BOOKS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10631, 28 March 1896, Page 6

BOOKS.

A Comedy of Honour. By Noba VrNNB London: Ward, Lock, and Bowden. The "gat-op" of this Sittla book is fault less. It is nicaly bcnnd, »nd quaintly printed on hand-made paper. Thecomady itself is very fairly worksd oat; a kind of love quadrille, the characters being two pairs of lovers, each of whom changes partners before the final hymeneal olearancs. Lois Brasil, an aristocratic yonng presswoman, is in the first chapter preaented to us in a 6 agoik7 o£ ramorso, beoauaa tha fiance of her friend Nallie Dres-has dsclarad bis love for her (Lois). I"^8 ,heraeli!

Bhall call No. 2. Lois and No. 1, thoagh inlove with each other, resolve to be honourably faithfnl to lhair respestive betrothed ones—viz.; No. 2 and Nallio Dcaa. Thereupon follows much heroic talk about the finer emotions, Lois Brasll being as edifying and aa exssperating a young lady aa they make them. At last the passion of the two lovers, Lois and No. 1, becomes too great evan for thoir stupendous coda of honour, and they determine to jilt their respective lovers and marry each other. Honourable, however, even: in dishonour, they proceed to Nellie's house to announce their defection. They find Nellie sitting and drinking champagne with No. 2, whom she has just married. Thug were the jilters jilted, and their honour saved. Practical Pal-mislry: a Treatise on Chircsopjiy, based upon Aolual Experiences. •By Henry Frith, Landan: Ward, Lock, and Bowden. ■ ■, To anyone in search o? a fad, let us warmly recommend Practical Palmistry. One may basome a chirosopbist —that ie, he may become versed in the wisdom of. hands— at the mere cost of baying and reading this book. A knbwlsdga of the scisnes will enable you ts gratify tha most innocent aad laudable kinds of catioßity. You have only to gat your friends aad acquaintance* to exhibit their pslms, and, presto I you will learn truths about them which will gratify you and startle them. You can tell whether they are going to be mssried; to whom; bow many ohildrea they will have; whether one is on the wey just at present; and whether it I* going to be a boy or a girl. It is all as easy us lying, and not leas veracious. Tha palm, for tha purposes of the chiromant, or pp.lta-prophet, i" m-topsd out into regions like a cfcarif of the v/orid. You have only to open your palm to use that it presents we!l - marked geographical features: conspicuous swellings and undulations, and a crisM-ccoss of Unas like those on the surfacß of, Mara. To begin wish the swellings, or, as tbey are called in ths language of thechiromant,-"mounts." That gently agesnding eminence at tbe base of tha thumb, resembling a small pmenshion, is tba Mount of Veuns : no nesd to tell the significance of a large devalopment of this cushion. Romeo aud Juliet, Hero and Leandsr, Meloise and Abalarde, and all the most eminent latter-day spoons of one's acquaintaEce have had, you may defend, if there is any virtue in Cbirosophy, prominent pads at the b3«e of their thumbs. The Mount of Jnpitsr lies at the base of the first finger and "predicates pride, ambition, religion, and a desire to shine in society or among one's neighbours, and consequently a lov« of display, and eves of high ritual in religious observaacs." Nest come the Mount of SatarD, the Mount of Apollo, Mercury, Mar?, and so on. Then there are the lines and spaces, each according to its development, having its peculiar significaace as an indax of destiny. Nay, the very shape of the hand itself is an index of character. "In reading the signs of tbe palms," saya the author, " the best way to begin is to look at one's own band, and endeavour to reconcile the statements herein with what' one kaowo o£ one's selE. From his own palms ths stndsnt can turn and experimentalise on his relatives arid friends— people who will coafess the truth or correct him if necessary. By toeie means, oaroful investigation and continual practice, noting changes, oar readers will in a few years become adepts in Practical Palmistry."

Terminations. By Henry James. London

William Heinamann.

This book has been to ourselves a h««iiiating ezparience. We read on the flyleaf opposite the title page a series of extracts from varioas journals — Tbo Times, Karaing Post, Athenteum, ,&c. — indicating high appreciation on the part of critics. It has (says the Afcheosssm) Mr Heary James's accomplished touch and command of material. The Morniag Poat; recognises io Termination " work of a vary high order and a wealth 6£ iiaagia;ttive fancy that is in a measure a revelation." Another critic (Ths Times) finds "choicaness and concisKß3«s of. phrssa." It would have been flattarißg to our self saseem to have been similarly impressed with these eminent critics, but we must; be honest thongh the heavens fall, asd conf«3S t&at we have found Mr Jamas's book unmitigated twaddle— obscare acd affeobed in phrase, and absolutely uninteresting in matter. We believe tha London critics have misunderstood the book. It is really a parody on George Meredith's styie, and Tiot a bad parody either.

