BOOK NOTES.

Hutt News, Volume 1, Issue 15, 6 September 1928, Page 2

BOOK NOTES.

(By " Observer.")

'' The Janitor 'a Gat by Theodore' Acland Harper is ft charing book that will delight every child while its whimsical humour will make it amusing to those adult readers who may be considered fortunate in that they still find pleasure in the books which are classed for children *s reading only. With 4 The Janitor's Cat" —a personality indeed— children meet their favourite heroes snd heroines; interwoven into a story of today. All day long in the basement of a great book-store stays Tony, the cat. But when night comes he prowls out to meet the story-book people who leave iheir books only when no one is around. Alice, Dr. Dolittle, Peter Pan, and other storybook folk tell their adventures to Tony and to Jerry the little boy. Young '•• <aders will enjoy this delightful and unusual story and from it learn of tke characters and stories of other famous children's books. The book has twjitythree illustrations by -J. Edwin Poster. The New Zealand price is 5/-.

Historical novels are still in demand with the reading public and a cordial re- ! ception is assured Marjorie Bower's new book ''The Golden Roof." The title istaken from the Golden Roof (of copper tiles, gilded) on the Imperial Palace at Innsbruck, one of the few tangible memorials left of the greatness of Maximilian I of Habsburg, 1459-1519, Holy Roman Emperor, who dreamed once, to roof the whole world with the gold of his achievements. He has been called ' the last of the knights'' and he left an tccount of his life under the guise cf a fairyj. tale —the ' 'Weisskumig,'' knd "Feverdank" than which^i otliing could b-3 more splendidly noble and sumptuoasly romantic; the extraordinary magiuiicanee of Maximilian is further exemplified in the grandiose '/ Triump Zag" by Burchmair, a tremendous process'on of beauty aud.pomp which typifies the lofty aims and beautiful aims of Ma.si- ,. milian. The characters in the tale a:>e all historic, the Emperor himself, L adovice Sforza, Louis XII of France, Catherine of Aragan, Henry VHH of England, Charles Egniont, Duke of Guiliers, and the scene is the Tyrol, Vieana, Anysburg, Flanders; Guedlers md France. The love interest is profiled by the love story of Maximilian hirmelf •with his first wife, Mary of Burgundy — a story he has told himself in "Weisskumig.'' The period has never been iVJy otreated in English and never touched (n ii> fieton; though there is a vast amount o? authentic material dealing with Mtiximilian it is still scattered in various books dealing with other subjects ard in archeries, besides being untranslated in English. The ground may thersfore be claimed as being new to the British public and of surpassing personal end historic interest to any public. Maximilian was an idealist and a dreamer as well as the greatest monarch in Europe, and free from the vices and cruelties of hia age, so that his story is" lofty as well as splendid; inspiring as well as exciting, and embraces that intensely important period in the history of Europe, the end of the Renaissene and the dawn, of the Reformation both of which forces expressed themselves in the beaubl'fal figure of Maximilian of Habsburg. The Golden Roof, formed of 3,450 tiles cf copper gift, is still the chief pride of the city of Innsbruck, and a fitting symbol of the mighty pageant of the Emperor's life. Hodder and Stroughton ere the publishers of the book.

''The Key of Content" is a worbhy successor to "The Gilded Sign" with which R. Scotland Liddell delighted so many readers. Scottish readers eso-ici-ally will be fascinated with the story which circles round a Scottish farm. Seed time, and harvest, the hopes, the lis appointments, the rewards —the ceaseiess fight against the elements —the, author writes with a charm and intimacy of a "life he obviously knows. The various characters are drawn with a sure jin. Old Robert Campbell and Ms wife; tiieir orphaned grandchild, Allan Caird; Gordon Stewart, the village'dominie; Annie Graham, the shepherd's lovely girl, tindj above all, Famie, the farm-house '' general," In !Famie the author has created a great character. Few women in modern fiction have been so wonderfull pour-' trayed. Her deep love for the orphan boy for whom she, mr.kcs so many sacrifices; her "bringing up" of him; her constant anxiety for- his welfare; her down-right commohsense; her fears; her doubts; and, in the end, the peace of mind that comes to her —all those are set out with such knowledge and such cy.«npjithy and sucii ju-iistry thr.l Fumio'iives —a •memorable person in a memorable book. Cassels and Co., are the publish-

ers, and the price of the book is 6/-. • • • • • Still another German historical writer will shortly be introduced to English readers in the person of Felix Hollander whose book "The Sins of The Fathers" is announced for publication by Me33rs Payson and Clarke. ' 'The Sins of The Fathers" is considered to be a fine novel —-powerful, intense and dramatic, Vividly told with swift movement it grips fr-jm the first chapter. The characterisation is amazingly good and life-like. The title helps to explain the trend of the story which is tragic, but ends on a hayypy note.