MEMORY AND IMAGINATION
By Osbert Burdett
Mr. Burdett's new book (Chapman and Hall, 12s. 6d.) is not an autobiography of an ordinary design. Mr. Burdett is now in his fiftieth year, and in " these pages, too inconsequent to be called recollections," he looks back on his life and turns his imagination upon some of those experiences and events which recur most vividly and most significantly to his memory. The result is a charming book which, fragulentary though it may be in construction, has much more of the substance of true autobiography in it than the more painstakingly chrono- logical reminiscences of most of Mr. Burdett's contemporaries. Mr. Burdett's imagination moves over his childhood in a house in Westbourne Grove, which must have been one of the last strongholds of dignified Victorianism, Cambridge at the beginning of the present century, a memorable winter in Switzerland, and various episodes significant for him, such as an unpaid apprenticeship in a printing works, an evening at the opera, a day-at Land's End, which belong to more recent years. Much of the interest of the book comes from the skilful portraits of people with whom Mr. Burdett has come into contact : almost its most interesting section deals with his friendship with that curiously underestimated painter, Christabel Dennison, his own -redoubtable father is sympa- thetically but firmly drawn, there is a charming sketch of Oscar Browning, and George Moore is described with an adinirable felicity of phrase as having the appearance of an " inspired sheep." Mr. Burdett's writing is careful, drily urbane, and slightly (but rarely oppressively) mannered, and his .narrative is flavoured with both wit and wisdbm.• His book 'must be read, as it appears to have been written,
un-
hurriedly and with leisure. It is not a book that will give pleasure to everyone, but those who will like it will like it very much indeed.. _
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