A NEW ZEALAND NOVEL.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIII, Issue 69, 22 March 1892, Page 3

A NEW ZEALAND NOVEL.

_ Auckland Staii : The reviewer Fitting down to Mr Tom Cottlo's Mew Zealand novel, "Frank Melton's Luck," has the wind rather taken out) of his sail 3by the author himself in the preface. That gentleman states that his Rim 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 credibly informed that he has achieved success. When a man believes in his success—and Mr Cottlo evidently does—there i 3 little to be said. He is pleased, and it would be ungracious to interfere with that pleasure. It must not be understood by thie tbat we differ trora 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 ifc in a new way, and has one advantage over several authors whose namea are better known —that he has had acknowledge ot what he was writing about. Frank appears to us a sufficiently pleasant young fellow, and, all things considered, he is an interesting one. He has a decidedly Susceptible heart, and falls in love as often a3 practicable before he meets his special affinity, Fanny by name, on board the steamer on the way from Manukau Heads to Wangauci. She turns out to be his cou3in, and the course of true love does nofc run by any means smooth. A perfectly outrageous cad named Giwvenor is the principal stumblingblock in Mr Frank's way. This young spiig of the aristocracy is most certainly as contemptible a personage as it has been our privilege to come across. Mr Cottle is very successful over the character, bub ib 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 Uβ." 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 chatted about his croppers, and the usual incidents of a muster when new chums are about are graphically described. The description of the war at Putea and the death of Yon Tempsky are about the beet specimens of fine doscriptivo writing in a book that is by no means delicient 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 bo said that many of the"cliaracters, especially the minor ones co cleverly introduced, are veritable portraits. One thing is certain, Mr Oottle has written a book that is faithful and true. Ib ie also interesting and amusing, and equally so to the old settler, his sons and daughters, or the new arrival who wishes to know what sorb of placo ha ban come to. The book citn be obtained from all etationer3 and booksellers throughout Now Zealand. Price, Is.