PUBLIC LIBRARIES

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 121, 18 November 1939, Page 21

PUBLIC LIBRARIES

BOOKS OF THE WEEK \

The City Librarian has chosen "The Sea Tower," by Hugh Walpole, ;as the book of the week,' and has furnished the following review:— "The Sea Tower" _is another study in suspense, which is more closely related to "The Old Ladies" than to any of Sir Hugh Walpole's other books. It depicts a household in which the dominant character is the mother of two sons, wh^se possessive- motherlove,has begun^to run riot: The sons are jseff£cfiy.^Sp'py,S "tKey" have known no'other circumstance than emotional dependence on their mother. One of them, however, is out in the world for a period of- three months, and when he comes back it is with an extremely beautiful' bride. The loveliness of her daughter-in-law constitutes a challenge to the old lady's dominance, and while the younger woman docs her best to fit into the atmosphere, of. the place it,can only be without prejudice to her own identity and independence, which she refuses to allow to be absorbed into the general situation. Slowly she begins to 'understand that the did lady is developing a violent hatred of her, and this jealous hatred culminates in a complete division of personality and a climax which is fraught with absolute horror. Sir , Hugh's powers of suspense are as great as they ever were; :;

RECENT? LIB^ARX ADDITIONS. Other titles selected from recent accession lists are as follows:—General: "Danish Delight," by M. Redlich; "Christmas Plays," by J. Hampden, cd.; "Rain Upon Godshill," by J. B. Priestley. ' Fiction: "A Democrat Dies," by P. Frankau; "Love Has No Resurrection," by E. M. Delafield: "To Se^Ourselves/' by R. L. Field and A. JPed6rson. ;

It is reported from Dublin that Mary Colum has been awarded the annual non-fiction prize of "tire) Irish-women Writers' Club for her recent book iof criticism",; "'Fforrii. These"'Roots." i