ME RECENT FICTION

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 8190, 3 August 1912, Page 10

ME RECENT FICTION

FOUR NEW “AMERICANS” & SOME OTHERS.

A NEW CHAMBERS. "Japonette," a new novel by that proIliac and popular American author, Mr Kob* ert W. Chambers (Appleton and Co.; per George Robertson and Co.), is what I believe certain American critics call an "elegant story." In its way, it is smartly written and, granted a comprehension of its exact mUieu, not an uninteresting story. But compared with "The Fighting Chance," “The Y’ounger Sot" and other of Mr Chambers’s novels, it seems to me but unsatisfying stuff, as thin and bodiless as would seem a glass of the most ordinary of vin ordinaire after a full-blooded Beaune or Pommurd. Two young ladies and one young gentleman, all of whom have lost their t 0 1" tune, or their shares of a joint fortune, take up their residence at tho country house of a millionaire in the capacity of "society entertainers.” All three are frivolous and self-indulgent, but all three, too, in time, tire of the part they play, and once they decide upon a moie strenuous, independent role, “win out. But before young Edgerton "makes —in the iron business, and "Japonette, otherwise his lovely cousin, Diana, decides for love versus dollars, there are some throe hundred and odd pages mainly dialogue-to bo traversed, and at times the roadway is rather hard going." Mr Chambers is decidedly not up to his usual mark in “Japonette, but as light and airy comedy it may pass muster. Tho illustrations, by Charles Dana Gibson, follow the accepted Gibsonian tradition, which is a highly diluted version of Du Maurier’s style. bornetimes, as in "Tho Common Law, the Gibson type is very charming. But it is apt to cloy on too frequent repetition.

A WOMAN’S STORY. Julia Magrndor’a new story, "Her Husband" (Small, Maynard «id C 0..; per George Robertson and Co.), is distinctly a woman’s story; a story in which the eternal feminine is the one real interestcompelling feature, albeit, strangely enough, the author seems at times as if she would tain endeavour to enlist the reader on behalf of her hero rather than her heroine. A young* fns* oinating Scotsman woos and marries a very charming American girl, but no sooner are they wedded than a. curious and for a long time inexplicable cloud casts a dark shadow over their hyea. Mrs Magruder. whoso "Princess Sonia may be remembered us a novel much above the average, has certainly touched high water mark in her new story, the plot ox which exhibits a most decided originality, both in conception aud treatment, and the novel is one which not only deserves to be widely read, but, through tho originality of certain of its jpain incidents, is to provide discussion, illustrations by L. C. Hitchcock,

THE WORM) WELL LOST EOB LOVE. Madame Bianohi, tho author of A Cossack Lover” (Luffield and Go,, per George Robertson and Co.), is an American novelist, who has writtep three or four stories having Russia for a background, and has also translated some Russian poems. tf A Cossack Lover ts a long but eminently readable story, the two chief characters in which are a young American lady, the niece and ward of an English baronet, who wants her to marry an impecunious relative, and a young Russian officer, of Cossack origin. Serge Ivanewitch, a man 'ol strikingly handsome appearance, a beau sabreur, a man adored by the fair of his country, a bon vivant, reckless gambler—and, be surprised at nothing «uut comes from Russia, that land ot contradictions —a man who has moments of almost passionate religious ecstasy. At Warsaw, Nathalie Main waring meets, loves, and is loved by the handsome and many-sided Serge. Great disgust thereat of Sir James Blount, the British uncle. Return of Nathalie, for a time, to London. Serge's letters are intercepted, and hidden by the fortune greedy Sir James. On his side, Serge, wrongfully -accused of participation in a disreputable row, and in despair at the seemingly inexplicable silence of his American love, deserts on the way to the Far East, and spends a year in a monastery in the Caucasus. Only in the very last chapter are matters set straight. exactly By what (means it would be unfair to the author _to say. But, needless to say, the r *Cossack Lover’’ secures his sweetheart, the wretched uncle’s designs are frustrated, and we are left with the hope that Holy Russia may yet relent and allow the handsome Serge to return. If Nathalie be wise, she will. I think, remain in "the dazzling white villa at Algiers, beneath stately palms." where, after so many disappointments, we leave her. The author evidently knows her Russia at first hand, and the interest of the story never flags from the first to the last of its twenty-one chapters.

