Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), Saturday 17 December 1927, page 21


BOOKS OF THE WEEK.

King Edward VII.

IX our cdiloiial columns last Satin -

day a lcvievv was given of the "ccond and concluding volume ot "King Kdwaid VII.", by Sir Sidiicv Lee, which has been published lu' Miainill.ui and Co., Lid. It ii enoiign to say heie that the importance of the volume lies in the presentation of the cluiacter, the opinions, and the actions ot a King who, although be reigned foi ¡es» than a decade, had a greater influ-ence upon contemporaneous foreign jinlicy tlian any of his predecessors. This phase was fully discussed in the editorial refor

ciic-cs

London Rebuilt.

.T ONDON Rebuilt, 1807-1027" (John

." Murray), bv Harold dunn, is a benutifully illustrated book of more than 300 rages, setting out the remai kable changes (hot have occurred in London during the pact 30 )eais, and Hie gigantic works that still remain to be completed. Lon-don is such an immense city that most of its own people know- it only in frag-ments. One w riter once c) mcally remark-ed that if London heard that a mile of her had been burnt she would not trouble io go a lid look at the ashes. The remark iras conical, but true, for London h> ;oo last to be personal- In this excellent book, "London Rebuilt," however, Mr. Clunn takes the leader all over the picantic city, showing him the stupendous changes that have taken place and thooe that arc coming. Whole streets have been wiped out in places to make a park, slums have been "demolished, roads have been widened, and new streets have been opened np in areas that wera once packed with houses. It is a book that ivill appeal to everybody who knows Lon-don; mid the contrast that is presented in pictures of places 20 years ago and at the present time will supply many readers with adequate material for happy and interesting anecdotagc. A Haussmann transformed Paris into chess-board boulevards. London, however, has been «lowly tiansforming itself without the help of any Haussmanns; . and modern London in point of city greatness can surpass ideal Paris.

Sir James Frazer. '

OIR JAMES FRAZER, O.M., is not ^ onlv a great anthropologist, butf a great writer, and whether he wïites v'crse or prose, or diecusseB science or-legend, he provide« his readers with delightful reading. The latest of "his library of books lo be published by Macmillan and Co., Ltd., is entitled "Man, God, and Immortality," which is merely a remarkible anthology of extracts from his earlier irriting», cleverly selected, making a com-plete study of early society and religion and of man's mental and social develop-ment, The book is divided into four jiaits-The Study of Man, Man in Society, Man and the Supernatural, and Man and Immortality. _Sir James's theories on totemism, on the development of marriage laws among savage races, particularly the stringent laws among the Australian blacks, the conceptions of magic and re-ligion, the rise of poetry and the drama. tie growth of superstition, and the belief in immortality, all these are specialty pood. It is a book that will delight both the anthropologist and the general leader.

Making of Films.

l'UILMS : Facts . and Forecasts "

-1 (Qeoffrey Bles), by I/Estrange Faw-

cett, is a London journalist's enthusias-tic description of Hollywood, and of the leading "stars" and producers. Mr. Faw-cett is certainly n great admirer of the nlm; in fact, he sees in it one of the moat powerful influences in the- world, and he advises Britain to get deeply into the industry while there is time. .. .

A London Anthology.. ", '

TTNDER the name of "A London'Oroni

bus," Ohatito and Windin havcj published what is really an aníhololgy of. impressions about London. The r book opens with a fanciful sketch of the' origin ot London, written by old John Stow jn D503, and then follow extracto from^Lamb.1 Pcpjs, Evelyn. Defoe, .picken«. Thackeray? Dr. Sam Johnson, Horace, Wnlpolc, ^and, a score of other writers, including -a few modern authors. It is, quite a .de-lightful little booklet, illustrated from o)d prints, and is published by ' the ' House oi Ohatto and Windus to take, the .place of its usual literary almanac..- ,. '

Mr EDWARD VIVIAN TIMMS

achieved a very distinct success with his joyful book, entitled "James! Don't be a Fool.' His latest book, entitled 'Red Mask" (Angus, and Robertson's Cornstalk Publishing Company), is cast in quite a different mould, being really an adventure book for boys, based on some bushranging episodes near Bendigo in the 'fifties. It is a clean, wholesome tale in which is woven a considerable amount of local history, including the story of the Eureka stockade. Mr. Timms certainly knows the kind of story that will appeal to an intelligent boy.

