LITERATURE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20022, 12 February 1927, Page 4

LITERATURE.

ODD VOLUMES. ON SUNDRY SUBJECTS. By Constant Reader I.—UNCANNY STORIES. Ghost stories have an irrcstible attraction for many minds and the collection made by Lady Cynthia Asquith and published under the title of “The Ghost Book” (Hutchinson 7s Cd net) is certain to enjoy a wide circulation. There arc 10 stories, all new, and the work in each instance of a well-known story writer. The list is an imposing one —May Sinclair, Algernon Blackwood, Mrs Belloc Lowndes, Cleracnce Dane, Hugh Walpole, Arthur Mat-hen, D. H. Lawrence, Walter de la Mare, Oliver Onions, Charles Wbibloy. Enid Bagnold, Mary Webb, Desmond MacL'arlhy, G. L. Ray, Denis Mat-kail, and L. I’. Hartley. And (lie stories arc worthy of their authors. No one of the ghosts is exactly like another —a fact which only goes to show how numerous anil diversified are these creatures, whether actually existing, or only born of the imagination. For reading aloud to a select circle in the semi-gloom of the firelight, and late at night when afl is quiet and not a mouse is stirring, litis ghost book is not to be bettered. 2.—THE TRAVELLERS' LIBRARY. Mr .Tonuthan Cape may be congratulated upon the issue of "The Travellers’ Library” handy little pocket reprints of well known favourites in all departments of literature, clearly printed and nicely bound, and which sell at the moderate pric'd of 3s Gd net per volume. Amongst the titles already published in this library arc Ambrose Bierce’s ‘‘Can These Things Be?” W. H. Davies’s “The Autobiography of a Super-Tramp,” Samuel Butler’s "Way of All Flesh” and “Erewhon,” James Joyce’s “Dubliners,” and D. H. Lawrence’s “Twilight in Italy.” A couple of the later additions to the library are the ever-popular “Wallet of Kai Lung,” by Ernest Bramah, and “Dog and Duck,” by Arthur Machen. Mr Machen is not so well known ns a writer as he deserves, and this little collection of his essays shows him at his best. He discourses most i interestingly upon Christinas and the Nov,- j Year, on Martinmas and Twelfth Night, j and on Holidays, on St. George and the I Dragon, and on Roast Goose and kindred | topics. Mr Machen is a Welshman who ! has become a naturalised Londoner, and : be views everything from a thorough-going | English standpoint. i 3.—ON IRONY. ; Mr J. A. K. Thomson is bettor known 1 as a scientist than as a writer, and his book on "Irony” (George Allen and Unwin, 7s 6d net), which ho describes a: ai, historical introduction to the subject, may be regarded as a pleasant literary recreation on his part. Mr Thomson dedicates the work to Professor Gilbert Mur- ; ray for the very good reason that irony I began with the Greeks, and no man has | done more to popularise the plays of tho old Greek writers than has Professor Murray with his realistic translations. * This is essentially a study for scholars and especially for Greek scholars. The argument is almost too technical to engage the attention of the average reader. Mr Thomson does not claim to have attempted » history of irony, but merely an introduction to a subject which on the flyleaf of the book is described as ‘‘the glory, jest, and riddle of the world.” Ho declares that irony may bo said to have begun with the Greeks, who perfected it, and used it in so many ways as to illustrate it all but completely. The idea which Mr Thomson elaborates is summarised in two or three sentences —'You may fairly call irony a Greek thing —from an important point if view the most differentiating thing about | the Greek spirit. The student finds that not only the literature of the Hellenes, but their whole attitude to life, is touched with irony. This may turn out to be in some measure the secret of the power and charm, so haunting and so permanent, which Greece still exercises on the minds that onco have felt them. We hear much j of Greek plainness and simplicity. Let us not forget that these virtues would never produce the effect they do if the simplicity wore only simple and the plainness merely plain.” | 4—THE STORY OF THE PLAGUE. With the majority of readers knowledge of the plague is derived from Daniel Defoe’s “The Great Plague of London,” which, after all, is scarcely a true description of the fearful devastation which overtook London in 1665. Students who desire to pursue a gruesome subject may be referred to a 'volume of nearly 300 pages, entitled “The Black Death: A Chronicle of the Plague," which, compiled by Johannes Nohl from contemporary sources, has been translated into English from the German by Dr C. H. Clarke (George Allen and Unwin, 12s fid not). The book exhibits all tile painstaking qualities for which Gorman compilers are renowned, and the author not merely aims at, giving a history of the _ plague, but endeavours to depict its social—or rather its anti-social—conse-quences. _ To this end he demonstrates the devastating inroads made in the pa-st by epidemics into the spiritual and social life