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BOOK REVIEWS.

By ED. ACKERMANN.

The many thousands who have read and admired The Prisoner of Zenda,(1) will reach eagerly for its sequel, which has lately been published in book form under the title of "Rupert of Hentzau."(*) They will not be disappointed. Sequels of successful stories are frequently weaker and somewhat forced, but in this case it must be admitted that Anthony Hope has given us a book as powerful, vigorous and fascinating as the first. Still it cannot be denied, that in Rupert of Hentzan we miss some of the peculiar charm, the grace and a certain pleasing sentimentality which The Prisoner of Zenda possessed; we also miss the diverting humor which pervaded the latter, but despite all this, the new book is a worthy sequel to the old one. It is a cleverly wrought out romance, resplendent with stirring incidents and ingeniously invented adventures, told with the vigor which carries the reader swiftly to the end, and which we are accustomed to find in all of Hope's writings. The book will doubtless have as large a sale as The Prisoner of Zenda, and will be gladly welcomed by many a person, who after having been wearied by the daily cares, seeks rest of mind and diversion in a good story. The Ru

(1) Prisoner of Zenda. By Anthony Hope. 12mo. eloth. Price $1.08. By mail $1.20.

(2) Rupert of Hentzau. By Anthony Hope. 12mo. cloth Price $1.08. By mail $1.20

pert of Hentzau is published in a larger form than the original edition of The Prisoner of Zenda, but the publishers have issued a new edition of the latter, uniform with the sequel. The book is illustrated by Charles Dana Gibson, but we must say that here we have to find much fault. We admire Gibson's talent and we always enjoy his clever drawings, but when an artist undertakes to illustrate a book, he ought to read the book first, study the characters and times, and draw his pictures to harmonize with the story. This Mr. Gibson has failed entirely to do. We love his typical "American Girl," but cannot see the appropriateness of introducing this very modern type into an old time romance. The costumes of the various characters in his pictures seem equally out of place in illustrating this story. There are some with more or less fantastic military uniforms, others with civil costumes of 50 and 100 years ago, and others with modern sack coats, fedoras, slouch hats and so forth. If an unknown, poor designer draws cheap pictures for cheap books, we pass it over in silence, but if an artist of Mr. Gibson's name and stamp, produces pictures for a first-class novel, with utter disregard for the subject, which he has to illustrate, be they ever so clever designs in themselves, then we certainly must object. There is much being sinned in the

illustrating of books, and we think it is time that the publishers, if they want to illustrate a book at all, should have it done worthily and appropriately. The name of the artist alone is not all that is wanted.

to whom they appeal. Their titles
are: "The Continental Dragoon,”(1)
by R. N. Stephens; "For Love of
Country,”(2) by C. T. Brady; "Cap-
tain Shays, a Populist of 1786,"(3) by
George R. R. Rivers; "In Kings'
Houses, "(4) by Julia C. R. Dorr;
"Sons of Advertisity,"(5) by L. Cope
Cornford, and
Cornford, and "The Making of a
Saint,"(") by W. S. Maugham. Of
these the first three deal with Amer-
ican history, and for that reason alone
deserve attention, for we must say
that we are very partial to "Ameri-

can

Lovers of romance will greatly enjoy another book, which belongs to the same class as Hope's Prisoner of Zenda. It is entitled "The Pride of Jennico,"(*) and bids fair to repeat the success and popularity of the former. It bristles with romantic adventure, love, intrigue, duelling, and all that is dear to those readers who are fond of good romances. Castle's book may lack somewhat the swiftness of action, which excels in Hope's stories, yet it is interesting, fascinating from beginning to end, so full of dramatic situations and possessing so interesting a plot, cleverly wrought out, that we cannot wonder, that more than half a dozen applications for the right of dramatization have been made to the publishers. And a clever dramatization of The Pride of Jennico which is promised for this fall season, will no doubt have as much success as did that of The Prisoner of send Brady. 12mo. Zenda.

Since we have begun our Book Reviews in this number with romances, or "historical novels," as they are generally styled, we will mention a few more which have been published recently and which deserve the appreciation of the readers

(*) The Pride of Jennico. By Agnes and Egerton Castle. 12mo. cloth. Price $1.08. By mail $1.23.

novels, whether they deal with episodes of our national history or whether they offer characteristic pictures of modern American life, such as we have in The Honorable Peter Sterling,(") The General Manager's Story,() and the stories of Bret Harte, Octave Thanet, Mary E. Wilkins, Cable and others. The Continental Dragoon is a love story of Philipse manor-house in Westchester County during the Revolution, and fulfills the expectations which the author has caused in us by his first successful novel and play An Enemy to the King. (9) It is

(1) The Continental Dragoon. By R. N. Stephens. 12mo. cloth. Price $1.08. By mail $1.23. (2) For Love of Country. By Charles Towncloth. Price 90 cents. By mail

$1.02.

