LITERARY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 183, 1 August 1908, Page 12

LITERARY.

Major Philip Trevor, in his book, "The Problems of Cricket," expresses the opinion that, in view of the extensive literature already existing about cricket, a j ne"\v book on the subject requires an apology. Be offers this in the form of an explanation of the objects of his book. '"The majority of men and boys who play cricket and watch cricket."' he remarks, "do not know the laws of cricket; few arc careful to interpret those laws in the spirit in which they were framed: fewer still make the preservation of that spirit their first consideration. The tendency of modern cricket writing is to say too much of the player, too lit;'. , of the play, and scarcely anything at all about those principles on which the existence of play nnd player depends. The object of this book is to place before the reader somo of the. chief problems of the cricket field."' In pursuance of this intention, the writer deals with: 1. The Position of the M.C.C.; 2. The Rights of the Spectator; 3. The Waste of Time; 4. The Degeneracy of Fielding; and twenty other topics of interest to player and spectator. Among these subjects are average keeping, the test match, the left-hander, leg before wicket, public school training, the pooling of gates, the importation of cricketers, cricket as a profession, and the future of cricket. Long before the reader has got half-way through those topics he arrives at the conclusion that no apology was .needed, and that the author is entitled to thanks for such a readable and useful exposition! of a popular national game. The publishers are Sampson Low, Marston and Co., Ltd.

"The Training of a Thoroughbred," by C. C. and E. M. Mott (Hutehinson's Colonial Library), describes the career of a man, not that of a horse, although horses play a considerable part in the career of the Hon. Robert Lisvana, the hero of the story. This young gentleman, (personally popular, inaugurates his career by plunging on the racecourse, and accumulating a debt of £12.000. which his father can only pay by leasing the ancestral home and selling some of his landed estate. The financial disaster is capped by rejection as a lover and plucking'in the Army examinations. Thus buffeted by fortune, the Hon. Robt. departs for Teneriffe, to engage in horse-rearing, until better times come round. The book contains some spirited descriptions of the racecourse and hunting field, and introduces various phases of modern society in an English county.

'■Whosoever Loveth," by Wm. Le Qupux (Hutchinson's Colonial Library), is another of those stories of mystery a.nd intrigue, in the production of which its author is so fertile. Lady Fyfield, in early life, has become involved Ln certain criminal transactions, which are unknown to her husband, and as the result of these she is systematically blackmailed by a gang of criminals. Utterly unscrupulous herself, she makes desperate efforts to secure freedom, only sinking deeper in mire with each unworthy transaction. To divert attention from herself, she casts suspicion upon a wealthy gentleman, who is lio-undc.d out of the "country by the police. The story is devoted to unravelling this tangled skein; and in this pursuit an astute detective named Ratcliffc plays an important part.

'•One Life and the Next," a novel, ny Mrs Irwin Smart, comprises a series of episodes suggestive of reincarnation. The story ripens with a little love drama lv Ireland, which cuds with the drowning of bride and bridegroom on their wedding day, while crossing a swollen river. In episode, number two the events recorded occur in an Engli.-h county. The daughter of a country lawyer, who is at bittpr rnmitv with T.he s(|iiirc, mpet-s the son of the landed magnate, and both instantly fall in love with each other, recalling unaccountable sensations of former acquaintances, and a common dislike of running water. Again the fates arc adverse; Episode three—presumably after a suitable interval —occurs lv Florence, where an ardent passion arises between a young Englishman and thu Scottish wife of an Italian Cour.t. The story is rather tame, and tho characters lack individuality. The publishers are tfisleys Limited, London.

In " A Strange "Land," Felix Ryak adds another Paradise to the many of which men have dreamed. This land, somewhere on the border* of Cambodia, enshrouded in mist and shnt in by an impassable wall of beetling c.lilTs. is penetrated by Denis Maine, its portals being opened by the strains of a melody left to him by hi.-, mother at her d£ath. Within this land there is no disease, nature quickly repairs all injuries, and decrepitude is unknown: the only representatives or animal life are men and women, and the end of existence is accomplished by a swift translation heraJdrdiby amarveliou s strain of music. Maine passes through some strange experiences before he finally emerges to tell the inhabitants of earth his unbelievable story. The publishers are Llutchinson and Co.

It is a sore misfortune for a man who has come of a race of soldiers and naval officers distinguished for bravery to find that, through the inherited traits of a near progenitor on the feminine side, he is afflicted with incurable physical cowardice. Such was the case of "John Winterson. Coward and Hero," as presented in Mr Charles Gleig*s new novel bearing th-it title, v The son of an admiral decorated with thp V.C., ho is expected to enter the ua-vy, and weakly yields to his father"? wishes against his own inclination. Then his troubles begin. At the naval training school, he suffers uncontrollable nervous collapse when expected to fight, ond this helplessness overwhelms him at a critical time after he has secured his commission as a lieutenant. How he retrieved his good name forms the tragi cal sequel to his unfortunate career n.s a ikivsU officer. The publisher is Mr T. Werner Laurie.

"The Girl's Realm" for Juno contains the portraits and biographies of some notable debutantes of the present season, and mentions incidentally to the sketch of Lady Denbigh's second daughter that her ancestor the first earl was .an active supporter of Charles I. and was killed in a skirmish with the Parliamentary forces np.ar Birmingham, while his son was equally energetic on the side of Cromwell. In an article on "The Girl and the Rifle," the Duke of Argyll is quoted as ur<rin:r the establishment of shooting galleries in connection with high school for girls. An article on "Yellowstone Park," the geyser region of the United States, mentions that this j public park is as his as the County of Yorkshire, and grizzly and brown bears roaming about in it aru so tame that visitors may a.pp,uueu quit,- dose and even feed them. T« o serials, "The Adv-n-GoM»° f J ° an '" aml '""* Warp ~f attractive futures of tku