BOOK OF THE WEEK

Taranaki Daily News, 5 October 1929, Page 17 (Supplement)

BOOK OF THE WEEK

A SABATINI ROMANCE

(By

C.E.)

The Romantic Prince: by Rafael Sabatini. Hutchinson and Co., Ltd., London and Melbourne, through Avery ■ and Sons, Ltd., New Plymouth.

To the hypercritical it may seem .strange that even an average reader should choose a mere novel as t»he book of the week, for the present status of the novel iti 'literature admittedly is the subject' of some disputation. Perhaps a fairly considerable’ proportion of the fiction which floods fofth annually from the 1 printing: presses is worthy of little attention front anyone who desires.'- as>. of course; feveryone should desire/to be uplifted by his reading. But it cariilotbe gainsaid that there are writers of fiction to-day who, if, they still are compelled to look upwards to the pinnacle where Galsworthy;-stands supreme, nevertheless are turning out work ■ which bears the/ stamp' of endurability. Of these certainly is Rafael Sabatini, whose skill in. recreating the adventure' and romance of the middle ages has won him an abiding place among the best sellers. The historical novel undoubtedly has taken a new hold Upon public interest during recent years,, and there is a growing - list of authors of this class of. work whose newest books are always eagerly sought. , One might- commend to those who -read for a rather deeper purpose than merely to pass- the time a number of historical . romances issued within the past year or two/, but this week’s duty js concerned only with “The Romantie Prince,” and a very pleasant duty it is. There is joy in conning, over again the pages; of a thrilling atory, “which one was reluctant to put aside until the last page had been reached. '

It is to the court of Charles, Duke of Burgundy, in. 1467 that the novelist has looked for his material. Essentially ~a soldier prince. Charles at this time was almost at the height of his. power, even rivalling the King of France, Louis XL; in the extent of his domains, the strength of his armed forces, and the splendour of his equipage. Charles, as drawn by Sabatini, is an intensely interesting personage, for his militant impetuosity tends to out-, run. his diplomatic discretion, and at times lie' is sorely tempted to do things quite out of accord with the:-digriity of his office and his belief in the divine right of crowned heads. Fortunately, he has the help of a restraining influence, apart from his own sturdy character, the ~ influence of his cousin, Prince Anthony of Egmont. heir to the dukedom of Guelders. Anthony is the hero of' the story, as one gathers from the first two sentences: “Anthony of Egmont contemplated the world with disapproval. He had reached the conelusion that it was no place for/a gentleman.” -

An attractive character is Ant'honyj cast ‘in far finer clay than his noble cousin. Something of a poet and a dreamer, a very perfect, peerless knight, unfortunate in that he was not born before the age of chivalry had reached its declining years, . Anthony has strength that appeals. Because of his love for his cousin and his cousin’s, love for him, Anthony can go campaigning with his Guelders horsemen and play his part manfully and well; but it irks’him to battle for so sordid a purpose as the imposition of a salt tax upon honest burghers, and he is sick at heart when he finds that his stout followers are to be employed in such a mission as the sack of the great city Liege by way of correcting the tendency of its people to revolt under the dukely burdens laid upon them. It is. over a question of marriage that the friends disagree as soon as they have been introduced to the reader. For reasons of State Anthony has been betrothed to Charles’ ■ sister-in-law, Catharine of Bourbon, who has smiles for so many of the court gentlemen that Anthony refuses the intended honour and goes off on a lonely pilgrimage as plain Mr, Egmont. A meeting at Flushing with Johanna Claesseiis, the pure and beautiful daughter of a wealthy merchant, almost persuades him to foreswear his princely rights for all. time. At the moment when he is declaring himself officers of the Governor of Zealand interrupt, apprehend him, in accordance with orders issued bythe impetuous Charles,' arid- take him on the long journey to meet his cousin. Pride of birth and knowledge of his responsibilities urge him to put Johanna from his, mind, and there arc. grievous happenings before he meets her again. She marries a merchant, who is hanged for treason by one of the duke’s governors, and she herself is-most grievously injured by the same ruthless soldier. She suffers much before Anthony, acting as vice-regent for the duke, finds opportunity to make amends. From the time of Johanna’s marriage the story runs rapidly, and one follows it with almost breathless interest. Tire writer is adept in creating dramatic situations; he fills his stage with two persons—it is a curious practice of his to make his backgrounds almost negligible, so tensely do the two principal actors hold the audience. Long as are some of the dialogue's, they are never too long. Sabatini can word-paint a wonderful descriptive picture, colouring it with great art. But he does not permit a dialogue to become a mere spinning of words. Even at the height of tragedy—and the tragedy of this story is most poignant—the dialogue is crisp and clear. Whether it be Anthony and Charles, or Johanna and Anthony, or any other pair that hold the centre of the stage, there is lagging of neither speech nor action.

The inference is that Sabatini’s characters live in his pages, and live most intensely, and that is the correct inference. In his ability ta endow his puppets with life is the secret of his success as an historical novelist. History is a dead thing if it is a mere recital of the deeds of persons who lived in the past. To bring them back to earth, to make them live their crowded hours again as though they were real beings within the reader’s vision—that is Sabatini’s art.