of the various nations. In support of his argument the compiler quotes a historian who wrote in 1816: The plagne not only depopulates and kills, it gnaws the moral stamina and frequently destroys it entirely: thus the sudden demoralisation of Roman society from the period of Mark Antony may be explained by the Oriental plague as' 600 years before the epidemic, which was really of the nature of yellow fever, coincided too exactly with the decay of the best period of antiquity not to bo regarded as its cause. In such epidemics the best were invariably carried off and thc^.survivors deteriorated morally. limes of plague are always those in which the bestial and diabolical side of human nature gains the upper hand. -Nor is it necessary to bo supr-rstifions or even pious to look upon great plagues ns a conflict of the terrestrial forces with the development of mankind. A feature of this volum. is the largo number of curious plates reproduced from ancient books and documents illustrative of the ravages of the plagne in the various ages and different countries. While this chronicle lias no great literary merit, it is a wonderful tome of information on a repulsive subject, but which will be of value _ to the student of history, of medicine, and of sociology. S.—MORE ABOUT “R.L.S.” It may be questioned whether anythin" more than is really worth while can be said or written about Robert Louis Stevenson; the fact remains that any and every book that deals with his complex character is almost certain to be read. Especially does interest centre around the real nature of the relations which existed between himself and Mrs Stevenson, this being a subject of conjecture and controversy. Consequently the issue of a book called “R.L.S. and His Sine Qua Non,” further described as “Flashlights from Skerryvore,” by “The Gamekeeper” (John Murray, per Whitcombe and Tombs-, 8s). will excite a degree of interest. The writer, Miss Adelaide A. Boodle, was as a girl on terms of the closest intimacy with Stevenson while at Skorryvnrc, and she was invested by them with the pet name of ‘ ‘Gamekeeper” because during their frequent absences she took care of their eats and biVds and other dependents. It is claimed for this little hook that it gives the reader a true conception of the deep sympathy which existed between “R.L.S.” and his wife—his Sine Qua Non, the latter a title taken from an autograph inscription in the copy of “Rah,” sent to the Stevcnsons by Dr John Brown as his wedding gift. Mr Austin Strong, the playwright, contributes an introduction in which he gives an idea of the author of the “Flashlights.” The best parts of the book is that devoted to the letters of i Stevenson to Miss Boodle. Stevenson was a splendid letter writer, and tin's selection has considerable charm. The bool; has several interesting illustrations. NOVELS GALORE. | AN ENDLESS VARIETY. I i 1 .—AN ALPINE TRAG E DY. j There ..re clever characterisation and ! good atmosphere in Temple Lane’s novel. ' “Second Sight” (John Long), the story ; of which takes place in the Swiss Alps. I The Alpine peaks are used as a symbol I of tin; .success towards which Tyndall. Deane, hard headed, self-made, and selfsufficient, find always climbed in both business and society. Tie bad been able seconded by bis wife Lavender. Dcaiv-V motto through life was always to avoid risks and to deni only i certa ini ies, bnl he took risks in his friendship with Reina. a professional lady photographer. Reina was an experienced Alpine climber,

and Deane only au amateur in the mountains. This risky friendship had its culmination iu the Alpine atmosphere, where the forces f nature proved too much for Deane’s defences, and his certainties crumbled away. It is a tense story, and, when allowance is made for a degree of improbability, much above the average [of the modern novel, it is of interest to I learn that “Temple Lane” is a young lady with a brilliant university career behind her. 2.—A TREASURE HUNT. A hoard of jewels belonging to a refugee from the Spanish Armada was hidden in England during the stormy times of the civil war, and had never been discovered. The legend of this hoard is known to Erie Stamp, he villa u of the piece, and also to | John Trogoing, to whom this- “Strange j Heritage” (Hutdrnson) rightly belongs. I Fortunately for tho latter, a clue to the hiding j) lace of the treasure is in the | possession of a fifteenth cousin, a prettv girl with whom he is madly in love. Out of this material Mr Thomas Uphill has constructed a pleasant and interesting story tho drift of which can readily he imagined from the foregoing outline. | 3.—A CAP IT. ,L LOVE STORY, 1 Mhs Kalhiyn Rhodes is accomplished j,, ; the art of a love dory, and her many ad- , mirers will welcome tile appearance of | ■•Golden Journey” (Hutchinson), the scene lof whic 1, is laid par’lv in England and j partly in India. .An element of mystcrv | is introduced in the death of Colonel I Gaskoll, tlie solution of which is reserved I until the cud of the story is readied, j • lh o characters include a brilliant surgeon j and his pretty sis’ter ;.nd a retired Indian j major and his charming wife. The surgeon j becomes enamoured of the major’s wife I and the major is involved iu the mystery. 