. Mr. E. V. Knox.

JfK. E. V. KNOX ("Evoè" of London

"Punch") is, like his brother, Father Jtonald Knox, a delightful humorist.' It « a curious sidelight on modern life that .their father is Dr. Knox, formerly Bishop of Manchester, and one of the most prominent Low Churchmen in England.

'Evoe's" latest book is "Awful Occa-sions" (Methuen and Co., Ltd.), consisting in the main of a number of-his' brilliant humorous sketches from, "Punch." It is a fine example of modern English"hhmour

at its best.

Mrs. Domville.

"ARABELLA'S Letters" (Hbddcr and

^Stougbton), b.v .Mrs. Domville, is ».-book consisting of a number of chatty etters written just a hundred years ago 1'V Arabella Stuart, of Quebec, in which Hie relates incidents of a trip to England and Malta. Arabella had considerable humour, and her descriptions of perBons she met, of ordinary evcry-dav incidents, « the strange methods of travel, -ina of the tua toms and fashions of the *eriwt, make "P quite a delightful little book, fragrant and charming. The light-Kenrted "Arabella

icrself is one of the rcaï delitrhts of the »oos I" these davs -of "fakes" and liter-ary hoaxes one is somewhat diffident about accepting such books at face value, uns one, however, appears to be perfectly S"°' ,?lKrA is »omething sbout those ^C.,ol,,;fr,nione(l' lctt<>rs that" is bevoiut -tlic literary hoaxer,

. Robertson and Mullens.

ROBERTSON AND MULLENS, of Melnell ""V? ,a- distributing hoiiBe as »«I. I* Polishing house, and offerB a KJ.I ?c .!"' .Christmas book piesents. "Cm Í" lts,isUre Twell'i Qui"»"'" KÍW ce, ?rownie," published by Ef'! rd,Mul,CDB)' an'l exquisitely SSdfw bV -]da S- Ro»t°»!- » is so

other nd,t?nc !S "o', surprised to hail anf y atoll " i"1 th ' Drett>' Australian ""O' story. Por |)oys there is "The

M*;,

Human Pedagogue ' (Australian Authors' Agency), by R. G. Jennings, one of the b«est stones ot public school life that Aus-tralia has produced. Another edition of Captain Wren's "Beau Geste" (John Murl.iy) and two hooks of verse, "Let's Pre-tend' (J. Saville and Co.), by Georgette Agnew, illustrated by Ernest H. Shepherd, and 'Child Verses from 'Punch' " (J.

Saville), are also included.

Lillian Rogers.

'ipHE Royal CiuiaUV' (Geoffrey Bles)

is a painstaking account of the Améri-canisation of a family of Russian Jews, by Lillian Rogers, whose work is touched with more than a hint of genius. The Cravatts make a clean bleak when they leave their old land, and their rise in the new world

is rapid. The story concerns ¡tsj'.f for 1 the most part with the eldest brothci, th¿

self-centred ebemiit, whose ambitions, at i tiist, appear very noble to his beautiful wife. But his shallow nature is entirely blind to everything he docs not with to see. It is brilliant study of an egoist, in-tolerant, fussy, and self-important, who has merely widened his opportunities for strutting on his own stage m the new world. The secondary characters are drawn with the fine linr3 of an etching.

Katherine H. Taylor.

"rpHE Secret of the Little Gods'' (Ilod

dcr and Stoughton), by Katherine Haviland Taylor, is a mystery story with an abundance of thrills. The "little gods" form a collection of ancient' temple gods, Indian, Burmese, and Chinese, which ap-

pear to have a tragic effect on the family, of Belmont. Three members of the family meet their deathB under suspicious cir-cumstances, and the superstitious attach the blame to the "little gods." However, when the last of the family decides to keep tile collection, and tries to sift the matter to the bottom, he discovers a very exciting piece of human villainy, Avhich is revealed in the book with much effect.

Guy Morton.

GUY MORTON, the author of 'The Black Robe/' a detective story of unusually original situations, provides a very worthy successor in " King of the

World" (Hoddcr and Staughton). Mr. Morton has imagined a weird and trulv terriblo state of affairs. A scientist, vyho is a genius,, has discovered an clcetricai force capable of dealing death unnoticed, and when such a man determines to use | his power for his own gain, ho is ablo

to accomplish a great many terribl;

things. How thiB "King of the World" I is brought to book makes a story without ' a dull page.

