THE FIELD OF FICTION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19196, 12 June 1924, Page 5

THE FIELD OF FICTION.

By Constant Reader.

RAPID REVIEWS. .

“Footprints in the Sand.' l oy ‘‘B. T - Piermaroni” (Hutchinson), is a newspaper novel which for accuracy of background and real atmosphere will rank with “The btreet of Adventure” of Sir Philip Gibbs and “A Hind Gel Loose" of Mr C F. Montagu. It takes higher place than such stories as “ Potterisin.” “ Caliban,” and” Prestige, ’ in which life and work on a great newspaper are purposely exaggerated and satirised in order to secure the effects that are aimed at. Tn ‘‘Footprints on the band” there is a well-constructed plot, and the characters are everyday men and women. Moreover, the story carries a wholesome moral. The storv opens in ‘‘the spring ot that eventful 1895 marked in the annals of English history by a general election loading to a lirst mongrel coalition Government, by the downfall of Wilde giving a grim revenge to the respectable citizens who had. for years, champed the bit under the baffling paradoxes of the aesthete; by train racing to Scotland; by the mild literature of Trilby and its milder dramatisation at the Ilaymarket, and bv the opening of the stern gates of Hyde Park to the all-conquering cyclist's wheel. Alfred Harmsworth had decided that the time had come for a halfpenny Tory paper, and the printing rooms of the Evening News were labouring under the mighty effort of giving birth to the Daily Mail.” The scene of Ihe story is laid for the most part in Elect street, and it concerns the career of Mark Corners, who, starting as a struggling reporter, but filled with ambition, energy, and self-confidence, becomes a- mult i-miflion-aire newspaper proprietor, controlling journals galore and owning limber forests, paper mills.' and all the other industries indispensable lo the production of a modern newspaper. Mark Sinners, coming Io Fleet street as a young man of 95. meets Deborah Pushbrooke; the acquaintance quid- 1 ripened into intimacy: “this was in 1892 the year of Tess of the d’Crberhi lies . . . the year of miteh talk of tree love. . . .” The inevitable happened. Mark and Deborah joined forces, and in duo time a baby was born, hid there was no talk of marriage. Mark soars ahead, and Deborah, fearful of interfering will) Ins progress upward and onward, gi>—* him his liberty. Mark, hot-fool after for*”>io. marries " n woman as ambitious as himself, and the pair are housed in a palace in Park lane. Disappointed at having no child to inherit his wealth. Mark seeks cut his illegitimate son, and has him educated to be his heir and successor, and the story closes bv depicting a strenuous conflict between the claims of material interests and the urging of strong passion. Apart altogether from the interest of (he story, the book is notable as giving an intimate inside view of (he making and working of a huge newspaper enterprise. “Times Have Changed,” by Elmer Davis (Fodder and Stoughton), is n fair example of modern American humour. Advertised as a ’ Keep-yrru-langhing” novel, il is inclined to have an opposite effect, inducing the most melancholy reflections upon the character of the people whom such a story would make laugh; while its issue in an English edition is amost an insult to the long roll of famous British humorists. It is calculated to please the patrons of vaudeville. and obviously the incidents related would make much fun on (ho film. 1 ’ story, if if can ho so called, is founded on a farcical incident." A suburban schoolmaster in New York should have gone home tn tea with his wife and his Aunl Cordelia, the former pretty, the latter formidable. Instead he attends his College fraternity, and take* part, in He Alumni dinner. After that anything, might happen, and it does The Canadian novelist has a fruitful source for stories in (he liistorv and records of the North-West Mounted Police and in “Spirit of Iron” (Hodder and Stoughton) Mr Harwood Steele has strung together a number of more or less disconnected incidents. cleverly contriving to give (hem the unity of a novel. The book is written with the idea of showing how the development of Ihe Canadian dominion has acted on the individual and how in its turn the development of Ihe individual has reacted on the dominion. The reason for the title of (ho book may be explained in a selected paragraph. “He is a living link with the Empire’s great traditions, with (ho blood of British heroes in his veins. . . . The personification of the best type of British officer, whose soul is in his corps, who thinks only of the steep and narrow path of Duty . . . The embodiment in one individuality of the entire North-West Mounted Police . . . the embodiment of Western Canada. Out there they cal] him by the name (he Indian gave him—Manilnupavabis—a tribute to his personality, for the phrase means ‘Spirit of Iron.’ Surely this is the spirit which has made, not only the man, but the Force to which he belongs and (he country which is its environment—Spirit-of-Irou **’ In “Bleko the Bntlei "t.Tarroldst Mr William lo Quenx has strung together eight episodes, each embodying a mystery. Bleko is a butler who has descended in the soc ial si-ale; before (he war he was in (lie service of a real Duke; and on the death of His Grace “ruined by deat.li did ies and excessive taxation” he engaged himself in turn lo “ unscrupulous financiers, soap-kings, scoundrelly politicians, or the blatant prosperity of the war-profiteers." In Ihe eapacity of confidential servant to these shady folk Bleko the Butler “encounters romance, drama, even intrigue.” Out of this fertile material the practised hand of the novelist makes a very readable book. When a man and his wife find it impossible to agree, a separation may be the next best thing, bid when there is a daughter growing up to womanhood in (lie question, the situation is complicated. And when (he father and (he mother have diametrically opposed ideas on (he (raining of a daughter and when further (he daughter begins to ask questions as lo (he reason of the rift, the difficulties are multiplied. This is the problem to which Miss M. Hamilton addresses herself with considerable skill

