The Library Corner

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 20110, 31 March 1928, Page 13 (Supplement)

The Library Corner

By

r “Bibliophile”

“Some Books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested.”—Bacon.

STAGE FOLK.—Tn “Tango,” published by Benn’s, Mr Charles Rodda has written a most- readable novel about the variegated life behind the scenes.

For th a . heroine we have Joyce Allen, the daughter of an erratic genius, a painter who dies leaving her penniless. To her i>vue comes Tony Fenner, a friend of her father's, thirty, well-bred, an architect, but with little money. Joyce refuses his help, and begins life on her own—as a ballet dancer.

It is in Madame Vanova’s company that she meets Christophe Baraban, the brilliant young composer who composes a ballet for her. Joyce falls in love with Christophe, but in the background there is always Tony. How Joyce decides between her lovers can safely be left to Mr Rodda to explain. My copy comes direct from the publishers.

ANOTHER THRlLLER.—Novelists to-day are turning in increasing numbers to the fields of crime and mystery —and a very fruitful field it is, apparently out of seven books received from one publishing house in the past fortnight, no fewer than five have been in this class.

Among Cassell’s latest is “The Silent House,” by John G. Brandon, and upon which a very successful play has been founded. Mr Brandon gives us, in this book, a most realistic penpicture of the passions, telling of a Chinese mandarin’s revenge, long delayed but none the less complete for ali that, and portrays his Oriental’s cruelty, evil, and cunning, with a masterly hand. There is love interest of cour* v •_ there is hate interest too, and some fine descriptive work that helps to make “The 'Silent House” one of the most absorbing novels of recent times.

SURPRISING ADVENTURES.— Tn “Outlaw Love” Kathleen Norris, author of “Barberry Bush,” and “ Hildcgardc, ” strikes entirely new ground, the scene being laid in Sicily. Lured by a glittering (though tarnished) coronet and the bait of a real (though rascally) prince, some rich American women find themselves trapped in an ancestral stronghold in the mountains. Here they have surprising adventures and one of them is carried off by a notorious bandit who turns out to be a very different person from what was expected, and a capturer of hearts as well as persons. Thus, in a setting of almost mediaeval romance and adventure, Airs Norris gives us an absorbing study of character and tradition, both European and American, not without some pungent criticism of both. Mr John Murray is the publisher. FOR THE BUSINESS MAN.—From the Cornstalk Co., through Angus and Robertson, Sydney, this week’s mail brought two most useful and not uninteresting volumes. They are “Forging Ahead” by Arthur O. Richardson, a well-known advertising specialist, and “Better Business Letters,” from the pen of Herbert N. Casson. The former is a kind of “Self-Help” brought up to date, and carries the assurance of Lord Leverhulmo that it “cannot but be a stimulus and encouragement to the thousands of men who will read it.” In these days of faster business methods, it is efficiency and enterprise that count, and this book, packed with sound business sense, should help a man onwards in the march to success.

The second volume mentioned gets right to the subject and between its rovers are 160 pages of common sense, exposing many of the faults of modern business letter writing and showing low such missives can be made to pull business. It should be especially help:ul to anyone engaged in mail order rading.

THE AGE OF THE GODS.—This book deals with the story of the rise of ancient culture from its earliest origins to the beginning of classical times. The remarkable discoveries that have been made during the last decades in every part of the Old World from Spain to Northern China, have thrown an entirely new light on the origins of civilisation and involve a complete reconstruction of many long-established theories. The present work, by Mr. C. Dawson, is the first attempt to survey, in a synthetic form and in a single volume, the results of the latest researches of English and Continental scholars, not only into the history of the great civilisations of the Ancient East, but also into the cultural development of prehistoric ! Europe. It is not, however, a mere outline of history and archceological discovery. It aims above all at the study of the social and religious fife of ancient society and endeavours to show how we may find in this primitive world a key to the origin of ideas and institutions which have been active forces in the life a mankind ever since. “The Age of the Gods” is published by Air John Murray. THE RULER OF BARODA.—Baroda and its ruler have, during this century, reached considerable prominence in the public eye, not always of a favourable nature. Mr Philip Sergeant, during a long stay at Baroda, was given every facility by the Alaharajah for gathering information and examining the work of the State in all its branches, and the result will be found to be a very interesting account of a progressive State and the varied life of its very remarkable ruler. HISTORY, PLUS.—It is now realised that history based solely on documents is incomplete history. Captain . Liddell Hart, a military critic and historian of world wdie reputation, has been collecting for years the evidence both personal and written of those who I, took an intimate Dart in the condor! of