. Other Novels.

]ITARY GRANT BRUCE has given her

readers the typo of story ahe tells so finely in "Anderson's Jo" (The Corn-stalk Press). A little waif of a girl is adopted by a lonely widower, and the pleasant Btory of her life is a reflection oi that of most happy Australian kiddies. "Anderson's Jo" seems marked fqr a Christmas gift hook.

florence Riddell in "What Women Fear" (Geoffrey Bles) discusses the ever-green question of the wife, who is older than the husband. There is some good character drawing in the book, notably the explorer-wife, but beyond contributing a readable story, the author does not add anything to the discussion.

"An Indian dummer" (Melrose), by, C. R.. Milton, is the" story ot an ongag-, ing young man, who, finds himself popu-lar in . India, und, after a lonely boy-hood, rather loses his head. However, lie, finds tim right girl, and steers his way, unharmed, tnrough the mazes of

the Indian su'rmrer.

"The Blood of Kings" (Hurst (ind Blackett) is the joyous adventure of a vnung American attache, in a little European Court. Reginald Wright Kauftman mn'cea a most readable romance in the Anthony Hope manner, 'mt in the modem style he uses a rspiiblicin revolt to free his princess and lo .illow of l;er marringo to the

American.

. "Lndics nnri'Oieiillemen" (Hodder and Sioiijihtuu), by.Irvin S. Cobb, is a col* 'lecti.'iiuof s,hort iitorics of varying merit. Uno ' of the . best .is ' "A. Lady and . a Gentleman," dcsciibing the reunion of (ho old Southern > A-otcrans of t|ie .American Civil War and the curiom ir.iTect it had on one citizen. The best stories aie of tile South .ind its people, and Hie author has used humour 'und pathos in a clever mixture.

Brighter French.

"ORÍGHTKH ' FRENCH" (Geoffrey

; ' Bles),- comp'led by H.T.R., ought to give the knock-out blow to that mass of '"conversation" books that piofess to te.ii'h French by u lot of inane remarks that i.o sensible person Avould dream of using. "Brighter French" is colloquial, idiomatic, * technical in places, and at times slangy; in other Avords, it is the Fienrh of.. every-day life in Paris. It is ono ti the few "conversation" bookB that gets r'chfc'down to the niceties and the subtleties of the language.

Comfort and Courage.

"COMFORT AND COURAGE," by the v Rev. Ronald G. Macintyre, C.M.G., D.D., of St. Andrew's College, Sydney University. (Hodder mid Stoughton), is a small book containing Bomo devotional essays or" studies c1 intense spiritual in-sight and human sympathy. One fcelB til?t if the average sermon contained the rein sympathy and sound common sense of tli03e little discourses there would 'be fewer complaints about small con-gregations.

Novels Worth Reading.

, THE A.B.A.N.Z. LIST.

This list hae been compiled by a com-petent committee of selected judgeB nom-inated by the Associated Booksellers of Australia and New Zealand. It is issued to serve as a reliable guide to fiction of

merit.

BOOKS OF LITERARY MERIT.

"The1 Dusty Answer," by Rosamond

Lehmann.

"Three Wives," by Beatrice Kean Sey-mour. .* ' - *

"Our Mr- Dormer," by R. H. Mottram. "Right Off the Map," by C. E- Monta-

gue. ..

BOOKS FOR POPULAR READING.

"The Kingdom of Theopbilus," by W

"Kitty," by Warwick Deeping.

"The Joyous Conspirator," by Geo. Gibba- ...,,-.

"Captain Cavalier," by Jackson Gregory. "The Inn of the Hawk and Raven," by G. B. M'Cutcheon

"Broken Waters," by Frank L. Pack-

ard

"The Worm," by Desmond Coke. "The Decoy," by J. D. Beresford.

"The Green Shado.w," by Herman Lan-

don.

"An Unofficial Rose," by Mary Mar-

lowe. ,

"Bartierry Bush," .by Kathleen Norris. "The Currency Lass," by James Dev

anny, "..",-,

"Sagusto," by Cecil Roberts. .