THE FIELD OF FICTION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19529, 11 July 1925, Page 4

THE FIELD OF FICTION.

RAPID REVIEWS, By Constant Reader. The versatility of Miss May Sinclair is amazing; she has boon before the public as a novelist for nearly thirty years; it is over twenty years since she came into prominence with "The Divine Fire” ; yet today she writes with all the verve and freshness of a beginner. This, together with the experience born of long practice easily places her in the forefront of the women novelists of to-day. Which taking into consideration the number of clover women writing in the field of fiction is to pay high tribute to Miss Sinclair’s skill. Her latest venture ‘"The Rector of Wyck” (Hutchinson) is a work of art set in a simple frame; yet despite the simplicity of its setting the story rings true as a slice of real life. Miss Sinclair has shown her ability for realism almost to the point of offence in some stories; she has also evidenced a biting satire in books like “A Cure of Souls”; but in the “Rector of Wyck” she depicts clerical life as it is often lived but seldom published. Mattie Fenwick is a tour do force in characterisation. As a girl she declared she would never marry a clergyman, but she married John UTawford, Rector of Wyck. Under the influence of her brilliant brother-in-law, Philip Attwater, Mattie became a sceptic, unable to attend Holy Communion and unwilling to repeat the creed. In love with John Crawford Mattie gradually evolved into an orthodox believer and became a model parson’s wife. Deftly as Mattie is drawn, the companion picture of John Crawford is equally admirable and the even tenor of life at the Rectory with the occasional squabbles and scandals in the village are true to life. In such an environment, the two children, Milly and Derek, grow up in contrary fashion, Milly developed into a religious prig, and Derek into a weak-willed dipsomaniac. And Miss Minchin, the indefatigable spinster who worshipped at the Rector’s feet, is a fine piece of portraiture. The book is a finished piece of work, and which obviously intended as atonement for the satire of “A Cure of Souls” cannot fail to add to Miss Sinclair’s name and fame as novelist.

A boisterous tale of the eighteenth century, an admixture of piracy, roguery, and heroism, such is “Plunderer’s Harvest” by Clare D. Pollexfen (Hurst and Blackett). The hero, Richard Fontenay by name, adventures first in London and afterwards on the high-seas, and he commits nearly all the crimes on the, calendar. Cast into prison and heavily ironed to prevent escape, he is set free by an ardent admirer and becomes a veritable pirate king. Ho rapidly carves his way to renown and acquires much ill-gotten wealth when misfortune crosses his path. Storm and scurvy reduce him to distress and destitution; when falling into the hands of his bitterest foo he is sentenced lo ho hung and is taken to Tyburn for ex-ocution. Once more he escapes and finally perishes in a duel. It is all very exciting and it goes to show the sort of harvest which a plunderer inevitably reaps. Mr George Goodchild in “Hurricane Tex” (Hoddor and Stoughton) has written what may bo regarded as a variant upon Owen Wistors ‘‘The Virginian” but with a decided difference. Slylvia Livingstone, spoiled daughter of a Canadian railway king and inheriting something of her father’s strong will, refuses to bo persuaded by her parents into marriage with the Hon. Bertie Ricketts, an effete scion of English aristocracy. In a fit of pique Sylvia makes a runaway marriage with Tex Inskip, a handsome cowboy and who possesses all the virtues and none of the vices of his profession. Sylvia immediately repents and goes back to Toronto to live her old life of ease and luxury; but Tex follows her and compels her to return to (he West and share his life and lot. The story resolves itself into a struggle of two strong wills for the mastery; in the end it is inevitable that Sylvia and Tex will come together but the process of rightly estimating each other is cleverly described. There is enough incident to enliven the story without undue padding and the book is one which oan bo heartily recommended.

It is a difficult matter to base a story upon the well-worn theme of the Crusaders and give it any air’ of freshness and in “The House of Rollo” (Herbert Jenkins) it can scarcely bo said that Mr A. Bowen Poyntor has to any appreciable extent succeeded. Ho docs not get the right atmosphere and in many respects the story is ill told and is besides ungrammatical in the tolling. The plot is ordinary enough; Sir Bernard do Gaspnrd returning from the Holy Land is captured by Baron Rollo, the outlaw, and is forcer! into marriage with Lady Holga-s, the outlaw’s only child. But fate decrees that events shall turn out in a way quite the opposite of Rollo’s scheming. In “Kirsho to Mo” (Herbert Jenkins) Miss Maude Crawford has written a pleasant story the scone of which is set in Scotland." Chris Stuart, who lives with two maiden aunts, runs a grocery story in a small Scottish town, and is horribly bored by the narrow and conventional social life of which she is surrounded. While on a visit lo tier grandmother in a Highland glen Chris is convinced that she can never marry .lames Watson; at the same time she meets a man whom she fools she can love. Unfortunately this man is engaged to bo married to another girl; but true love finds a way out of a seemingly insuperable obstacle. “Kim Ruff by Sidney Goring (Herbert Jenkins) is described as “The Chronicles of an Uphill Fight.’’ This it certainly is but it does not make a good story. It is an old proverb that there is nothing like leather, and from a cleaner in a leather apron at a Thames-side iron foundry Kimberley Ruff rose until ho aspired to the hand of Enid, niece of his employer. The instrument by which Kim mainly carved his future, was the invention of a now automatic steam-lathe.

Mr Wyndham Martyn is known as a writer of mystery dectective stories and in “Tlie Recluse of Fifth Avenue”' {Herbert Jenkins) he presents yet another aspect of a familiar plot. Paul Raxon is the villain in the piece; capable, unscrupulous, and supremely selfish, ho has in the course of a successful career injured and ruined a number of helpless and harmless victims. Even the worm will turn, and those men at last decide to- combine to ruin Paul Raxon. In the nick of timo there arrives on the scene a talented young lady, who so manages things that their aim is accomplished in the limiting down of Raxon. The story is slightly involved but otherwise is quite well done. Mr Arthur J. Rees is the author of many thrillers” but never before has he written a story quite so thrilling as “The Threshold of Fear” (Hutchinson). It is described as a “sober fantasy" and it details the experiments in suggestion made by Dr Ponhryn and of which Edward Cheswork was the victim. The story is laid partly in Peru and partly in a lonely spot in Cornwall and there is quite a pretty love interest. The work excels in its atmosphere which is weird and ghostly and in the anticipation the author continually excites. “The Threshold of Fear” is a breathless story. A new book from Mr Clarence E. Mulford’s hand is usually an event to lovers of Wild-West yarns; and in “Cottonwood Gulch (Hoddor and Stoughton) this accomplished story teller is at his best. Cottonwood is one of these mining towns which have sprung up in a night and in which the usual undesirable and lawless elements congregate. Proper development of community interests demand a clearing up, and this story tolls how it was done. There is more than fiction in the book; it partakes of real history but it is history full to the brim of thrill and excitement. Mr Alan Graham essays an answer to the question “Who Killed Gerald Crudon?” (Herbert Jenkins) but before giving the answer he thoroughly mystifies his readers and leads them along all kinds of lake trails. The starting point is the fact that Gerald Cruden is a lifeless corpse; added lo which is the’ fact that no one regrets his demise. After this all is speculation and the result is a detective story of the very first water.