space is used in talking about the grim humor if life, a somewhat boring result is unfortunately obtained. But the author is young, and we are inclined to doubt if any young person has a true comprehension of irony. There must be such a thing because we hear of it so often, but as yet we don't know much about it.

On the whole "The Beginning of Wisdom" deserves much praise, for the author has succeeded in his purpose, and while the various episodes in the book are of different value as episodes, and while some of theme are extremely well written--Mr. Benet has a fine feeling for words--there are others which, either be cause of subject or treatment, are not nearly so effective. The whole impression is Scott-Fitzgeraldish, but avoids many of the superficialities of "This Side of Paradise". After all, however, one wonders if the real story is not yet to be told, as Phillip and Sylvia are left on the site of their house-to-be-built with their beginnings of wisdom. One wonders what they are going to do with that wisdom.