BOOK NOTICES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12607, 10 March 1903, Page 8

BOOK NOTICES.

"The Disentauglers." By Andrew Lang. London: Longmans and Co. Auckland: Upton and Co. (3s 6d, 2s 6d.) All who des're a really good story, written in a bright, sparkling vein, with the single and avowed intention of amusing, should read Mr Andrew Lang's "Disentanglers." The plot is slight, and serves as littlo more than a peg on wliich to hang sundry more or less comic adventures, which are certainly improbable, but, with one exception, not impossible. The exception here referred to is continued in the "Adventure of the Fair American"; but the author skilfully defends himself from the charge of exaggeration by foot notes of what appear to be approved authenticity in which 'he throws tile onus of responsibility on the "Baptist Mission Press," etc. The thing is well done, while reading it gives you a delicious thrill, and it is only when it is all over that you cry "What bosh!" The plot of" The DissnUmglers" is as novel as it is simple. Two impecunious friends, Logan and Jfirton, wondering liow to mend their broken fortunes, and to discover or create " a felt want,' 1 hit upon the idea of starting a company to assist anxious relatives in breaking off undesirable marriages, by introducing the lover to sqmo charmer of the opposite sex, " beautiful, attractive, young, or riot so young, well-connected, intellectual, athletic, etc., but' all ' broke,' all without visible means i of subsistence," and all rendered " immune " by somo previous attachment "Wo send them out on demand, carefully selecting our agents to meet the circumstances in each case. Thky go down and disentangle the amorous, by—well, by entangling them. The lovers *avc off with the o>d love, the love which causes all the worry, without being on with the new love—our agent. The tiling quietly fizzles out." The stories that follow relate the working out of this idea,and during, the course of them our two partners develop quite a pretty talent for intrigue and private detective work, almost, equal to that of tlw immortal Sherlock Holmes. The inaugural dinner, in which the partners unfold their scheme to their intended agents, is a sparkling bit of writing deeply touched with pathos in its incidental' revelation of tho {shifts and struggles to which genteel poverty is exposed. All the women, as well as the men, are young and of good family; all are "broke"; all .work'hard amid uncongenial surroundings for a mere pittance; a'li are " people welcome in country houses but travellitig third class, and devilishly perplexed how to fee the servants, how to pay if they lose at' bridge' and so forth victims, in short, to the ghastly comedy of "keeping up - appearances." How tlie new company manages to disentangle its clients and entangle its friends is well told with a keen sensa •of humour in admirable' English and epigrapimatic conversation. The illustrations by H, J. Ford are excellent.