People v. Events

PLAYTHINGS or TIME--Arnold Zweig-- Viking ($2.50).

Like many a European writer of his generation, Germany's Arnold Zweig has written of the years of peace with an imagination dominated by visions and fears of war, of the years of war with an imagination dominated by dreams and hopes of peace. Last week readers who recalled his powerful War novel, The Case of Sergeant Grischa, found Author Zweig's short stories cut in the same essential pattern as his longer and more ambitious work, read of humble people who were destroyed or demoralized by events beyond their control or understanding, who sometimes attempted a brief resistance, but more often submitted hopelessly to fate. Most of Author Zweig's tales ring true, contain sharp characterizations that make up for his occasional sentimental philosophizing.

Best story in the book is The Enemy. Sergeant Paschke suddenly realizes that the Russian soldier trapped in the darkness is a human being, decides to give him a chance to surrender, hesitates, is killed for his moment of humanity. His comrade kills the Russian who had considered all German soldiers efficient and unfeeling units of a war machine.

Some others:

P: A slow-witted subway motorman goes to pieces at his fear of conscription, is saved by running away with his train.

P: A crippled Serbian caught in a foolhardy attempt to blow up a railroad is ironically saved from a firing squad.

P: A barber had figured out mathematically that the War would end on Nov. 11, 1915, became despairingly aware that his figures were wrong.

P: A rich little girl wanted to shoot a dog that had frightened her, persuaded her father to offer its poverty-stricken owner a hundred pounds.

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