BOOK NOTICES.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXII, Issue 4734, 16 August 1902, Page 1 (Supplement)

BOOK NOTICES.

HEW BOOKS AND NOW EDITIONS

Woman of V iles.” By AUck Muuro. ward, Lock and Co., London. S. and W. Mackay, Wellington.

This story lias a Portuguese setting. It, deals with present clay adventures in search of treasure —gold and diamonds —lost in tho great cartnquake at Lisbon in 17-35. Tho characters arc typical of this generation. WiT have two or three wealthy English, gentlemen captivated hy the scheme of a needy adventurer to recover tho buried treasure at Lisbon. One of tho Englishmen fails to find treasure, hub ho finds a wife ; and Fort, the needy adventurer, has iiis plans stolen and his aims frustrated by “a beautiful devil” named Mrs Wcclderburn, formerly, ns Miss NeT Williams, a barmaid at Johannesburg. The story abounds iij thrilling incidents, ana tho characters are admirably depicted. “Anne Judge, Spinster.” By Frederic'W. Robinson. Digby, Long and Co., 18 Houvcrio street. London. 11. Baillic and Co., Wellington. “Anno Judge, Spinster,” is a cleverly written and exceedingly interesting story from first to last. Tho hero and the heroine arc so natural and charming, that one’s interest in them never flags until it becomes evident that “Anno Judge, Spinster,” will not much longer remain so. The characters arcall remarkably well drawn —tho selfsacrificing, devoted Anno; the selfisli-wifo-forsaken father, who is trying to retrieve Ids fortune and make a home for Anno and his maiden sister; Dr. Day, the pretentious man who ruins himself and his friends by his foods' ambition; Hugh Aynard, with Ids fits of despondency and belief in evil omens, the honest, manly Ned Delaney, who encourages and helps cvc-yone, and is rewarded by having his dearest wishes ultimately fulfilled. Tho book is so carefully written, and so healthful in its tone, that, we can heartily recommend its perusal to all.

“Marta,” By Paul Gwynno. A. CTonstable and Co., London. Whitcombe and Tombs, Wellington.

Tho scene of this story is laid in Spain. Tho hero, Frank Waring, is an engineer. Ho visits Spain in pursuance of his avocation. Waring is truly English, and affected to despise what is Spanish; but ho falls in love with Marta the Rose of Seville, and ho is ready to swear that England could never produce such a girl as Marta, either in beauty or in character. His love is reciprocated, and they plight their troth most fervently. But the course of true love never did run smooth, and Frank Waring has a daring and unscrupulous rival in Philip Thurston, who desired Marta for his wife. Here wo havo gloom and tragedy, bub aiftcr much sacrifice, tho display of great moral courage and nobility on the part of the heroine, all ends in peace and joy. Thi is a typical novel, and the author manifests a degree of literary merit and ability nob too frequently mot with among writers of tho modern novel.

“The Lion's Whelp.” By Amelia Barr T. Fisher Unwin, London. J. W

Davidson and Co., Wellington

The central figure of this historical romance is Oliver Cromwell. It gives a description of “Merry England” in the days following the execution of Charles I. lb tells us of the career of the Protector, and introduces us anew to tho Princo Rupert, John Milton, Izaak Walton, John Evelyn and other notable men who lived in Cromwell’s time. To Miss Barr, Cromwell’s eyes were ’’clear, penetrating, tender and mystical.” His “smile, tender as a woman’s, softened an austere mouth. His whole air was that of a man on whom tho eternal dignities of a good and great, life had sot their seal.” ' There arc those among us who will not think as Miss Barr thinks, but wo can lot that pass, and express our appreciation of our authoress's excellent work. - She has supplied a living picture of one of the most stirring times in English history, and tho characters she has invented to give colour and dramatic force to her romance are altogether capital studies.

“Tho Battle Ground.” By Ellen Glasgow. A. Constable and Co., London. Whitcombe and Tombs, Wellington.

There is much to attract and charm in Miss Glasgow’s latest production. Her pictures of the Home life of two Virginian families are not without artistic colouring, while her descriptions of the war scones are powerful and exciting. TVithal. there is incident, love and romance in this interesting novel. 'The

reader is first introduced to the family, of Governor .Ambler, with his “lovely j dangnters and their dainty mother.! Next v.e have to moot Major Lightfoot and his wife. To these come a grandson named Dan Montjoy, the offspring of a daughter who had never been for-, given a runaway marriage. _ Dan and tin) Major dwell together in harmony for a time, but the young blood rouses iho temper of the Major on ono occasion, and Dan goes off to tho war ef j .secession, but not before he has fallen m love with Betty Ambler, and tilio with him. When tlio war is oyer, Dan ieturns to Ids love, and all is well. Mlie old men are fine characters, but tho others are really too good to ho human. Still the story is well told, and is enter! anting reading. It is, hot'over, doubtinl if “The Battle Ground” comes up to Miss Glasgow's “The Voice of the People,” although those who have read the latter will not fail to read the one under review

“The Social Pretender.” By Winifred Graham. John Long and Co, Lon. don. Whitcombe and Tombs, Wellington.