■‘MARCIA OF THE LITTLE HOME.” Just a pleasant, homely little story ol a child whose unfailingly cheerful temperament brings happiness to her patient. suffering mother, her loving but rather “t-yinc” little festers anti brothers, and hc'r dispirited, worldly unsuccessful father. That is the story of ‘'"Marcia and the Little Home," b'Emily Calvin Blake (Appletons, per George Robertson and Co.) It is a story of a type perennially popular with American readers, a story of a kind which, years ago. found regular exposition in periodicals such as “The Sunday at Horae." “The Quiver," and “Good Words." The tone, to English readers, is nowadays somewhat old-fashioned, but it is an honest. _ wholesome tone nevertheless. Marcia is a dear little lass, and • when finally' the Fentons are more kindlv treatd by fortune, it is the thought of the> . happiness which may cnsne for the family’s good angel which will give the most pleasure to readers of Miss Blake’s simple but charming little tale. THE SPINDLE. "The Spindle,” by Elizabeth Harden (John Long; per Whitcombe and Tombs), is an agreeably written story, with a well defined, plot, the ; central figure ’n which is a clever, self-reliant Irish girl. Clemency O'Flynn, who takes her medical degree and battles hard against the troubles and even storms which thwart her well-meant aspirations' and amb;tions. The motto on the title page, "It goes ill with the opindlo when the beard is not over it," echoes, of course, the popular idea of an old maid's life. But Clemency deserved better than Fate prescribed, and the story of her generously given but unrequited love is not’ a little pathetic. THE LAST STRONGHOLD. Mrs Smith’s latest story (John Long: per Whitcombe and Tombs) has for its heroine a faiqous lady violinist. who r'sks reputation and eventually goes jail, for the sake of a rather selfish though talented brother Retirn.c rnto the country- and inheriting a fairly mb--tantial fortune, she establishes a re=t home for tired city people ill treated by fortune, and is assisted in the management thereof by a middle-aged lawyer, who. in a moment of special trial for the refugee, rend era. mcsl timelj and sub* efcantial aid. In tho end, of course, he reaps the roward, but before these two excellent people come together for life, each has a rather hard rovr to hoc. The

minor characters are skilfully and Arongly drawn.

TWO STORIES BY CURTIS Y'ORKE. The writer who veils her under tho nom-de-pluxne of "Curtis Yorke" has generally a good story to tell, and her two latest novels, "Dangerous Dorothy” and "Miss Daffodil" (John Long; per Whitcombe and Tombs) will servo to while away a few spare or idle hours. In "Dangerous Dorothy the background is a Spanish country village, the hero, a young mining engineer who eventually turns out to be a heir to an English earldom, and the heroine tho uieco of a somewhat pompous aud insu-iar-viewed British knight, who, accompanied by his daughter, has gone to Spain to investigate certain mining pidpositions in which he is interested. "Miss Daffodil" is a much more lively production. There is, perhaps, an exaggerated amount of flirtation and lovemaking, but the story is brisk in interest and is characterised by more humour than is generally the case with novels of its class. Both stories are distinctly readable. THE SECRET TONTINE. Murray Gilchrist in his latest story; "The Secret Tontine" (John Long; per Whitcombe aud Tombs) gives, his readers a highly sensational story with a decidedly original if somewhat melodramatic plot, bused upon the conspiracy of an oid lady and her’ eon to profit by a secret tontine insurance scheme in which the mother is—almost —tiro last surviving subscriber. Mrs Bellasis, and her son, Francis, are characters belonging more to tho earlier Jliss Braddon period, than to the fiction of to-day, but Mr Gilchrist has made a real hit with his dear old spinster heroine, tho eccentric, but most lovable Miss Brougton, and the scenario —as usual with this author tho 1 eak country —is agreeably fresh and picturesque. IN LOTUS LAND. The Lafcadio Hearn stoiy—plus the Lafcadio Hearn legend—has already been resjiousiblo for not a lew stories in which the mysterious charm of Lotus Laud, that is, of Japan, p.ays a prominent part. In "The Spell of the Lotus" (John long; per Whitcombe and Tombs). Mr D. H. Dennis gives an interesting, if not always convincing description of tbo insidious but iiono the less powerful influence of the Japanese atmosphere upon the mind of a European of Russian, and_ indirectly, so the author evidently desires us to infer, of Far Asiatic descent, and of the trouble and sorrow exercised thereby upon some- very estimable people-. The Japanese local color is vivid, but the principal characters fail to enlist the reader's sympathy, and the story, as a story, drags, and at times becomes almost tedious.

UP AND DOWN—ROUND THE TOWN. Round the Town Up and Down. Oh, any fink to cam a honest brown,"

So used to sing a one-time popular comedian in a one-time popular burlesque. The doggerel i have quoted might very well have stood on the title pugo of Dorothea Mackeilur’s aud Ruth Bedford's novel, "The Little Blue Devil" (London; Alston Rivers; per George Robertson and Co.) but instead, tne authors have quoted some lines by Rudyard Kipling, lines which run : The wind went down the sunset. The fog came un' with the tide. When this witch of the North took an egg-shell. Witu a little Blue Devil inside, "Sink," she said, "or swim," she said, "It's nil you will get from mo. And that is the finish of him," she said. And the egg-shell went to sea. In. this case the "Little Blue Devil" is the son of a rascally fellow, half Frenchman, half Englishman, one Gaston Bt. Croix, who runs away with the daughter of an English lord, ill-treats her until shedies, aud then deliberately, and with a cynicism which even the cleverness of the authors cannot make convincing, desez-ts his tittle lad of ten. It is with the adventures ot this lad, youth, and young man, Antoine St. Croix, that the story deals. He roams in Egypt, in Australia, in New Ze.Jaud, in America, aud goodness only knows where e.se. Eventually he meets and marries—in Brisbane, of all places—his cousin, Pamela Trent, in whose favour he had endeavoured to resign his claim to tne Trent-Stoke estates. It is rather a bewildering production, this varn of Tony St. Croix e wanderings, ■ but it gives good promise of future success for its authors.