1 The sister of the surgeon marries an Irish- | man. .vb is also suspected of having somoi thing to do wit! the death of the colonel. I lhe schemes of a fashionable dealer iu | drugs help to make the plot still more complicated. Theie i.-i an abundance oi incident in .he itoiy through which, moreover, is breathed n atmosphere of optimism, which ia bound to make the novel a popular one. 4.-WASHJNGTON AND WYOMING. Dizycka breaks new ground with In 6ms Houses” (Hutchinson) taking her readers into tho heart ot diplomatic Circles ami society in Washington, and contrasting the artificial existence that is there lived with the free, open life of Wyoming in the West. Count Andre do hervnise is one of (ho now secretaries at tho 1< retich Ejnliassv in tho American capital. Ho is aristocratic and bent upon retrieving Ins fortunes by a wealthy marriage lie is attracted to Constance Sturgoss, an heiress brought up on the olcltashioned plan, hut is actually in love m ith Mary Moore, an independent Ameri'an girl. Ho varies his attentions t 0 (he.-. twain by indulging in flirtations with Pansy Paine, a typical modern flapper. Andre is not an engaging figure and tho ; authors idea is evidently to institute comparisons between Anglo-Saxon standards and those current m French society. Andre, I under promise to ioin his fiancee in the ; country, is deflected by Mary Moore and spends hia time at a ranch in Wyoming; where Mary also has on affair with Senator Bob Millar, whose wife is in a mental hospital. Eventually Mary marries Andre, but only to find that he is flirting with Constance. The main interest in the book is the clever depiction of Washington and its people. The novelist indulges in some . smart writing, and if the characters are taken from life, some of the shafts arc not devoid of malice. 6.—A PLEISTOCENE ROMANCE. In a story entitled “In The Beginning,” Mr Alan Sullivan (Hurst and Blackett) endeavours, not over-successfully, to draw a picture of the Pleistocene epoch when stone-age cave-dwellers abounded in company with giant sloths, sabre-tooth tigers, mastodons, toxodons. hippidions, and glyptodpnts. A party of explorers reach a region where all these survivals from a remote past are in existence, and their experiences are little short of amazing. It is a story which appeals to the imagination, but it is not handled with anything like the essential impressiveness. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle has done this sort of thing much better. C.—A WEST INDIAN DRAMA. The racial question enters into Miss Elizabeth Carfrae’s drama of the West Indies called “The Devil’s Jest” (Mills and Boon), a most unpleasant kind of story, which can scarcely fail to depress the reader, and to do so without adequate compensation. Derek Temple, entrusted with the charge of Rosemary Cartaret’s West Indian plantation falls in love on the voyage out with n forlorn little governess, Lois Graves by name, who hails from the West Indies, Derek marries her, and in due time, to his dismay, she presents him with a coloured son. Derek treats his wife so cruelly as to drive her to suicide and child murder, and this paves the way for his marriage to Rosemary. Tho only relieving episode amid so much gloom is when Rosemary, disguised as her brother, spends week-ends with the unconscious Derek. 7.—A MEDICAL MYSTERY. “The Haunting Hand” (Hutchinson), by W. Adolphe Roberts, is not a particularly brilliant piece of work. Tho characters ‘ comprise a film star, aforetime a medical student, who possesses a knowledge of criminology, the camera man of the movie company, in love with the film star, and a rascal of a director who is the originator of the “haunting hand” mystery. All those arc mixed up in a theft of radium. The story lacks both ,/robability and excitement. which is not sufficiently atoned for by a slender love interest. 8. -MIXED BABIES. Three newly-born babies deposited in the St. Barbara’s Maternity Home were hopelessly mixed, and neither the sister nor any of the nurses could decide which baby belonged to which mother. The subsequent distribution was all a matter of chance. This is the opening of Miss L. G. Moberley’s story, “Scapegoats of Circumstance” (Mills’ and Boon, per Sands and M'Dougall), which is pleasantly developed. When two of the children roach (lie age of 18 it is easy to norceive that the child in the slums has uihoritod aristocratic tastes, whilst the heiress reveals her common origin. The two mingle their fortunes with results which readers may discover for themselves. 