AMONG THE ANNOUNCEMENTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15142, 13 May 1911, Page 13

AMONG THE ANNOUNCEMENTS

A most welcome addition to Mr J. M Bank's books may be expected this year

A now edition of M. MaetorJinck's "The Bluebird," with an entirely new fifth aet added, is in course of preparation for early publication.

An English translation, by Dr Arthur Mitchell, of Henri Bergson's "Creative Involution," covering such topics as tho Evolution of Life, tho Meaning of Life, the Cinematographical Mechanism of Thought, has been issued.

" The Child's History of England," in which Mr Rudyard Kipling has been col. laborating with a well-known historian, will, it is expected, bo published shortly.

Mr liuebsch will publish shortly Gerhart Hauptmann's prose drama, "The Weavers," a play delineating the condition and revolt of the Silesinn workers, produced in Berlin two decades ago, but now out of print in America and in England,

Among tho announcement lists of English publishers we notice " The Ballad of the While Ilorsc," by G. E. Chesterton; "Three Plays," comprising "The Jikler Son," "Tho.Little Dream," and " Justice," by John Galsworthy, and '' Oscar Wilde," a memorial by Anna C de Brement.

Messrs Dent- mean to bring out a series of French masterpieces covering a period of nine centuries, to bo completed in 100 volumes. These little books will bo published, bound in cloth, at 3.s not. per volume, and will be issued at the rate of fivft a month. The works of each author will be accompanied by a biographical and critical noticc.

Messrs Metku-?n will publish a novel

form of narrative entitled " A Holiday in Gaol." This book may be called tho antithesis of Mr Galsworthy's "Justice." Written in a light and amusing strain, it is nono tho less a serious contribution to sociological literature, and ail answer to th-ore who insist upon the barbarous seventy of our prison system. Mr Hcinemann has in preparation a new translation of the works of Dostoievsky, by Mrs Constance Garnett, whose English versions of Turgenev and Tolstoy have long bc-en recognised as masterpieces in tho art of translation. The first volume will be "The Brothers Karamazov," which will be followed by " The Insulted and Injured " and " The House of the Dead," " Crimo and Punishment," " The Idiot/' etc.

" A History of English Criticism," by Professor Saintsbiiry, is to be published by Messrs Blackwood. The book will be in one volume, and is intended for readers who' wish to have a work of moderate ooinpass dealing with English criticism. It is quite independent of Professor Saintsbury's general " History of Criticism," in thrß3 volumes, whic.i was completed seven yearn ago. _ The Scribners will bring out' Mr Manrice Hewlett's " The Agonista : A Trilogy of God and Man." The three plays of the trilogy are " Minos, King of Crete," " Ariadne in Naxos," and " The Death of Hip-polytus." They are an attempt "to express the fallacy in the ancient conceptions of Godkind and mankind and in the ancient views of their relationships." Mr Hewlett states that Wagner's method in opera has largely been his inspiration in the metrical variety used in these plays. The Cambridge University Press have added to their Manuals of Science and Literature a volume on "The English Puritans," by Dr John Brown. It is a d'fiicult subject to treat adequately in a pnall space, but tho author has succeeded in meeting the needs of readers who, with limited time at their disposal, desire a trustworthy knowledge of a fascinating movement in Engl ; sh history. iJr Brown insists that Puritanism is for all time. " It stands for the supremacy of the will of Heaven against the passions and clamours of earth. Its defect has too often been that it gave too narrow an interpretat'on of what really is the will of Heaven."

The next volume of the Wisdom of the East series, which Mr Murray is issuing shortly, will contain a group of legends telling the story of Asoka, the Buddhist King-of two centuries before the Christian era, and illustrating truths of his religion. The legends, one of which has been truly called the " Phaedra " of the East, have been translated by Miss Winifred Stephens from Eugene Burmouf's " Intro-duct-ion an Bouddh'sme Indien." Miss Stephens has also written a short introduction.

A translation of Count von Hoensbroech's " Fourteen Yeare a Jesuit," is to be published by Messrs Casssll. Count von Ilcensbroeeh was educated at the Jesuit school of Feldkirch, and afterwards at

Stonyhurst, and his book contains severe criticisms of both tlieeo institutions. In thoac-count given of the author's life from his novitiate to his departure from the owier, many notable lteinan Catholic figure; arc introduced, while the Jesuit system ol education and moral trainmg is described and unsparingly condemned. Lovers of light verse will be pleased to know that Messrs Hutchinson are about to i'siie " Parodies, Old and New," a book which claims to bo " the most extensive collection of poetical parodies available," The material to draw upon is large, but Mr Stanley L. Adam, who edits Ike volume, hn6 spent several years in making hia collection and in deciding upon the verses to be included. The present generation hfs added considerably to Oiir slock of light verse, and it is satisfactory to hear that a gocid proportion of copyright matter will appear in Mr Adams's volume.

" The Autobiography of Shakspeare," edited by Mr Louis C. Alexander (Head, ley Brothers, 7s 6d net), purports to be an original MS. f rom the pen of the great pcet Jiimself, whereas, presumably, it is a work of the imagination of Sir Alexander, who, among other things, announces that the poet was the son, not of John Shalcspeaxe, of Stratford-on-Avon, but of hia brother, Richard Shakspeare, of Warwick. The "autobiography" reveals a good deal of reading, and of insight into the poet'.e temperament, though, oddly enough, so familiar a name as that of Ben Jonson is consistently mis-spelt. The book haa its interest as'a flight of fancy, but not much as a serious contribution to history. It is rather remarkable that three lengthy biographies of Laurence Sterne should appear within a space of three years. Pro tenor Wilbur L. Cress's "The Life and Times of Laurence Sterne " was published by Messrs Macmillan in 1909; last year Messrs' Williams and Norgnte •Esued " Laurence Sterne : A Study," by Sir Walter Sichel; and among Messrs Stanley Paul's announcements for the present year there is "The Life and Letters

of Laurence Sterne," by Mr Lewis Melville. Mr Melville's book will give the fuliest collection of Sterne's letters yet printed, and will record several facts now brought to light for the first time.