A NEW ZEALAND NOVEL.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIII, Issue 297, 14 December 1892, Page 7

A NEW ZEALAND NOVEL.

Auckland Star : Tho reviewer sit* ,ting down to Mr Tom Cottle's 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 his aim has been a realistic and truthful description of station lifo in Now 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 ibelieves in his success—and Mr Cottle .evidently does—there is little to be said. ;He is pleased, and it would bo ungracious ito interfere with that pleasure. It must not be understood by this that wo differ troin 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 i& facile pen, a pleasant fancy, and shows every now and then a facility for descriptive writing and word pictures. The samo 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 aro better known—that he has had acknowledge of what he was writing ahout. Frank appears to us a sufficiently pleasant young fellow, and, all things considered, he is an interesting one. lie has 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 Wangauni. She turns out to be his cousin, and the course of true love does not run by any means smooth. A perfectly outrageous cad named Groavenoria 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 across. 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 lifo, 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 description 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 the characters, especially the minor ones 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 eattler, his sons and daughters, or the now arrival who wishes to know what sort of place he has com 6 to. The book can bo obtained from all stationers unci booksellers throughout New Zealand. Price, Is.