9. MINX AND WANTON. “Joan and Three,” by M, Vibart Dixon (Hutchinson) is surely one of those books that need never have been written, seeing that the author revels in the display of her heroine in the bath, in the bedroom, and in a bathing costume. All the while she is carrying on with three men, one of whom she marries. Joan begins with being a minx, and ends as a wanton, whose degradation is commensurate with her fall. Yet she is represented as the daughter of a university professor and of a frank and generous nature. There is undoubted force in the novel, and the characters of the three men arc well contrasted. 10.—A MURDER MYSTERY. Gladys, one of the most popular and beautiful of London’s actresses, is found dead" in bed in luxurious apartments. Murder is suspected, and the chief clue to tho mystery is an ebony walking stick, with a delicately carved serpent of ivory for its head, identified as the property of Richard Hale, who is tho nephew and heir to Lady Myrtle Hale, and is one of tho actress’s most ardent admirers. The famous Mortimer Sark comes on (he scone and, by his usual astute methods, he removes suspicion from Richard Halo and finally solves the mystery. This is tho pith of a well-written novel called “ The Serpent Headed Stick,’ by John Hawk (Hoddcr and Stoughton). 11. HE SLAPPED HER FACE. ‘"The Slapped Woman,” by Frederick Brock (John Long) is the story of a girl who had her face slapped because of a disrespectful remark she made about the hero’s mother. The hero loved his mother, and so he deliberately slapped the girl on both cheeks. Of course in the end the slap led to love; he loved her because he had slapped her, and she loved him because she had boon slapped. It may lie hoped that the slapping complaint will not become contagious. The scene of the story is laid in Devonshire amid an atmosphere of hunting and golfing, 12. A DISAGREEABLE STORY. Mr K. W. Savi cannot be congratulated noun cither the tone or the theme of ■’Fruits of Desire” (John Long). A woman twice widowed becomes entangled by her vanity into a liaison with a scoundrel who becomes engaged to the woman’s daughter while unaware of their relationship. The woman discovers that nr-" 1 again she is about to heroine a w tlier, and the situation is an uiisaxouivy

one. Certain shady love affairs are described in unnecessary detail, and there is not any redeeming quality in the book. 13. —A BATTLING WILD WEST YARN. “Lone Hand Harrigan,” by Joseph B. Ames, is a book to be commended to all who revel in a stirring and healthy wild west yarn. Larrigan is unjustly accused ! of murder, and, lone-handed, he decides to unmask the real murderer and his 1 accomplices. Aided by a delightful girl comrade, he “ makes good,” and is ultimately rewarded. The situations are most exciting, and several times the reader almost despairs of Larrigan pulling through. This is a book to be read at a sitting. 14.—1 X SOUTH AFRICA. Miss Cynthia .Stockier has constituted herself the novelist of Rhodesia, and she has the gift of catching the atmosphere of that land of tragedy. In ■'Throe Farms'’ (Hutchison) she has combined two short stories in one book, and both are of the* usual type. Love, hatred, and jealousy' all have their influence, but in the long run virtue is triumphant. A p rusal of any of Miss Rlockloy's stories leaves an impression upon the reader that Rhodesia is scarcely a scene of domestic felicity. THE FRENCH REVOLUTION. A HAND HOUR LOU 111. STUDY STUDENTS. “When the ordinary Kngli-lunan who has read the usual novels and magazine stories, thinks of the French Revolution, it probably suggests to him first of ail, the guillotine, with scores of bravo and gallant aristocrats rolling toward it in carls, amid the yells of a mob of fiends in rod caps. Hut to the ordinary Frenchman the Revolution will probably suggest first of all, the ideas of 1789, which have nothing to do with the guillotine.” In these words Mr E. D. Bradby begins his ' Short History of the French Devolution. 1789-1795,” a volume published at the Clarendon Press (7s Oil ne‘t), printed and illustrated in the firstclass stylo for which that famous press is justly famed. Mr Bradby’s motive and method stand revealed in that opening paragraph. He has written for the general reader and especially for the younger reader, and his book not only represents the outcome of much original research, but it also embodies the conclusions reached by modern scholars. It is an endeavour to present the events ot the Revolution as (hoy appeared to contemporary Frenchmen, which is the way in which modern history is coming to be written. Thomas Carlyle penned a moving and dramatic narrative when he wrote ins French Revolution—a hook which even today, possesses a rare literary charm; but probably Carlyle is mainly responsible for the erroneous view commonly taken of that historical event. As a wholesome corrective to generally accepted error, Mr Bradby’s work will be found most useful. The definition given of “the ideas of 1789." for the promulgation of which the Revolution was the occasion, are set forth as follows, in the year 1189 it was the common belief of enlightened Frenchmen . That all men ought to be free and to enjoy equal rights, because men were born to