LITERARY NOTES

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 60, 12 March 1927, Page 21

LITERARY NOTES

Several English novelists have within recent yenrs written novels, or a series of novels, which study families over several generations. Mr. John vralsworthy's "Forsyte Saga" and Mr. Arnold Bennett's "Five Towns" novels are, perhaps, the most striking instances. Mr. Compton Mackenzie has recently finished for Cassell a story which is a psychological study of a family through successive generations. It is entitled "Rogues and Vagabonds," a title suggested, perhaps, by tho fact that it has a theatrical element. The ultimate heroine is Lotizia, who becomes a comedy star and marries a peer.

It is, perhaps, a raro thing for a great musician to keep a close and iutimato diary, but Sir Arthur Sullivau did so during the^last twenty years of his life. Ho had also a large personal correspondence with famous people of his time, composers and others. His nophew and heir, Mr. Herbert Sullivan, who lived with him, felt that the diary and the letters should not be mado public until a quarter of a century after his death. Mr. Sullivan, in collaboration with Mr. Newman Flower, of Cassoll's, has now mado a book from this rich material, and it will appear in tho spring.

"The Intelligent Woman's Guide to Socialism and Capitalism" is said by a writer in "Passing Show" to bo the namo of tne book on which Mr. Bornard Shnw is at present engaged. Ho has boeu on it for the past three years, but has suffered mnny interruptions. It is being written throughout in shorthand by the author himself. Mr. Shaw writes a clear and flowing Pitman transciiption of which by his woman secretary presents not tho slightest difficulty. The original "St. Joan" manuscript is also in shorthand.

"Poetry" has this complimentary notice of "Sophohisba," by Mona Gordon, privately printed in Auckland.— This is one of the best examples of poetic drama that I havo seen fo- some time, although, boing published in New Zealand, it has been ignored in tffcs country. Miss Gordon has followed Livy very closely in the presentation of her horoino's tragedy, and, indeed, there waa little temptation to doviate, for there are few more romantic tales m tho range of history. Yet in calling this poem a poetic drama tho stress must be on tho adjective. " After the manner of Marlowe, Miss Gordon holds firmly tt the straight course of her narrative, unrelieved by any humour or oy-play, but sho does not attempt the terser dialogue or the tenseness of his m-jor scenes. It is a work on which to congratulate a new, and, I believe a young writer, but Miss Gordon might do even better in proso fiction—which can bo poetry also."

Mrs. E. Thornton Cook's interesting volume, "Her Majesty—the Romance of tho Queens of England," published recently by John Murray, seems to have been well received in the Mother Country. Over naif the first "ition went within a week of publication. Our London correspondent, siting on 26th January, mentions that Her Majesty the Queen graciously accepted a copy of this record of her predecessors, and Mrs. Cook received a letter from Windsor saying that Queen. Mary would appreciate it if the author would write a few words in her copy. This, naturally, Mrs. Cook was proud .j do. The authoress, of course, is a New Zealand lady. She is the daughter of tho late Mr. Norman Prentys, of Invercargill Her work on this side of tho world has been as secretary of the Women's Emigration Department of tho Church Army. As "Maorilander" she has contributed in the past to the columns of the Press.