CURRENT LITERATURE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 17662, 24 December 1920, Page 1 (Supplement)

CURRENT LITERATURE.

notes on new books. BY CB.ITIC. The end of the year offers a miscellaneous diet- for readers. Pew in this country feel disposed for solid reading, and though in stores the order still obtains for presenting an annual supply of standard books well bound—a supply which more suitably should be maintained through the -winter months—yet the prevailing taste at the holiday season is for light, recreational books with no particular purpose and 110 outstanding moral. SOME MODERN NOVELS. "The Captives," bv Hugh Walpole (Macmillan, London). —One would scarcely call Walpole s work good holiday reading ; he studies always such a serious selfcentred type of individual, but to those who like a book which will last them more than a mcro hour he gives good' value. One would welcome more gladness in his fiction; he writes in the minor key. In " The Captives," Maggie Cardinal is the leading figure. She is the daughter of a clergyman .who lives a sordid, miserly life, and \yho, death, bequeaths her three hundred pounds, leaving the remainder of his considerable savings to liis cook. Maggig then lives a. depressing life with two maiden aunts, who worship under Mr. Warlock. But ■ Mr. Warlock has a son to whom Maggie is attracted. She meets him clandestinely, the aunts find out, and she determines to leave them. Bui ope is dying from cancer and makes her projni^e' to' stay. After an illness Maggje yisji| Mrs. 'Mark," and the Rev. FtSf her to marry jiiig. Sp, she Incomes a. yicar's wife in a 4til} seaside town_ with a maiden sisterWrlas? wij.g tries to keep the reins of pffice. Efho result is friction, and when iJjj.de Matthew Cardinal visits the vicarage sqmpwhat intoxicated, and afterwards commit suicide, tiie girl is made to feel a very singular and peculiar person. Then back inio her life comes young Warlock, ill and poor. She nurses him back to health, and having reivon his love, decides to make the plunge and live with him. 'Qne cannot acquit the story of great sordidness,' truthful picture as it piay be-" of a' depressed' life. ''Good Conduct,'' by Creorge Birmingham (Murray," London).—s£r." Birmingham is a hiunouiist and one'is thankful for dean himgurl Tn"''6bpd he has I office/ ijjhjeH" "is invaded by a. _ sc&o.ojgirl, "Virginia, who "uses the editor for her plans of settling other people's A* dilatory you'pg man is brought tp the "marrying* 1 point by, her attempt 'to insert the notice of his wedding "party. Then she pracjages her diplomacy upon a financier of philanthropic leanpg?. ' A bishop is also imposed upon. Of course, the 'stories are impossible .nonsense, but as long as' they make for their purpose is served. Romantic,'! by May Sinclair (Collins, London).—Not by any means to Be compared "The Tree'of Heaven," this war story of l£ay'Sinclair's is written iyjffi style,"" but the taste" "of it is ung||Mgncl First, the girl throws away her Tfrtiie 'on an impossible, fnattrictive man of' tfie sHirking type; then she "mothers a youth who turns and runs when their ambularices 'ace near any kind of danger. He is" 'tgnned 1 ' "romantic'euphemism, surglyi " for a harsher title. >We must auar'fpl with bgr typ'es' and ponder why slie pothered' fiEing' a'Kpk' witii Sn account .o|'|§fjn.' ,* J?jn |he Sweat gf Thy Brpw,?'Jjy Joseph SoSESjng"' (Ijpgijer, fetpughton. London). — I&pry of a "ypung"^lnglis&"'giri j brought up "as a feefp'an" and'totally unaware of " frog ha|4pnaUty'.'" ispfpt service B-crk 'of Que'thrpck', the" young Oornishsyljo "|s taken* ppEoneji" "bjf. the Germany, grmes him into "contact "%ith FranJem '|rpn 'Sfiesgteir, whom he"Wes. After tpe he >'ttirdges'gppd 'wqrK in hunting iCTplutionaries, "anS" ie is"puzzled by i|i§ "(3'gAte''" identity of Lady Mary Trem%yn"e J pd Frfulgm yon"*Sfcressler. With muph" mystery apd' inpiiignt.' tjie unravelling of the glpt is 'caxne<f\outin Hocking's jictai^d'^manner. ** f

AUCKLAND STOEIES. From the pen of Isabel Siaud Peacocks • and' the brush of Trevor two i dainty little" 'booklets entitled "Sand Babies'? "and 'JSaa.i Playmates?' (Whit- ' a?s' Tombs: AncEWdj. Both are specially 'for children, and deal i jfcjtb the iiiii of youngsters on the seashores.'' $aiid castles,' seabirds, crabs, and all thg delightful' ajrppiigrs of |he beach : are prettily '""stiprjed' forthe pleasure-read-ing 'of growing litfle Nesv 'Zjsalanders. , are sure' £o' "bpcom'g popular, especially' as cgift books. MISCELLANEOUS READING. " The Bairnsfather Case," bv Bruce Bairnsfatber and W. A. Mutch (Putnam's, London). —In this we learn that Bruce Bairnsfather -won his way to popularity through sheer merit, prefaced by years and years of discouragement. After studying art he could find no reward for his talent, , no recognition of his ability. He became an electrician's assistant. Finally, at the Front, the "human note" of his pictures found favour at last with publishers, and the Army authorities learned the value of his "cheerful'* humour. Against such odds he persisted tnat everyone who reads his book must marvel at the stupidity of the pre-war critics of such things. "The Small Farm," by James Long (Murray, London). —" A standard work, rewritten with the object of making it a popular, useful, and reliable guide to the small farmer under the newer conditions." " From Public School to Navy," by Lieutenant W. S. Galpin, R.N. (Underbill, Plymouth).—This excellent account of the special entry scheme for cadets entering the Royal Navy from the public schools of England, includes records of the various boys, , who, before and during the war. received their training at the Royal Naval College, Keyham, and aboard the training cruisers Carnarva and Cumberland. The author has spared no pains to present»a complete description of the routine work and recreation of these cadets. Illustrations axe abundant, and the whole scheme as worked is fully presented. A useful book for those parents whose sons are choosing the Royal Navy as the scene of their -future career. The records are especially' interesting to the general public. " Present Day Questions," by R«v. James Milne, M.A. This pamp£set has just been issued by the author, who is the well-known Presbyterian Minister at Thames. It contains a group of articles on Industrial Unrest, the Liquor Question, and Church Union, with 3. verse on the League of Nation?. Mr. Milne deals with his subjects thoughtfully. In particular he puts the case for co-partnership in industry and for the State control of liquor traffic. The phamplet is %veil worth reading. . CHILDREN'S GIFT BOOKS. Ethel Turner, the well-known Aus- | traliau writer of children's stories, had a j new volun.e with Ward. Lock and Co.. j Melbourne, entitled " Laughing Water." ] The same house has also just issued two ' other gift books for children, one by Mary Grant Bruce, with the title of i " Dick Lestar of Kurragong," and "Bruce i at Eocnderong Camp," by Lillian M. ! Pyke. As their titles indicate, the scenes j are in Australia. " The Schoolgirl Author." bv Brendel | 1 Girvio (Hutchinson and Co., Paternoster ! j Row; is a capital story of a -warm-hearted, 1 iif gemsiaijmkiva, -achcalgirl, ' |