Stories of tho melodrama typo have ever been favourites with the majority of novel readers, and this one will doubtless on that score become popular. It is complained that wo have many novels with purposes, and too few descriptive of actual facts in real life. “The Social Pretender” must rank as an answer to this contention; for it deals with tho plain, everyday life of an English family. Miss Mansfield returns from a boarding-school to her: father’s home. Sir Edward Mansfield, Iter father, she is shocked to find a dipsomaniac. Her mother had, years previously, obtained a divorce and died, and her father dying subsequently, the young lady is thrown on her own resources. ” There was in the Mansfield employ, as housekeeper, a Mrs Gorman, wno had incurred, her wealthy parents’ displeasure through marrying beneath her. Hc r parents wore relenting, and had offered lo adopt her daughter, Adelaide, provided that young woman renounced hcr parents. This she would not do, but Mrs Gorman persuaded the late Sir Edward’s daughter to take her place, and become “The Social Pretender.” Tho story is bright and interesting.

“Woman: Tho Sphinx.” By Fergus Hume. John Long and Co., London. S. and W. Mackay, Wellington.

Mr Hume has not been altogether happy in the conception of this story. It. is, tno, somewhat overstrained, hut withal it is ably written and-told with a boldness and spirit that captivate. We have men and women with double Jives, and wo have manifestations of tho influences of heredity. These are lofty themes for a novelist who has made a name for artistically treating sonsatonal criminality. Wo are not sure that Mr I Hume’s readers will admire him more in this effort at serious work than in “The Story of a Hansom Cab.”

“The Court of Destiny.” By G. G. Chattel-ton. John Long and Co., London. Whitcombe and Tombs, Wellington,

Tho story opens with the sensational recovery of Michael Moriarty, who was sentenced to be hanged by tho neck till ho was dead. Next Moriarty is smuggled out of England, and makes a huge fortune abroad, which lie leaves to a Captain Eccles, a soldier hitherto too poor to marry a charming girl, who also loves him. Beginning with a striking sensation, it, turns into a pleasing love story, and ends in felicity.

“Tho Great Awakening.” By Phillip

Oppenheim. Ward, Lock and Co., London. S. and W. Mackay, Wellington. This story is highly sensational. Its author is gifted with tho power of build.

ing a complicated and interesting plot. Ho has created in this story a remarkable denouement. A young lady, Eleanor Surlocs, or Marston, is forced

through tho failure of her father, to take a position as saleswoman in a drapery establishment. She is chagrined, annoyed, and worried in a situation that is degrading to hcr. In her anxiety to escape from it she accepts the offer of a great physician and scientist, Sir, Powers Fiskc, to give her wealth -and position if she will allow- an experi-; mental operation to bo performed upon| hcr whereby the doctor promises shoi will have forgotten all her troubles and become a now woman. Tho experiment ! is a success. Eleanor has forgotten the past and lives a new life in charming, surroundings. This is “Tho New Awak-j oning.” but itjias to bo read as Mr Op-; ponheim has narrated it to ho adequately appreciated.

“Tho Chanipingtou Mystery.” By Le V'olcur. Digby, Long and Co., London. H. Bailiio and Co., Wellington. As its name implies, tliii is a story of | tho mysterious death of a woman I named Anno Frampton, at Champington, wliat it involved and wnat came of it. The reader cannot fail to bo interested in tho narrative, i and it will bo a wonder if ho lays it down ! before the mystery is cleared up, and that m tho closing chapter. Along with a rare inventive faculty, tho author brings literary gifts and graces to his work. His characterisation is clover, and wo have in this book clever pen and ink sketches of several diverse personages. The book is full of incident, and there is not a dull page in it. What adds to tho interest of the narrative is the entire absence of motive on tho part of tho person suspected of the murder of Anne Frampton by the private detective, Jocelyn Chambers, and tho truth comes almost as suddenly upon tho reader as upon Mr Chambers, Anne, who was the most beautiful woman of her time, marries i two captains of tho Hussars, some twen-ty-three or four years before the story begins. After marrying the second cap tain, the first being still alive, she sail for America, and tiio man she bad married. married that very day the lady h whom he was betrothed. After living a life of brilliant iniquity, Anno returns to England, and meets her second husband on tho racecourse at Champington. He gives her a five-pound note, and sho is found dead in the hotel nest;

morning. The coroner’s jury give aj verdict in keeping with the doctor's evi- j donee—“death from failure of the heart’s action,” and to all appearances the case is at an end. "With this, however, it has just begun, and the author, out of much commonplace material, evolves a work of absorbing interest. If the merchant %'ants to read a book that will take his mind olf his ledgers, “The Champington Mystery” will afford' him that abstraction