LITERARY NOTES

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 119, 23 May 1925, Page 17

LITERARY NOTES

Mr. A. S. M. Hutchinson has called hi 3 new novel "The Increasing Purpose." from Tennyson's line, "Yet I doubt not through the ages ono increasing purpose runs." But twenty years ago James Lane Allen, the American novelist, who died recently, used the phrase as the title for a novel.

"John o' London" reports that "that holy of holies, the library of the Athenaeum Club," was recently shown for the first time to a party of visitors. The collection includes 70,000 volumes, embracing many valuable old editions. In the library is Dickens's chair from Gadshill."

"The Nightingale," by Marjorie Strachey, is the latest work of fiction, having a celebrity as the central figure, in this ease Chopin. Miss Strachey is the sister of Mr. Yytton Strachey. whose "Queen Victoria" has brought about a revolution in the writing of biographies.

When the American publishers brought out .Robert Keable's "Numerous Treasure,' 1 they left out of the book a recipe for a cocktail invented by the author and named in honour 'of his heroiue. Tho "New York Times" remarks: "It was feared that the Prohibition enforcement agents might object to the publication--of information that might make some of us desire- to break tho law. But who would want to experiment with a, cocktail invented by an linghshmau?"

As literary critic Leon Trotsky is nothing if not painstaking.' In his "Literature and Revolution." just issued, he classifies the various literary groups as follow:—lmagists, Acmeists, Cosmists, Formalists. Futurists, FellowTravellers, Culture-Skimmers, Islander. Changing-Landmarks Group. PeasantSinging Poets, Rallies, Leftists. NeoClassicists, Revolutionary-Conservatives, Dualists, Non-Octobrisfcsl Among such an array even the most eccentric author should be abl 0 to find a tag to fit him. ' •

At a. gathering of employers, staff, and friends of "Messrs. W. and G. Foyle, Ltd., publishers, of London, celfsbrntin" .the. coming.of ago of the firm. Mr. Gifbert Frankau made an earnest plea for fair play for the young author. As the i-epresentative of the, authors, Mr. Frankau, having alluded to his amazement at l,ho mystery of booksellin;:, asked publishers,, bookseller*, and book-buy-cis to give careiul WiuideraUon to tii«

first novel of any young wtTJcr. Ho asked that booksellers should try to read first novels, and give the public opportunity of seeing and buying for themselves. A purchase of one copy was of very little help. If a writer were no good at his job, he deserved no further help, but the first novel should always have a fair chance. It was ridiculous to begin to " take notice " of "the third and fourth book of a writer.

"The Dragoman," of the "Daily Express, ' has the following reference to "The Ship Beautiful" and its New Zealand author:—"A pathetic interest. attaches to a new book, 'The Ship Beautiful,' by Mr. Charles Allen. It is the story of a blind man, and Mr. Allen himself is blind. He is the son of Sir James Allen, and lost his sight while a university student. Mr. Justice Huntly M'Carthy has described 'The Ship Beautiful' as 'a vivid creation, imaginative, fantastic, humorous, delicately rendered in poetic thought.' I have nothing to add to this, except to wish Mr. Allen every success in his literary career."

Hilaire Belloc is anything but a specialist. He has written novels, essays, biographies, histories, and books on economics, to mention a few of his subjects. He is working at present on a history of England from the time of the Roman occupation to the present day. It will be in four' volumes, the first of which, bringing the narrative down to the Norman Conquest;, will be published in the near future by G. P. Putnam's Sons.