NEW BOOKS REVIEWED.

Waikato Times, Volume 93, Issue 15311, 11 August 1923, Page 11 (Supplement)

NEW BOOKS REVIEWED.

CURRENT LITERATURE. Interesting Magazines. We have received through Gordon and Gotch, of Auckland, a number of magazines which contain much interesting reading. The “Red” Magazine contains, besides the usual number of powerful stories, the fifth instalment of “The Barbarian Lover,” by Margaret Pedler. The “Yellow” Magazine is aliive with numerous tales of Love and Adventure. The “Green" Magazine will take you miles away from anything when you read the splendid story by" Andrew Murray featuring the eploits of Captain MaL Silver. The “Violet” Magazine enthrills the reader with a stirring romance of Derby Day entitled “On the Road to Epsom” by Crichton Milne. Robert Keable in the Islands. From information received this week from Mr Robert Keable, the English author, who has hen living in Tahiti for some months it appears as if he is leaving almost immediately for England, owing to urgent business necessitating his presence in Europe. Mr Keable, who is the author of “Simon Called ePter,” “Peradventure," and other novels, states that he will return by way of France, and regrets that ho cannot visit Now Zealand. He has been engaged in literary work at Tahiti. The result of his labours will be seen in due course. Mr Keable has paid particular attention to the story of M. Paul Gauguin, the famous French artist, whose sad life was one of the Pacific tragedies, and has been living in the house formerly occupied by the distinguished foreigner, at some short distance from Papeete.

“Tutankhamen,” by Sir A. E. Wallis. The keeper of the Egyptian and Syrian Antiquities in the British Museum has taken timely advantage of the great discoveries of the late Lord Carnarvon and Mr Carter. He has written a book in which he brings to hear on those discoveries all his knowledge of those remote times. Very dainty and beautiful pictures of kings and queens, and other folk, make these people who flourished thousands of years ago live before the reader. They are eked out with copies from familiar sculptures of the time of soldiers and serving men and women. Monuments about, and pictures of great stone effigies. On many pages are examples of the hieroglyphic writing with translation, and thie words of famous Egyptologists are used by the author with, the products of his own researches to discuss the history of the times of Tutankhamen and his successors and predecessors. The interest of the book, whiich is beautifully printed, Is absorbing for those who like to ruminate profitably over the things of the older world.

“Sunshine and Wattlegold,” by F. W. Norwood, D.D.

The silver thread of optimism is strongly interwoven in this volume of short sketches by Rev. F. W. Norwood, minister of the City Temple. London. Written during the author’s stay in Australia, these impressions have lived up td their general title, in that the open ways and flora of Australia provide a background. “There’s no smell in the world like the smell of gum-leaves,” says Mr Norwood. “I should know it anywhere. I do not wonder that the old ‘swaggies’ go off with their blankets and their billies to the bush, the dear bush, where .... they wake in the

morning to the laughter of the kookaburras, and the musical clatter of the magpies, while, best of all, their whole being is flooded with the fragrance of the gum-leaves. Merely to mention it makes me want to be off. . .” The book is wholesome and fresh, and probably will help children in Britain to a better appreciation of Australia.

“Book of Burlesques,” by H. L. Mencken. In his “Book of Burlesques” Mr H. L. Mencken maintains his reputation as a humorist with a bitter touch to his wit. The best of his fifteen chapters is without doubt “the Jazz Webster" with its ironical definitions, of which these arg some specimens:— Honeymoon; The time during which tiie bride bcLieves the bridegroom’s word of honour.

Misogynist: A man who hates women as much as women hate one another. Prohibitionist: The sort of man one wouldn’t care to drink with, even if he drank. Psychologist: One who sticks pins into babies, and then makes a chart showing the ebb and flow of their yells. Vers Libre; A device for making poetry easier to write and harder to read.

Sometimes the humour is crude, and usually it is grim, hut Mr Mencken has a sharp eye for hypocrisy and humbug. Great Jockey’s Tragedy. A precise record of a great .jockey’s racing career is the distinguishing feature of “The Life of Fred Archer.” As such it will appeal more strongly to all followers of the Turf than to the general reader, since there is comparatively little about Acher’s sooial life and personal interests apart from the Turf. Archer won the Derby five times and died at 29. Ilis life was one long grind to keep down weight. And the jangled nerves and depression which followed years' of excessive wasting culminated in the mad moment in wiiich he took ills life.

On tiie top of iris wasting Archer had met with heavy losses on the Turf shortly before his death. “Aro they coming " his sister, Mrs Coleman, heard him say as he lay ill with typhoid fever. ‘'Almost immediately I heard a noise, and looking round, saw that my brother was out of bed, and had something in Ms hand. . . The revolver was in his left hand, and I hurt my hand in trying to push it. away. He then threw his right arm round my neck and fired the revolver with his left hand. I saw him doing it, but could not stop him. lie seemed awfully strong.’ ’

There is a preface by Mr Arthur F. B. Portmau and the book is edited by Lord Arthur Grosvcnor, for whose father, the late Duke of Westminster. Fred Archer won two Derbies —on Bend Or in 1880 and on Ormonde in 188 G. After Hie first of these wins the duke is said to have replied to a would-be American purchaser: “There is not. enough money in the great American Republic to buy Bond Or.” In his great days Archer was asked wh.il was the secret or his success. He replied: “Well. I really don’t quite know. I never throw away a chance in a race if I can help it and am always looking out to see how I can steal a length or two by getting the rails or anything of that sort, and then I generally manage to get well away.”