STORIES TO SUIT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19760, 10 April 1926, Page 4

STORIES TO SUIT.

THE NOVEL HEADER’S GUIDE. I.—DAPHNE BRUNO AGAIN. A feature of the method of the modern novelist, and especially among the younger school of writers, is the persistence with which, having created a set of characters, he clings to their development in different directions. Of this Mr John Galsworthy, with his Forsyte Saga, is the most notable example, but ho has hosts of imitators amongst whom may be numbered Mr Gilbert Cannan, Mr Compton Mackenzie, Mr Stephen MTvenna, and Miss Dorothy Richardson. Mr Ernest Raymond, having gained the eai of the reading public with ‘‘Tell England,” ha» now begun to follow the prevailing idea. He has written a sequel to “Daphne Bruno’’ which he calls “The Fulfilment of Daphne Bruno” (Cassell and Co.). Concerning the original story there were two opinions. Some readers were delighted with the book, and dubbed Daphne “a dear”; others jibbed at the length of the narrative, and pronounced Daphne “a bore.” The reception of the sequel must therefore depend upon the impression produced b v Daphne i;u her first appearance. “This,” writes the author in the first chanter of his new novel “is the second mid concluding hook of Daphne’s story. Not a sequel, but a second volume of a long novel that shall one day be called ‘Daphne Bruno."’ U will bo remembered that the first book told of Daphne’s schooldays, of her love for Henry Delmonest. and her ultimate mar riage to Roger Muirhend, an old playfellow of hers. The second book deals with Daphne’s married life and the book of her daughter Evie. Roger was interested in politics, and this brings in a description of an election campaign—an episode which figures frequently in the modern novel. Roger’s father fails in business and dies, and this necessitates Roger’s embarking on a new career. Then comes the war, which launches Mr Raymond on a topic already fully exploited in “Tell England.” Daphne and Delmonest both publish novels ami send each other autographed copies. This gives Mr Raymond onnortunity to descant on _ the fables and foibles of publishers, which he docs most feelingly. The character of Evie is well portrayel. and she is typical of the modern girl. Mr Raymond has so gootl a style and he writes so effectively that it is a pitv he cannot toll a hettei story. He has. however, made quite a promising beginning, but he has yet to write his chef d’oeuvre. JI. —SUSANNA. In “Susanna” (George Allen and Unwin) Mr Hilton Brown has improved greatly on his previous story “Dictators Limited,” arid this both in atmosphere and characterisation. The story opens up with, a capital description of the Bremner household, with Susanna, aged 22, in strong revolt against the conventions, and an open flouting of what she called “Bremnsrisms.” She escapes by gaining a position as musicmistress at Roxhouse, “the big rising Boys’ School at Fortlochart” ; but her term there is short owing to complications arisino from the open admiration of Dedvine. one of the biggest hi— who is musically inclined. Practically dismissed and driven back home. Susanna is on the point of giving way to the entreaties of Harry Lynch, an old admirer, when he jilts her in favour of Connie Orchard. In the nick of time Jimmy Rait comes to teh rescue, marries Susanna, and carries her off to his coffee plantation at Mysore, Mr Brown knows the region well, and this part of the book is most arresting. Jimmy has a weakness •said to be common to coffee planters. He is also devoted to horse racing, and Susanna is kept fully occupied in restrainin'* Jimmy from over-indulgence in drinking and racing. These pastimes on Jimmy’s-part lead to Susanna’s losing her bahiy at birth, and this so affects her that she will have nothing more to do with Jimmy, and she returns to the homeland. She has a disheartening expedience when touring France with a musical troupe of which Harry Lynch forms part. Jimmy becomes a reformed man, and never loses heart, and the end of the storv is satisfactory to all concerned. The book is brightlv written, the situations are dramatic, and readers should be satisfied with a novel well above the average. lII.