in “The Detached Marriage.” the result being a novel of more than average interest and ability. It. is a p:ece of brilliant cnruacierisation and in turn the sympathies of the reader go out to father, mother, and daughter “Faithful Philanderers.” by MacDonald Hastings (John Long) is a diverting story of the farcical sort, in which four people, two men and two women take the leading parte. Cicely, married to Arthur, is in love with Eustace; whilst Arthur has a leaning towards Vanessa. But both Cicely and Arthur have high moral principles, and believe in slicking to them. And when Eustace unsuspecting is pushed into Cicely’s bedroom (he plot thickens. The story, while treating of serious issues, is not intended to be taken seriously. The light touch of the author robs (he book of any possible offence and the farcical spirit is well maintained i broil about. Of “ West of the Water Tower” (John Long) of anonymous authorship, it is staled “the book was the literary sensation of America during the spring of 1923”; it is certainly conceived according to the oldfashioned canons when evil-doing brings its proper punishment. The tone of the story is highly melodramatic and it may be doubted whether it will attract New Zealand readers. A description of a graduation ceremony at a high school in a small American city serves to introduce the two chief characters, (my .Plummer was (he cleverest boy at tbo Junction City High School, his father being (he leader of a small religious sect, bigoted and rigidly puritanical. Bee Chew wn« the creftiost girl in the class and daughter to Charles C. Chew, “the ablest lawyer in town and its richest citizen.” The story goes on to relate the seduction of Bee hv Guv and his efforts to secure the money enabling him to send the girl away from home until after the birth of the expected child. Guy is imprisoned for (heft, am’ both Guv and Bee are socially ostracised 'hut. repenting, they are gradually rehabilitated, It is a conscientious piece of work and it carries an outstanding moral. It is stgled (hat “A Brilliant Season,” by Nat Could (John Long), was complete-’ sonic time before the author’s death, and it should add materially to the more than 23.000,000 of his books already in circulation. the title describes the story. John Lancaster was shot dead just after he had drawn the Derby winner in the Calcutta Sweep, and his son Boy succeeded to hiracing career. Despite the conspiracy of villains on the turf. Bov wins the Derby, the Two Thousand Guineas, the St. I.eger, I lie A sent Gold Cup. and the Boyal Hun' Cun. and it is in the description of thus■> races that the render is carried alone. TTw characters include a poacher, a policeman a clergyman, and a bookmaker, and there m a thread of a pretty lore interest. Wittcut offence it mav be said that Nat GniiV provides an antidote to (ho fulminations of Bev. .1. J. North. “The Valiev of Lies,” by Geortre Good child (John Long), is a story of the coal fields of Wales, and the ooal miners represented as being an exceedingly wih’ lot. The father of Gwen Williams a. wild but beautiful girl, has been killed in a” accident in the coal pit, and the collierproprietors, who are bent upon entfine down working expenses, refuse to give compensation to the orphaned family. David Llewellyn., son of (he principal pronrietor loses his memory in a railway accident, and straying away, he falls into the hands of D>e eoll'ers. who use him r.s the instrumen' o f their revenge. David is led to believ-th-t lie Is Gwen’s runaway husband and father of her little brother and sister, an'’ bn accepts the story as true. His memon returns after an accident >n a fooTbid match, but by this time he is in hivwith Gwen, and, despite the machinationof a villainous rival, all ends happily. J' “lory is so manifestly improbable as to rob it of half it? interest. Mr Robert W. Chambers writes too nine.to be able to maintain the standard of hiearlier historical novels, hut in “ Kris ” (Redder and Stoughton), he naints mid.a probable nietnre of modern American life in which the villainy and the vicissitudeof a “rnov'e” star are realistically described. Fris Odell him a country in-bringing, tv' “in search of truth” she comes to New York, and the search lands her at length in a New York park, where she spendthe night with only 20 dollars in her pocket Slowly but surely she climbs the film ladder right to the (op. her high-soided nurnose preserving her from the manifold pitfallhv I bo way. Erls falls in love with B- '-rAnnan. a writer of “sob-stuff” for New 'York journals, and there is a clever contrast between the characters of the vaei’lbating, weak-willed journalist and the determined self-wilted film actress. The film world atmosphere in the book reads eon vinoingly, and “ F.ris ’ will attract the -.average novel reader. Mi-s Clarke has shown her abilitv to write a capital love-story, and “Viola Hudson” (Hutchinson) is in her very best manner. Opening in London, the storv shifts to Venice, where Viola meets an old playmate in Esme Crave. Mutual love is followed bv marriage, when Viola’s troubles begin. Viola, is a sincere Roman Catholic, and Ksrne’s relatives, from whom ho has expectations, are stout Protestants. the pos sihilities of such a situation well handled by a novelist of avowed Bomnn Catholic sympathies. Viola finds herfelf the centre of a struggle in which her daughter’s material and spiritual interests are antagonistically arraved, and the plain path ■narked out is the path of heroic self-sacri-fice. Students of (fie “mixed marriage” problem will find much in (his, book to ponder and meditate upon, “The Becords of Beggie,” by A .A Thomson (Herbert Jenkins), is described as n book of “irrepressible humour.” the quality of which can be imagined in (he tact that Beggie exclaims. “I’m a priceless ass. but I know it, so I’m not the worst sort of priceless ass.” Reggie, with ambitions to be a gentleman at large, is condemned bv decree of an irascible uncle to labour for several hours daily in a musty lawyer’s office. At intervals he ventures into (he arena of art and letters and politic- and pugilism, to say nothing of interludes with the beauteous Brenda. Hi? adventures are startling -and diverting, uml if his diction is slangy and difficult ho usually issues forth triumphant. In “The Last Time and Other Stories”

