AMONG THE ANNOUNCEMENTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16277, 9 January 1915, Page 2

AMONG THE ANNOUNCEMENTS

A second impression of M. Ber.gson's little book, " Dreams," will be published shortly by Mr Unwin. Tho tbaitttr on "Women and War" in Olive Schroiner's " Woman and Labour" is soon to be published in a separate book by the Stokes Company. Mr Unwin is publishing a half-crown edition of M. Daniel Halevy's Life of Friedrich Nietzsche."

Messrs Smith, Elder will publish a little volume by Mr A. C. Benson, entitled " The Orchard Pavilion." Mr John Lane will publish a new volume by Professor Stephen Leacock, author of "Literary Lapses" and "Nonsense Novels." unci or the title of "Arcadian Adventures with the Idle Rich." Mr Unwin will bring out a popular edition, at 5s net, of Mr M. G. Alexinsky's " Modern' Russia," a remarkably full and comprehensive study of the internal affairs of Russia, published for the first time last year. Mr Horace G Hutchinson's authoritative biography of the late Lord Avebury will consist of two substantial volumes, suitably illustrated, and will be published by Messrs Macmillan and Co. _ _ . Ready for publication is Volume XI in Mr Kennei-ley's Modern Drama Series. It contains Arthur Schnitzler's " The Lonely Way," "Interlude," and "Countees Mizzi," all of them later and more significant works than " Anatol," by which he is best known The John Lane Company will bring out shortly a small volume of poems on the war by Richard Le Gallienne. which will contain, among other verse, "The Silk riat Soldier." Author and publisher will devoco royalties and profits to the Belgian Relief Fund "The Disaster," a story of the FrancoGerman war of 1670, by _ the well-known French authors, Paul and Victor Marguerite, is now ro-issued in Messrs Greening and Oo.'s Lotus Library, which ocrntains some 52 standard French, German, and Russian novels, many of which are otherwise unobtainable in English. The Aprletons announce two fiction publications. "Sinister Street, by Mackenzie, and ' Young Earnest, ( by Gilbert Cannan, author of ' OH Mole. The former continues the story of the hero ot "Youth's Encounter." carrying him through Oxford into the complications of life in the v.orl<l after the collcge years are over. . . . . _ Mr Svdnev Webb is writing a .preface to a book on "The Arya Samaj -the first systematic account of a which has been active in North Miaior several year* past, and has for its objects the religious and social elevation of the people. The author 13 Mr Lajrevt Rai, a prominent n ember of the ; who includes a biotrraphieal sketch of the the Swami Dayananda. Messrs Longmans have the work in P^pa r & t,on - , r; Mr Unwin will publish Mr Walter Lippmann's votame " L>rift and Mastery: An Attempt to Diagnose the Current Unrest" This book, by a young American of brilliant promise —the ablest, probaDiy, of tho younger American writers on political and social questions-is a penetrating study of social problems. "The issues we face writes Mr Lippmann, "are very different from those of the last century and a-half. Those who went before inherited a conservatism and overthrew it; we herit freedom and have to use it. in® sanctity of property, the patriarchal family, hereditary caste, the dogma of sm, obedience to authority-the rock of ageem brief has been blasted for us. The book conbines with a remarkable grasp of problems an unusually imaginative outlook and much psychological ms.ght Mr Lippmann's earlier work, A Preface to.Po tics " was described by Mr Graham Wallaa as "an extraordinarily fresh and' ing indication of the way in wh>ch psychological methods are ."eating- a cc» ta for political thought 111 the United States. Lord Alverstone's " Recollections of Bar and Bench," with from a number of sketches by the lato &r Frank Lockwood, will be published by Mr Arnold. Other books expected shortly are Thoughts on the War," by A. Clutton Brock, reprinted from The Times Literary Supplement, from Messrs Methune, history of Upper Assam, Upper Bunnah, and North-Eastern Frontier, by Colonel L. W Shakespeare, of the 2nd Gurkhas, who deals with a region about which comparatively little is known to the general public—to conic from Messrs Macnnllan, ard two new novels from Mr John Lane— " w allev of a Thousand Hills," by Miss Mills Young, and "First Cousin to a Dream," by Cyril Harcourt Mcsers \Smith, hlder publish the " New Poems" by Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett Browning, many of which came to light for the first time at sale of the Browning collections last year. Some of these have since appeared in the Cornhill The complete collcction. which has been edited by Sir Frederic Kenyon, contains all the unpublished poems by Robert Browning that are known to exist, mcludin# the only surviving example of his juvenilia. In addition to a selection from Mrs Browning's early work, a poem is printed addressed to her by Robert (afterwards second Lord and first Iwr!) L.ytton. The two portraits include a miniature of Mrs Browning, hitherto unpublished. Reviewing Mr Compton Mackenzie's new novel. The Times says: "Volume II of "Sinister Street" does not escape certain faults that were evident in Volume I. No one expects a small boy or a big schoolboy to have much character; he has characteristics only. But Michael Fane is now some years over 20, and he still seems to lack the promise of any driinito character. After ljis four years at Oxford ho ioins his mother (it will he remembered that she was the unwedded wife and widow of Lord Saxby) and his sister Stella, the pianist, in London; and then he learns that Lily Hadrn (you have not forgotten Lilv linden, whom Michael loved in boyhood?) lias followed her natural bent and taken to

the oldest profession in the world. Michael feels that lie must marry and save her. He searches for her in the underworld. Ha has learned the underworld pretty thoroughly before he finds her. He lifti her out of it, only to find that between rescue and marriage she slips back into her old ways. Then away with his broken heart 10 Rome, to see what Rome and her Church can do to cure the wound. That is a rough outline of the story. Beading the tale as Mr Mackenzie tells it, one constantly feels that it is a very able presentation of places and circumstances, rather than of people. To one, at any rate, who knows Oxford the full and minute study of each of. Michael's four years there bringß back the atmosphere and spirit of the place with vivid insistence; we believe that in ita grave and patient way it must have as much to tell those who do not know Oxford as Mr Max Beerbohm's jesting but pro foundlv true 'Zuleika Dobeon.' We should be quite prepared to hear from some philanthropist who had closely studied the underworld that Mr Mackenzie's picture of that, too, was as true as it is convincing. But where, meanwhile, is Michael Fane? We know a good deal about him— that he is clever, that_ he toys with Christianity still, that he is this, that, or the other; but we must wait for the third Yoiumne to give him personality, and set him up before us as a man, distinct and individual, among other men. Perhaps, after all, Mr Mackenzie will have to give us not' one more volume, h«t —if life and endurance permit—half a more."