A MEW ZEALAND NOVEL.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 250, 21 October 1891, Page 7

A MEW ZEALAND NOVEL.

The reviewer sitting down to Mr Tom Cobble's New Zealand novel, "Frank Melton's Luck," hns tho wind rather taken oub of his sails by the author himself in the preface. That gentleman states that hi 3 aim has been a realistic 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 believos in his success—and Mr Cottle evidently does —there is little to be said. He is pleased,' and it would be ungracious to interfere with thab pleasure. It must nob be understood by this thab 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 tho 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 sbory has been toid fairly often before, but Mr Cottle tells ib in a new way, and has one advantage over several authors whose namee are better known—thathe has had aknon'ledgeof what he was writing about. Frank appears to us a sufficiently pleasant young fellow, and, all things considered, he is an interesting one. He ha 3a. decidedly susceptible hearb, 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 bo Wanganui. She turns out to be his cousin, and the course of true love does nob run by any means smooth. A perfectly outrageous cad namedGrosvenor is the principal sbumblingblock 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 corns across. Mr Cottle is very successful over the character, but it was surely sbrebching a point to make the young man talk tho 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 cadeb 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 ab 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 Thamee gold fever, and of the doings on the Auckland Mining Exchange in the {rood old days. Tke 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 nob be said thab many of the charactera, 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 oquilly so to the old settler, his sons and daughters, or the new arrival who wishes to know what sorb of place he has come to. The book can be obtained from all stationers and booksellers throughout New Zealand. Price, Is.