CURRENT LITERATURE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16657, 29 September 1917, Page 3 (Supplement)

CURRENT LITERATURE.

NOTES ON NEW BOOKS,' BY CRITIC. Britishers will remember the neutral attitude of Italy in the early days of war and the relief of the allies when she renounced that neutrality ir ] declared war against Austria. Many .May have wondered at her present tenacity and robustness of attack. But those who know something of the last century's events will recall that between Auptria and T talv there has raged an hereditary 'mid, as bitter as prolonged, and liio resistance of Italians in 'he Trridenta regions to the E'; Riburg dynasty is one of tie noblest figats in history. The volume reviewed below will give to those unaware of the conditions, an excellent insight .into the reasons why Italy plunged into war. WHY ITALY ENTERED INTO THE GREAT WAR. "Why Italy Entered into the Great War"— Luigi Carnovale (Italian-Ame-rican Publishing Co., Chicago).— the author traces the ancient history of Italy down to the present day, and in all he never fails to note, the atrocities ever and continually committed by the Austrians during their periodic invasions of the peninsula. Revolution succeeded revolution throughout the centuries, Austria imposing on the northern duchies her tyrannical power. In later times he traces the effect of the teachings of Mazzini, Gioberti, Garibaldi, and to them, especially to the last great patriot, gives full praise. The alliance of Papal paver with the aggressors is delineated until the "final fall of the temporal power of the Popes" in 1870, when the nation became one and independent. In the second part he deals with events on the Triestine side of history, the loyal allegiance of the Trentini, Triestians, and Istrians in defence of their Ital: inity ; the heroic manner in which, despte the autocratic power of their rulers, the Austrians, they defied again and again, and failed never to convey to Italy their undying sense of brotherhood. In spite of being without franchise— they refuser! it—in spite of attempts to suppress their language they preserved it. Indeed, as late as April, 1914, they issued a proclamation inciting Italy to wir against i Austria- " for the unity of the Patria." And when the present war hit 1 e into flame, their young men flocked into the Austrian ranks with the solo intention of deserting as prisoners to the " enemy," that being their only way of fighting against their rulers. In the fifth part the author very lucidly and compactly summarises the reasons why, notwithstanding his desire for neutrality and his obvious relationship to German monarchy, King. Victor Emmanuel was obliged to give his subjects the opportunity of entering the' great war. Against these reasons there can be no argument; they are all-convincing. The writer is an ardent patriot, and his hook, apart from war studies, is a comprehensive and illuminating history of his beloved country. The burning zeal with which he cites wrongs of the past and cries for justice now, at last, is worthy of emulation by every man in the dominions of the allies. FICTION OF TKB WEEK. " Secret Bread"—by F. Tennyson Jesse is one of the best works of fiction that have appeared for some months. The plot is evenly worked out, and is true to life in that it avoids the suddenly tragic and purely sensational, even when taken quite excusably the incidents might take this direction. The - English is good and some of the descriptive work is picturesque and beautiful. The book, when finished, leaves a, sense of harmony, an exceedingly rare quality in modern literature. The author's previous book, " The Milky Way," was very charming,, but did not possess the deeper character study of " Secret Bread." The story runs thus; x Squire Euan on Iris deathbed decides to marry the woman who has companioned him for many years_ and borne four ..children. He has & radiative desire that the coming child shall be legitimate in order to -hurt the others of his family. Lshmael is bofn, and, according to his father's instructions, is to bo educated by the clergyman to fit his position. Jhe other children, with their mother, are illiterate. Ishmael's life 7is then followed in detail. His ideals are good, and in practice he lives a wellordered life. Disappointed in his first loving, he marries Phoebe, the miller's daugh. ter. But Archelaus, his elder brother, ever vindictive on account of his thwarted inheritance, has used a lad influence on foe weak girl, and returning from foreign parts to find her married to Ishn.ael, he resumes his attentions. One day he frightens her so that her child sr is born prematurely, and she dies. Ish'd mael carefully rears his son, ancTThe story 1, follows the lives of the Ruans to the next p- generation, when Nicky's son is a little ie fellow and lshmael an old man. Again does Archelaus return with malevolent in-tent,-and before' he dies reveals a secret to lshmael gloating in the fact that his • progeny are the masters of the old pro- : perty. Ishmael's philosophy is very even, and the book ends with his death on the f* quiet note of resignation to the Fates, £ that nothing really matters. dp " The Golden. Pippin"—by • Rupert s . Lance (Allen and TJnwin, London)—opens 1( 1 as a fresh old-world tale of the time.of 50 Charles 11. of England. It does not maine tain this tone too well, as the events bet'. come sharper in incident. There is a - a tendency to confusion in the _ telling, ;( j which detracts from an otherwise well--16 conceived novel. It gives the impression e that its later half was hurriedly written. Miramie Lissant, dying, tels her daughter Barbary her story that when she was • fourteen, a wicked cousin, now Lady Anne Sterry, deliberately thrust her into [ the hands of the profligate _ Prince Charles; that a good man married hoe 6 and gave his name, Austin Lissant, to ?" Charles' son. This son, Miramie insists, 6 must be prevented from going too hard ! e and from meeting his father, now King in Charles 11. A wounded man, whom Mir a- ' mie has cut down from hanging on a tree, the work of two cut-throats, is lying ill 'g in the house when Miramie Lissant dies, *n The old nurse, by accident, fails to rere turn to the house that night, so Barbary rt is, by an over-strained convention, under ie the shadow of an evil imputation. To d- save her from this dishonour, Ashe, the til wounded man, marries her. Ie Lady Anne Sterry and her daughter, w Danica, now appear on the scene with ,0 Austin, and Danica tries to lure Austin e, into her toils. He escapes, goes to Lonrd don, and finds his way to court. Then m everybody in the story, excepting the e. King and his immediate menage, become m involved in a plot to dethrone Charles, r. Lissant, unaware of his relationship to r t the King, is deeply in it, and Danica bein trays him and tho others. Then follows e . a flight from London, the siege of the ■[) plotters in a country house, their defeat, Austin's arrest and his execution, Charles' momentary grief and anger, and his ~ subsequent dishonourable tempting of - 1- Barbary to tease her. Then, intending to "° pardon her and her husband after triors' oughly frightening them, he amuses hira--36 self with Danica, and forgets to send theJ t countermand until teG late. '"So Ashe loses 11 his right hand before the King's message a arrives. The licentiousness and immor--5e ality of the court of Charles 'IT. are strongly >e painted, and, with a slightly clearer dels finition of the incidents of the plot, the c- author would have had a Hook cf much 1 interest; his material is good and well- > chosen. ig —— ilo WAR-TIME IN OUR STREET. )e J, E. Buckrose writes effective sketches ss of the way the village accepts ••.ar. There 1, is the story of the man vho dyed his v- hair in order that he might enlist. Another, of the man who came back, a year later, for the pie the girl had promised, ie and then, having lost his hand, had to u ask her to cut it for him, and a pathetics d little story of " Mrs/ Parker," wifo of a f. clerk, who has gone to the war. The is wife scrubs and blackleads, and tells i, cheerful tales to the little boys, writes is cheerfully, too, to her husband", and all 1- the while feels lonely and tired, The keeping of the " stiff ipper iip" is her conception of duty,