—A MEXICAN ROMANCE Mr George W. Ogden has made a name with his storifes of the Wild W’est, which have the ring of tha real thing, although sometimes they wear rather thin. “Men of the Mesquite”. (Hodder and Stoughton), while a good average yarn, has scarcely t.,e grip and thrill of some of his other books. The characters are well drawn, hut the issues are not very clear nor are the motives which result in confusion of action well defined. The opening chapters lead the reader to expect the usual clash between Pet Briscoe, the bad man of liermosa. just released from a term of imprisonment for robbing the mails, and Henry Lindsey teh custodian of the United States Government post. The bone of con. teiition between them is Naomi, daughter of Dr Haskell, of Ithaca, New York, engaged in exploring the Casa Perdita ruins. The clash, however, never cbmes. and the reader tires with expectation. The introduction at a later stage of an even greater villain -called “The Bull” serves to complicate matters, and the legend of the Bishop of San Gabriel, which is related by the Bull is very involved, although suspicion connects the Bishop with Rueda, the “tio Bueno.” The minor characters, particularly Flores Valdcverde. an innkeeper, and Tiff Flynn, a postmaster, are well drawn, and the atmosphere of the Mexican village is well created, but the story does not go with the swing that readers of this class of book have the right to expect. A successful West yarn should go with a rush and “Men of the Mesquite” halts by the way. IV.-A STUDY IN OCCULTISM. Presumably Mr Selwyn Jopson is the son of Mr Edgar Jepson, and if this be so, the son is not above borrowing ideas trom his lather, who in his turn was also u borrower. A good many years ago Mr Edgar Jepson published a novel called “The Mystery of the Myrtles,” in which he elaborated the idea of an occultist whose excursions into black magic had led him to the point of human sacrifice and who had developed the principle.of evil to an alarming extent. The occult rites practised by the hypnotised devotees were elaborately and thrillingiy described—in especial the dancing before the altar of white robed maidens in a grove, the atmosphere of which was full of evil. Mr Edgar Jepson was not an initiate, in this respect differing from Lord Lytton. He borrowed the idea of his book from Mr Algernon Blackwood, whoso knowledge of the occult gained largely from actual experience, probably exceeds that, of any living man. Curiously enough Mr Selwyn Jepson in “Snaggletooth” (Harrap) has elaborated a similar idea to that effectively utilised by Mr Edgar Jepson, shifting the scene, however, from London lo Wales and thereby making the atmosphere all the more weird. The coverjacket displays a Rasputin-like portrait and there is more than a hint in the story that Snaggletooth, the “Master’ of the occult ceremonies at GwaMrod Glint, was re-incarnated in the Russian rascal. Mr Selwyn Jepson also follows Mr Edgar Jepson in making an American “shoot up” the occult circle. Despite these obvious plagiarisms, “Snaggletooth” makes an exciting story, which holds and horrifies at. one and the same time and "Snaggletooth” is a capitally conceived character. V—A CLEVER IMPERSONATION. Can a man marry his mother-in-law? is the question raised by Miss Winifred Graham in “The Diamond Heels” (Hutchinson). The answer is in the affirmative because the mother-in-law is in reality the man’s wife. While Colonel Caponett is away in the hill district in India, he learns things which made him suspicious of the faithfulness of his wife Robma. Indignant at the false rumours and desirous to keep hold of her children, a pair of unmanageable twin*, she travels to England in disguise, Robina’s mother had died during an outbreak of plague and the two resembled each other. Robina allows it to be inferred that she herself was dead. She poses as her mother. The scene shifts to England, where Natalie Mnnson, a beautiful society girl, with a genius for fiieuclship, includes in her circle Colonel Caponett home from India, and Minnie Rose, a golden-haired woman, who ■; in reality his wife. In the end the Colonel marries his wife a second time and only learns the truth on their honeymoon. The weak point about such a story is that the author has to take the reader into her confidence at the start of ihe book, a fact which robs it of most of its interest, VI.—AN ABSURDIT Y. In “Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime” Oscar Wilde lias cleverly exploited the American family who resided in a mansion in England with a genuine ghost. In ‘‘The Family Witch” (Herbert Jenkins), described as

“An Essay in Absurdity,” Mr_A. B. Cox has taken a leaf out of Oscar Wilde’s book. The pretty daughter of an American millionaire wants to marry an English lord, and the lord is anxious to marry the girl, but tho father insists that his son-in-law must have a family ghost. The lord, however, has a family witch which he raises with disastrous consequences to all oyer whom she casts spells. The love affairs of the party are mixed up and the witch plays tennis with incredible success. The story is evidently intended to bo amusing, hut it just misses the mark. VII.— SOME SHORT STORIES. “Green Ink” (Herbert Jenkins) is the first of a collection of fifteen stories by Mr J. S. Fletcher which deal in mystery and criminality of various typos. Mr Fletcher is a gifted and versatile writer and a past master in the art ot producing genuine hookers. lie is equally at homo in the short story, and as a companion on a train journey “Green Ink” could scarcely bo bettered.