ujutehinsou), Mr Robert Hichens ba« col-, lected a quartet of well-phrased studied or men and women against cleverly contrasted backgrounds. The story which gives -tha title to the book describes how a woman confesses the wreck of her life to a niafl in order that happiness may be brought to another woman. In “The Love Letter"* Mr Hichens relates a true idyll _ not amid- ,?•. beautiful country scenes. “The Villa by tho • Sea” is psychological in its structure dealing with “lingering influences” and their effects upon super-sensitive souls. “Tho Facade” verges on the humorous and treats of the career of a beautiful actress of tho “high-brow” variety. In all these studies the author shows the hand of a practised • story-writer. Mr Michael Arlen is caviare to the general public, as students of “Piracy” will doubtless remember. His latest, effort. “Those. Charming People” (Collins, per Whitcomb* and Tomb*), is described as “a tapestry of the fortunes, follies, adventures, gallantries, and general activities of Sholmerdene (that ■ lovely lady). Lord Tarlyon, Mr Michael Wagstatte, Mr Ralph Wyndham Trevor, and , : some other of their friends of the lighter sort,; written by Mr Ralph Wyndham Trevor and arranged by Michael Arlen.” Mr Arlen is a stylist, and his world is akin to that of the Regency, while his attitude towards life has been likened to “a witty, flippant, snobbish, dandyish, disdain of tho vulgarities of existence.” It 's worth 0 little trouble to appreciate the peculiar.' charm of these 15 stones, and once the initial difficulty of approach is won there is much delight in store. “Amy J. Raker” (Mrs Maynard Crawti' ford), has done better work than “Mary of Many Doves” (.iohn Long). Mary’s father before bis death had established by endowment a small religious sect in Pretoria, the leader of which, a narrow and physi- , rally deformed fanatic, had secretly married Mary, and this largely because 6f her wealth. Mary is an unwilling wife, and she welcomes the death of her husband as opportunity to discard her sombre , uniform as sister of the sect and blossom, forth in fashionable dress, enjoying tho , pleasures which money can bestow. Super--) | stations to a degree, Mary is moved bv' the prophecy of a native woman to embark, on a series of amorous adventures in whiun...,, physical passion predominates. Depressed by the suicide of one of her many lovers,-. , Mary at length .takes the. veil, despite the; protest of another lover, who, having dis- . carded his wife, presents himself at tlio - : convent at the eleventh hour. It is »fv poor hook, improbable, unwholesome, and wearisome to a degree.