the war—Joffre, Falkcnhayn, Haig, Gallieni, Foch, Ludendorff, Petain, Allenby, Liggett and Pershing. The result is his new book, “Reputations,” treated in the manner of a portrait painter and in the spirit of an historian which sheds a searching light on the course of the war and its many discoveries. This is another Alurray publication. A DARWIN GOLFER.—“On Being a Darwin” is the title of a chapter in a book by Air Bernard Darwin, which Hodder and Stoughton will publish. The author is a grandson of Charles Darwin, and lived in the house at Down until his death. He has also memories of Eton and Camrbidge, and' of wartime in Alacedonia. But mostly Mr Darwin's book is about golf, which he first played for Cambridge in 1895, and which he has played down to the present day. He dilutes his golf talk in such a way that people who are not experts in the game may still read about it. OLD BAGDAD.—We have heard much in recent days, and now, in a book promised by the Al arrays, we are to hear of “Bagdad in Bygone Days.” The account is derived from the journals and correspondence of Claudius Rich, who was traveller, artist, linguist, “antiquar, ” and British Resident at Bagdad from 1808 to .1821. His name is pretty well forgotten, but Miss Constance Alexander thinks his work as a pioneer more than deserves a full record, and so she calls up his letters. As a boy, Rich studied Oriental languages, then became connected W’ith rhe East India Company, and went to Bombay, from which he was sent to the land wo now know as Irak. POCKET EDITIONS.—Messrs. Foulshams, have added many new titles io Jieir well-known series of cloth bound volumes. Among the latest additions to this series are the following: “Your Cal: Ils Care and Treatment,” 44Can- | aries and Cage Birds,” “Modern Busi- | ness Letter Writing,” “Sporting StorI ies and Jakes,” “How to Judge Charlacier,” “Everybody’s Pocket LawIyer,” “Elocution and Voice Production,” “The Art of Violin Playing” (by ..Telsa), “The Art of Pianoforte Playing” (by Percival 4 rratt), “French-English, English-French Dictionary.” In the Home Library, well illustrated interesting titles are: “New Dictionary of Gardening,” “Mystery of Your Palm,” “1001 Emergency Hints,” “Plays for Boys and Girls,” 44 Indoor Pastimes for Pleasure or Profit ’ Best 100 Recitations for Bovs and Girls.” ADVENTURES IN MEXlCO.—Beginning with a motor smash and leading to a murder, 4 ‘The Clean Hand” (Cassell), by Alillie Bird Vandeburg, has a good deal to commend it. 1 he leading character is Dr Joseph n olcott, a venerable old gentleman, v. ho devoted his time and skill as a physician and surgeon to the relief of ihe poor. Dr Wolcott had a son known as Young Joe, whose dissolute habits caused his father much grief. Jamie Sax age, as the outcome of his motor smash, was introduced into the Wolcott household, and he at once scented tiouble between Young Joe and Irena his wife. Tom Bailey, Jamie’s chum, visited the invalid and was attracted by Irene. When Young Joe was found dead

suspicion fell upon Bailey, who, called to Mexico in pursuit of valuable mining concessions, was held to ransom by a gang of desperadoes. The consequent tangle gives opportunity for some exe l.ng adventures, and the murderer is at length discovered in an unexpected. quarter, after a very readable story has been told.

AN INGENIOUS STORY.— 4 4 The Astounding Crime on Torrington Road” is an American mystery murder storv of a quite unusual sort. Well constructed, with an ingenious opening, and a surprising explanation, the plot takes the reader right off on the wrong -ack, and utterly defies all attempts at a solution until Mr William Gillette supplies the key.

lhe first st up is to get the reader’s entire sympathy with Michael Haworth and his romance with Edith Findlav lhe next step is to establish the character ot Pentecost as a rogue who will ‘'top &t nothing to attain his ends, and tn< dexterity with which he establishes an alibi confirms this suspicion. Th< eld woman Temple, with her demotion to Haworth, is another essential factor in the case, and the fact that Haworth ]s Dn inventor who has nevji ma<..? money from his inventions is in keeping with the rest.

Incidentally the American police methods in subjecting suspects to the horrors of the third degree, most vividly described, help to tighten the chains upon the wrong person until the spirits take a hand and, per the mediums, supply the missing clues- All through the story the question “Who killed Michael Haworth?” is insistently pu t, an j t he answer when at length it comes, is so astonishing as to make the reader fairly Air Gillette has to his credit one of the best shockers of recent years, and further stories from his brain and pen xvill be eagerly looked for. This one conies to me from the publishers, Cassell’s. E nervousness.-a sp j- ial Augtra . han ed't.on has been issued of Dr RobI.ti’ J“ rro " s , wel,l ‘ no wn book on l he Mastery of Nervousness” which in ns original American edition had a eou.siderable circulation in New Zealand. It is a useful handbook founded upon sound psychology, and its sa!» may afford sufferers from this widespread disease of nervousness much rslief. Aly copy comes from Angus and Robertson. j