A NEW ZEALAND NOVEL.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 249, 20 October 1891, Page 3

A NEW ZEALAND NOVEL.

The reviewer sitting down to Mr Tom Cottle'a New Zealand novel, "Frank Melton's Luck," has the wind rather taken out of his sails by the author himself in the preface. That gentleman states that hi 3 aim has been a realietic and truthful description of station life in New Zealand, together with a faithful depiction of the historical incidents woven into the story ; and in this he has already been creditably informed that he has achieved success. When a man believes in hi 3 success—and Mr Cottle evidently does —there is little to be said. He is pleased, and it would be ungracious to interfere with that pleasure. It must not be understood by this that we differ from Mr Cottle's kindly critics. "Frank Melton's Luck " is an unassuming readable story of station life, with some exciting war incidents worked in. The characters of the book are firmly drawn, and the author has a facile pen", a pleasant fancy, and shows every now and then a facility for descriptive writing and word pictures. The same sort of story has been told fairly often before, but Mr Cottle tells it in a new way, and has one advantage over several authors whose names are better known—thathe has had aknowledgeof what he was writing about. Frank appears to us a sufficiently pleasant young fellow, and, all thing 3 considered, he is an interesting one. He ha 3 a decidedly susceptible heart, and falls in love as often as practicable before he meets his special affinity, Fanny by name, on board the steamer on the way from Manukau Heads to Wanganui. She turns out to be his cousin, and the course of true love does not run by any means smooth. A perfectly outrageous cad namedGrosvenor is the principal stumblingblock in Mr Frank's way. This young sprig of the aristocracy is most certainly as contemptible a personage as it has been our privilege to come acros3. Mr Cottle is very successful over the character, but it was surely stretching a point to make the young man talk the language of the lower classes. Even a baronet's son would scarcely talk about the " likes of us." A description of a cattle muster is very realistic and distinctly diverting. It is moreover very true to life, as many a cadet could tell. Poor Frank gets unmercifully chaffed about his croppers, and the usual incidents of a muster when new chums are about are graphically described. The decription of the war at Patea and the death of Yon Tempsky are about the best specimens of fine descriptive writing in a book that is by no means deficient in good descriptions. A Capital idea is given of the. Thames gold fever, and of the doings 'on the Auckland Mining Exchange in the good old days. The book is throughout, in fact, full of vivid pictures of New Zealand life. Few of the conditions are changed so much or so long that it could not be said that many of especially the minor one so cleverly introduced, are veritable portraits. One thing is certain, Mr Cottle has written a book that is faithful and true. It is also interesting and amusing, and equally so to the old settler, his sons and daughters, or the new arrival who wishes to know what sort of place he has come to. The book can be obtained from all stationers and booksellers throughout New Zealand. Price, Is.

The 1892 edition of "Brett's Auckland Almanac, Provincial Handbook and Diary " ia novv in the press, and the attention of advertisers is drawn by the publisher to a valuable nevr feature which ha 3 been introduced. It is intended to extend the diary sections of the book to fifty-six pages, and to print these upon a good writing paper. This addition will make the book serve all the purposes of a business diary, contain' ing almanac, diary and commercial textbook in one. The Customs, statistical, official and general information will, as heretofore, be complete and' carefully revised. The tide tables have been calculated upon the system employed at, the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, in compiling the British Kautical Almanac, and their accuracy has secured the general adoption of these tables by ehipmasterb on the New Zealand coast. The additions to the Diary Will not circumscribe in any respect the other features of the book. The descriptive account of the Provincial District of Auckland is being re-written by competent writers, who are travelling throughout the districts described and noting the advances made in settlement in every direction. This account of the products, trade and resources of the Auckland Provincial District—its climate, scenery, mountains, harbours, rivers, and lakes ; it 3 forests and its plains; its cultivated and its waste lands—especially adapt the book for eendihg to friends and business clients abroad. As the book has now become a work of daily reference in the home of every settler throughout the province, and is in use in all public offices throughout the colony, and in many leading places abroad, it may with confidence be described as the best permanent medium of advertising offered to business men. The work will be issued at the old pr'ce—ona suilliu?.