THE DIARY OF A PENSIONNAIRE By Martin Hare March 3rd.—Pick
up book (Heinemann, 7s. ed.) about life in a Parisian pension, which see publisher calls "a Gay Book." Instantly discover Martin to be a woman. Undaunted by such subterfuge, indeed cheered by perspicacity shown in reading first few whimsidal lines, pursue authoress (discovered to be Irlandaise : optimism increased) through day to day trivialities. Humour found to be mere matter of dropped per- sonal pronoun's (" I," however, in giddy evidence throughout, though absent from actual print) : take this to give killing effect of comic soliloquy after—but too long after—E. M. Delafield. Lack of linking words amply made up for by merry turn of phrase consisting largely of Many a True Word Printed with a Capital ; effect further heightened by several apt French phrases, such as Seine and Gare du Nord, dancing a can-can in italics. Persevere, but find this a cheerless Paris Exposition, enlivened only by Demo's illustrations. Incidents, lacking gaiety and inventiveness, nothing to write a book about. Wonder if this is because Martin a deux patries—except the publisher, Who claims French family circle surprising and, to Britishide,as; Often a little shocking." Sudden suspicion that whole batik an elaborate •pretext for presenting -Hungarian txtitoonist's work tO British public : ponder this laudable but circuitouS scheme and, sallying forth to bureau de tabeic, decide could have done in this book with -another 200 drawings, full- page:- March 4/h.—Uneventful day, reflecting on inexplicable scarcity Of humorous boolti . . Turn, With relief, to Colette and Baedeker.
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