NEW BOOKS AND PUBLICATIONS.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19285, 14 April 1928, Page 13

NEW BOOKS AND PUBLICATIONS.

A COMPLETE "Q." The Datchy Edition of "Q." London: J. M. Deqt and Sen*. There must be thousands of people who, thinking over the many complete and uniform editions of good, modern writers, have longed for the filling of two conspicuous gaps—the Somerville-Ross combination, and "Q." An American firm has just issued, at a rather high price, the works of the Irish duo m seveu volumes, and now Messrs Dent have begun the issue of a complete edition of Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch's works, in 30 volumes at 3s 6d each. The first four volumes —beautifully bound and printed, with the right monograrils and panelled chapter headings and decorations —have just been issued. These are "The Splendid Spur," whose new discoverers will join the middle-aged devotees of "Q" in thinking one of the finest of vigorous and quick-moving romances; "Noughts and Crosses," a volume of vivid sketches long out of print; "Dead Man's Bock," which manyroadings has left the present reviewer, at least, unchanged in his opinion that it is an incomparable thriller; and "Troy Town," of which its lovers will say only that the yoars cannot stale its charm and wit. There has never been an English novelist quite like Sir Arthur Quiller-Gouch. A profound scholar, a Professor of Poetry at Cambridge, the author of two of the best books in the language on reading and writing, a writer of poetry of extraordinary grace and strength—ho brought all his gifts of mind and style to the writing of novels and short stories in a doiien different genres—all masterpieces. One thinks of him as moving in the world of letters as a man would move in the world of sport, who could bat like Hobbs. play tennis like Borotra, box like Dempsey, play golf like Bobby Jones. He writes romances that challenge "Katriona" and Island," andl his English is finer than Stevenson's because it is rooted in the classics. Ho turns to grammar and philology, and does it as well as the Fowlers. He writes of "Troy," and he is ns alluring as Mrs Gaskell. His short stories are as strong and good as the best of Wells and Kipling. And always he is himself, with his own distinguished manner, his own skilful craftsmanship, his perfect taste and humanity. This new edition, each volume of which has a modest little preface—he mentions that he has never dared to read "Troy Town" since it was printed in 1888 —will be welcomed with shouts of joy by those who have long read and loved him, and their shouts will not be much louder than those of the happy people who, reading much of him for the first time, will have longer days than the others for reading him over and over again.

SOME VERSE. Tli« Crazed Philosopher, and other Poems. By lan Donnelly ChrisUhurch: Whltcombo and Tombs, Ltd. Tliis little book of verses, by a young New Zealand writer, comes with a very modest preface. None of the verses are remarkably good, but they are attractive examples of gentle feeling expressed without anv straining for effect. Mr Donnelly has the poet's inspiration, and enough of the poetic fire to make this first book one which collectors of New Zealand poetry will value, andl to encourage the belief that there is good work yet to come from its author. "The Dawny i-Man" is a simple and graceful presentation, of a familiar thought:

Breams, the wares of a dawny man,. Were cast upon the world, But none there were to take tbem up, So he died penniless. Tint, the wares of a thrifty man, Were cast upon t! 4 ® world: The rabble clamoured for the tins,. So he died in a golden house, But he tqok no grace to God. And there is a strong and new figure in "Man and Sea": Upreared, and thundering of their high intent, Those distant waves are. ripples when they reach the Bhore. So man fares out to match his steel with Life, And grows to be a puny ghost of that brave youth Who cast the gauntlet down. Man rises loud-mouthed from an obscure see And drops, in time, to an obscure rest, ACONjE IN THE WORLD, Daffodil Jane. By, Beryl Srmoßd. Herbert Jenkins. Daffodil Jane's mother died when she was born and she was brought up by her great aunt Mirabel, an uncommonly spiritual woman, who shielded the child from rough worldly contacts and thep died conveniently when Daffodil was old enough to manage her own affairs. These chiefly consisted of her worries in N being courted by two men, one a beau ideal, the other a feminine novelist's conception of a villainous Jew financier. Of course everything ends happily for everyone, and it does not natter much that the business part is neither a picture nor a satisfying sketch.

THE GOOD OLD STYLE. , And Pleasant Ms Wife. By 8. B, Nethersole. Mills and Boon. Stephen Lynch, the youngest member of a proud old family, married beneath him when be chose a baker's daughter, but he followed tradition in naming his little girl Pleasant. He died early and his wife brought up the child. She resembled her father's family, and so endeared herself to her great-grand-mother,' who provided for her education at a good school. Unfortunately, she married when she was too young to have any judgment, so that her marriage was a failure. Miss Nethersole, therefore, gets her chance to demonstrate her heroine's sweetness and simplicity of character. The book is planned and written in the charming oldfashioned manner of twenty years ago. The characters are all sterling goodhearted country people with the exception of Pleasant's husband, who, it is sad to have to confess, is a quite decadent young man.

WREN REPRINTS. Dew and Mildew. ' The Snake and the Sword. By p. O. Wren. Murray. < In publishing all Mr P. C. Wren's books in a uniform edition at 3a 6d, Messrs John Murray are bringing before the public some of bis early and little-known novels. "Detf and Mildew" was first published in 1012. The plot concerns a house in India on which a fakir laid a comprehensive and farreaching curse, but the bewildering variety of accidents and misfortunes which befel each successive occupant strains even a credulous imagination. "The Snake and the Sword" (first published in 1914) shows some promise or the qualities which have now made Mr Wren a best-seller. The story, which ib certainly extraordinary, tells of a boy whose mother is terrified by a cobra a little before he is born, with permanent and tragic consequences to ner son. The story of his redemption from the stigma of cowardice makes an 'entertaining and readable book. "Driftwood Spars" consists of four stories of Indian life. While each story is compact in itself, all have a common character in John Robin Ross-Ellison, son of a Pathan prince and ai) Australian girl—a picturesque and gallant gentleman who combines the racial qualities of both his parents. The story of how he punishes his would-be murderer is the beat of a rather far-fetched set.