Wee/few of Myst&ry. By Joskph HOCKING,

London : Ward, Lock, and Bowdeu,

It is locg since we have read a shilling shocker. Thi« is one written in the most approved style. The Weapon of Mystery is mesmerisHi. It is nsed by a villain for crimiaal parposes. 'In a Sfasational way the book has merits, bnt wb have read better work by Joseph Hocking.'

A Long Vacation. By CHARLOTTE YONGB, Ma,ceiilU»'i* Oolonial Library. Danedin :

James Horaburgh,

This is the paorast work by Miga Tonge wa have over road. It is fail of namby-pamby talk from gesdy people, who crowd the aceae in such large numbers tbsfc it is difficult to remember who is wbo. O£ all the irritating kinda of dialogue to be found in novel*, weak clerical twaddle is the most irritating. It is always so very superior, benevolent, and self-satisfied, that for our own part we prefer the conversation of sinners—that is, of people who deal in shares and politics and municipal finance and sueh1 things.

Prisoners of Silence. By Mary Angela Dickbns. Maomillan's Colonial Library.

Dunedin: James Horaburgb.

This novel is chiefly remarkable for its creation of one remarkable character—a perfectly hateful woman. The mystery of the book —for it aims at mystery—may be solved before many pages are road; It is the story of a coarse-grained woman, with a passion for respectability. An "affair" before her marriage with Dr Vallotson, has resaltsd in her having a little " step-brother " —a Pope's nephew, as it were,—-who in brought up aQd educated as a doctor by Dr Vsllotson, It is through this " stepbrother " that the woman's pnaisbment at last overtakes her. Miss Dickens has certainly succeeded in creating a very remarkable type of woman—and yet, though remarkable, not improbable. To make a son, howevar, all bat marry his father's widow is to create a situation a trifle repulsive.

The Clironicles of (hunt Antonio. By Anthony Hope.

This is a good novel of its kind. It is the legendary history of au Ifetlian brigand, who has been driven to the fastnesses of the hills by the tyruany of Dnbe Valsntine. Count Antonio is the very mirror oE chivalry, and bis various deeds of derring-do make up a very readable story of the romantic kind. Antonio comas to the scaffold at last, but escapss the final consumma'ioo, though only by the skin of his teeth. E::ys aro likely to enjoy tbia book—the adventures follow each other with such rapidity. Ths styie sffacts a certain old-fashioned simplicity, as it it were tha language of an old chronicle, something after the manner of Wiiliatn Morris's fatuous imitations of old English, though not nearly so detestable. Indeed, if this affectation of tha antiqae in style is erer permissible, Mr Hope may be said to have done the thing well.

My Honey. By the Author o£ Tip-Gat, to. Maeuiillan's Colonial Library. Danedin:

James Horsbargh,

This unpretentious little story is a thing after our own heart. We cannot tell wherein its particular charm lies, because we were so much occupied with the progress'of events that we did not stop to consider the matter, as any proparly conscientious critic would have dona. The author rsaorts to a trick that is as old as tha hills, but yet is never jjtale if it is cleverly done. He (or ghe) gives yon an ugly duckling, and tells yon to mark what an inaUractive thing It is, how repsllanfc and nnlovely—till you axe quit* sorry for tha creaiura. To accentuate, 'ih&jgjjness.ot.ttie. dnoUiMLihe.fluthofjjatlr

I it into moat invidious juxtaposition with a soft, downy,'pretty, admirably bahaved paragon of a creature that you would like to take and shake into " admirad disorder." But as the month* roll on,- behold the duckling grows and grows till it ia a;most lovely swan, and puts the noss of the other creature completely oat of joint. And the swan marries, and marries'the prcpar peraon, andthsother one marries also, a carats, as-it inmost fitI ting she should, being a vary superior par-. ! Foa. There is farther a dclfghtfnl oia mac, > the rector of the pamb, who cries halves in { the intore3fc of the story with the ugly duckj ling hsrself.