bo brothers and not masters and slaves, —in other words, liberty, equality and fraternity. , ~ . , That all questions in every other department of life ought to be decided by justice and not by favour. That every nation has a right to choose its own form of government and no nation has a right to oppress another. That every human being ought to be ready to sacrifice property, and hope of gain, and ease and life for the good of his country, and because he loves it. M r Bradby regards the Revolution as an attempt to put those ideas into practice,—an attempt in the course of whic.a the French encountered groat difficulties and made many mistakes. “They were forced to fight for their existence against enemies, both without and within, ami in tho heat of a tremendous conflict Iney forgot most of the ideas with which they had started. But the ideas, though for a time they seemed dead, did not perish: they have never ceased to inspire lover.* of freedom. ’ Without entering into the pauses ot tno Revolution, which would call for a separate volume, Mr Bradby gives a clear and connected account of the Revolution in its several stages with just enough comment to give point to tho narrative. He concludes by saying:— France hailed Bonaparte as a deliverer who came to bring peace and settled government, and there was general joy when he became F irst Consul under a new Constitution, the Constitution of the Year Eight.’? , Illusions about Napoleon Bonaparte e disinterested love of liberty were shortlived, and when he began to encroach there were no men left strong enough to resist him. The Terror had ruined the Revolution and Liberty by destroying so many men of talent, character, and courage; it had removed the leading men who could have guided the republic; it had removed also the honest and determined men with lesser gifts who would have foVmed an Opposition. Thus the Revolution, after an opening full of hope and promise, pursued a tragic path, and ended, as far as such ' a great and fruitful movement could end, in a tragedy. Yet it does not follow that the ideas with which it started must necessarily have brought about this result. Tragedy came through definite mistakes. These mistakes were avoidable, and had they been avoided the course of events might have well been been other than it was, POPULAR REPRINTS. I.—R. L. STEVENSON. “R. L. S.” is immortal, and, no matter how many editions of his stories have been published, there is always room for more. Messrs Hoddcr and Stoughton, therefore, have done well to include in their 2s net reprint library those two old favourites, “Treasure Island” and “Kidnapped.” Those reprints rejoice in good bold type and serviceable binding, and they are just the right sort of books to take on a holiday. lI.—CECIL ADAIR. The “Joy of Life” series, by which name Cecil Adair’s stories are known, is especially suitable for holiday reading. When these books have a circulation of more than half a million copies, it is safe to conclude that the quality is good. Messrs Stanley Paul have issued in their 2s 6d net reprints “Silver Star Dust” and “Quadrille Court,” two of Cecil Adair's novels which have won much favour. This new issue is certain to bring up their circulation to a still higher figure. HANDY REPRINTS. THE TRAVELLERS’ LIBRARY Mr A. E. Coppard holds high rank aa a teller of short stories. He has a sense or the dramatic and he finds material for his arts in the everyday people of town and country. The stories are not always pleasant, tragedy hovers near, and the ugly tacts of life are in no sense glossed over. But the incidents are well chosen, and Mr Coppard has many moods. Thus tho reader, repulsed nr revolted by one story, will find something to his tastes in the next one. .Several selections from the large number of stories contributed by Mr Coppard to tho columns of contemporary journals have been published in book form, those including “The Black Dog,” Adam arid Eve and Pinch Me,” “Hips and Haws” and “Ciorinda Walks in Heaven.” The lafit named Ims been added by Mr Jonathan Capo to his “Travellers' Library” (5s 6d net) in which series “Adam and Eve and Pinch-Me,” has already appeared. This should serve to introduce Mr I’oppard to a number of new renders who have not hitherto had opportunity of appreciating Mr Coppard’® gift as a story toller. Another addition to the Travellers’ Library is Mr Percy Lubbock’s “Roman Pictures.” All who have enjoyed this author’s “Eariham,” and his hook “The Craft of Fiction,” will rejoice at tho opportunity to enjoy Mr Lubbock in a new guise. He tells of a memorable season spent in Rome, and of tho peculiar people with whom he came in contact. He started to collect some Roman pictures of a new sort, “storing away the more sentimental hits ,and notes of impressions.” The result is seen in this hook which is full of delighl fid humour. min gled with a keen apprecial ion of all that Rome has In offer to (lie man who makes up his mind to ren-.ai n longer (ban a cursory visit will permfl.