(3) Captain Shays, A Populist of 1786. By Geo. R. R. Rivers. 16mo. cloth. Price 90 cents. By mail $1.00.

(4) In Kings' Houses. By Julia C. R. Dorr. 12mo. cloth. Price $1.08. By mail $1.23.

(5) Sons of Adversity. By L. Cope Cornford. 12mo. cloth. Price 90 cents. By mail $1.02.

(*) The Making of a Saint. By W. S. Maugham. 12mo. cloth. Price $1.08. By mail $1.23.

(7) The Honorable Peter Stirling. By Paul Leicester Ford. 12mo. cloth. Price $1.08. By mail $1.23.

(8) The General Manager's Story. By Herbert E. Hamblen. 12mo. Cloth. Price $1.08. By mail $1.23. (9) An Enemy to the King. By R. N. Stephens. 12mo. cloth. Price 90 cents. By mail $1.02.

a splendid book, the attractiveness of which is increased by excellent illustrations by H. C. Edwards.-For Love of Country is another excellent story of the Revolution, dealing principally with the action between the Randolph and the Yarmouth, and containing most graphic descriptions of sea fights. It is a patriotic story, replete with action and incident, and of special interest in these days of naval warfare and victory. In the story entitled In Kings' Houses, the author of The Flower of England's Face, (1) and A Cathedral Pilgrimage,(2) etc., has given us a charming romance of the days of Queen Anne, which presents a true picture of life during that interesting period of English history.-Sons of Adversity, by the author of Captain Jacobus, (3) The Master-Beggars, (4) etc., is another story based on English history, the scene being laid in the times of Queen Elizabeth. It is a well written lively story, which will interest and please the reader from beginning to end. The last one of the books mentioned in this review, The Making of a Saint, takes us into Italy at the end of the fifteenth century. The author, W. Somerset Maugham, who published last year in London a novel entitled Liza of Lambeth, (5) which attracted much

By

(1) The Flower of England's Face. Julia C. R. Dorr. 12mo. cloth. Price 59 cents. By mail 66 cents.

(2) A Cathedral Pilgrimage. By Julia C. R. Dorr. Price 59 cents. By mail 66 cents.

(3) Captain Jacobus. By L. Cope Cornford. 12mo. cloth. Price 90 cents. By mail $1.02.

(4) The Master Beggars. By L. Cope Cornford. 12mo. cloth. Price 90 cents. By mail $1.02.

(*) Liza of Lambeth. By W. Somerset Maugham. 12mo. cloth. Price $1.08. By mail $1.23.

attention, and which told an impressive story of modern life in London among the lower classes, a counterpart to Townsend's Daughter of the Tenements, (*) has entered upon an entirely different field of fiction in his new book, and we must say he did well. His new book is as interesting and full of love and adventure as any lover of romance may wish for.

With the enumeration of these books the list of new historical romances is by no means exhausted. Those who are eager for more we refer to the descriptive list of new books at the end of this magazine and to our last issue. The abundance of historical novels at the present time is the natural reaction against the novel of speculation or the novel with a purpose. Many who do not wish to read novels to solve psychological, philosophical or religious problems only, but to find diversion, mental rest and pleasant amusement and to become interested in the doings of creatures of flesh and blood, like themselves, are often growing weary of the strain and inanity of spiritual and speculative novels. To all those an entertaining romance, a lively historical novel is as welcome as a glass of spring water to the reveller in the morning after a night of debauch. Stanley Weyman, Conan Doyle, Anthony Hope and Gilbert Parker have broken the spell, and now the spring of rippling, sparkling romance is flowing and increasing daily. We are not sorry for it and can stand much more. That our

(*) A Daughter of the Tenements. By Edward W. Townsend. 12mo. cloth. Illustrated. Price 90 cents. By mail $1.02.

taste should, however, not become oversatisfied, but always be kept fresh, there are still writers who procure the necessary change of diet with books like Helbeck of Bannisdale,(1) Evelyn Innes, (2) The Romance of Zion Chapel,(3) Via Lucis(4) and others, which will equally find recognition and proper appreciation in these columns by impartial reviewers, such as we are, who recognize the varied tastes of our many readers.

Undoubtedly one of the most notable works of fiction published in

many months, is Mrs. Humphry

Ward's new novel "Helbeck of Bannisdale."(1) It is perhaps the strongest she has written. Like all of her books, this one too is a problem

novel, and though as a rule we are not particularly fond of stories discussing religious topics, we must confess we have scarcely read any, which have interested us so intensely and kept our interest so strongly from beginning to end, as Helbeck of Bannisdale. It is an unusually powerful story and although one with a sad ending, yet not one that leaves a bitter taste, as do most books of this kind. Even the arguments about religious dissensions between the orthodox Roman Catholic hero and the agnos

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tic heroine, are so interesting and fascinatingly told, that we should not wish to miss one word of them. An excellent review of this great novel, which coincides entirely with our own veiws, appeared in a recent number of the London Academy; from it we quote the following passages:

new

"Mrs. Humphry Ward's novel is an analysis of the alternating love-rapture and agony endured by a man and a girl at the opposite poles of belief and unbelief. Helbeck of Bannisdale is a rigid Papist, a member of the Third Order of St. twenty generations of ancestors-'a Francis, faithful to the memory of type sprung from the best English blood, disciplined by heroic memoships of the Penal Laws.' ries, by the persecution and hardLaura

Fountain, one of the most attractive personalities in Mrs. Ward's gallery of girls, is devoted to the memory and teaching of an agnostic father. These two are thrown together in the old home of Bannisdale, in the 'wild, clean country of Westmoreland,' where Helbeck has lived solisessions one by one for the benefit tary for many years, selling his posof his church. Antipathy changes to love passionate, uncontrollable -over which the spectre of their religious antagonism broods, gathering substance as the story progresses. The ordeal is too much for these strenuous spirits. It saps and spoils their lives. They are shipwrecked in sight of land. He becomes a Jesuit; she drowns herself. And the reader closes the bookdeeply moved-on these words:

"What a fate!-that brought them across each other, that has left him nothing but these memories, and led her, step by step, to this last bitter resource-this awful spending of her young life-this blind witness to august things.'

"The story passes mainly in Westmoreland. Sincerity and a conscientious and loving care of workmanship are stamped upon the pages through which blows the wind and shines the sun of the spacious lake country. Priests glide in and out of the story; peasants in sympathetic, uncouth presentment came and go; now and again an echo of the larger life of Cambridge is heard; and in the early chapters there are passages of gaiety; but, for the most part, the narrative proceeds, through chapters of ever-gathering greyness, to the final tragedy. Minor characters abound, but they are all deftly accessory to Helbeck and Lauratypes of those who are constitutionally unable to enjoy life for its own sake; who have an abnormal hearing for the voices of conscience, and who can only obey by suffering.

"We could have wished Laura a happier fate-'even in her play she was a personality,' says Mrs. Ward, and a personality, charming and inspiriting, she remains to the end. Here is an early picture of her :

"All her childhood through she had the most surpassing gift for happiness. From morning till night she lived in a flutter of delicious noth ings. Unless he watched her closely, Stephen Fountain (her father) could not tell for the life of him what she was about all day. But he saw that she was endlessly about something; her

happy bustle, which never slackened except for the hours when she lay rosy and still in her bed. And even then the pretty mouth was still eagerly open, as though sleep had just breathed upon its chatter for a few charmed moments, and the joy within, was already breaking from the spell.'

"Laura always took things hardly. When her father was alive she taught herself German that she might read Heine and Goethe with him.

"One evening, when she was little more than sixteen, he rushed her through the first part of 'Faust,' so that she lay awake the whole night afterwards in such a passion of emotion that it seemed for the moment, to change her whole existence.'

"The warfare in Laura's mind between her growing love for Helbeck the man, and her unrelenting disapproval, her hatred, of Helbeck the Catholic, is described with the sympathetic analysis that Mrs. Ward always brings to such subtle combats.

Her inter

"In this, as in former books, Mrs. Ward brings to the consideration of spiritual problems a fine gift of characterization and the mellowed powers of a cultivated mind. est in the psychological development of men and women to whom such problems are the half of life is as perennial as her sympathy with the troubled eyes, the generous impulses, the short joys, and the shorter sorrows of youth. She is interested in things felt and rejected rather than in things seen and done; and although she is not a conscious maker of phrases, there are many passages that permit themselves to be remembered as the reader makes his way

little hands and legs never rested; she dug, through these meditative, leisurely

bathed, dabbled, raced, kissed, ate, slept, in one

pages.

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