The Press.
London, England, 1857-04-11 00:00:00

hall,—the hall where he was born, the hall of his father
and mother; in short, the hall of his near and dear rela•
tions, of his immediate associates, and his innumerable
acquaintances.
The second tale is a republication. Though
of deeper interest, it is not one that we can
easily describe in our columns. It is rather
fitted for discussion in some scientific peri-
odical, than an ordinary newspaper intended
for ladies' eyes. It describes the formation of
a very peculiar character, which was corrupted
into something very gross and shocking, but
which we must frankly confess we do not
wholly understand. The tale however displays
great power, and is likely to be read with
avidity by all into whose hands it may fall.

The Heroes of Asgard and the Giants of .liitun-
heim ; or, the Week and its Story. By the
Author of " Mia and Charlie," and her Sister.
London : Bogue.
THERE has been no great novelty in recent
years in the class of amusing books intended
for boys and girls ranging between eight and
thirteen years. It is extremely difficult to
produce a literature suitable for the young.
There must be special study of their capaci-
ties, and close observation of the xvity in which
children read storybooks. The most difficult
of all kinds of such works is the composition
of a book suitable for both sexes. Boys will
delight to read about playgrounds, and
matches of skill, and incidents of the sort
familiar at all schools; but girls will care little
for "boys' books," and vice versa. History
would appear to give a groundwork for tales
of interest for the young of both sexes; but
boys and girls say " they have enough of that
" at school," and they do not want it in their
" play-books." Like children of a still larger
growth, they crave for pictures for the imagi-
nation to repose upon, and as yet there are
few novelists for the young who can be said to
have realised ail that might be expected. The
French and Germans are, we think, more
ingenious in composing books for the young;
but the total difference of manners and
customs makes their childrens' books of com-
paratively little value in England. Like their
dramatic pieces, they would require extensive
" adaptation" before they could be naturalised
in it.

This work of " Heroes of Asgard" seems
to us too abstract to be interesting. It is an
attempt to produce an interesting story-book
on the legends and mythology of the Scandi
world. The objections to the work
are candidly stated by the compiler :
" Aivtbology has rather a school. sound," said Harry,
doubtfully.

" But we never hear anything' about Northern Mvtliolocy
at school," said William; " and the Urecian and Itomal
interesting enough when one has not to translate it.
Have you forgotten the Tatiglewood tales or Mr. King' ley's
Heroes ? If you can tell us stories as good as those,
Uncle Mick, you may depend upon our being quiet."

- - - -
And Aunt Helen adds sub seqnently:—

" I don't quite agree with you there," said Aunt Helen;
" we have a great deal to do with the Grecian and Roman
gods, because the myths about them have mixed with the
thoughts of so many generations, and have come down to
us clothed in so many different forms, in paintingz., and
buildings, and in the very words of our own English
language.
The sound of this conversation is too didactic
for a book for pleasurable amusement. The
author then explains how our Saxon fore-
fathers supposed the world to be a circular
plain, with Asgard, the City of Lords, in the
centre, whose inhabitants were Odin and the
Gods: At the foot of Asgard was Manheim,
the dwelling-place of mortals; beyond that was
the sea, encircled' by a gigantic serpent, with
his tail in his mouth, a marvellous precursor
of another mythical monster reported about
in American newspapers. Beyond the sea
was Jotunheim, or the land of giants, and this
little volume relates to the contests carried
on between these giants and the heroes of
Asgard.
If Defoe had attempted a boys' book on this
subject, that consummate master of effect
would have resolved to give it a vitalising in-
terest He would have recollected how the
English Loy " Jack " has been immortalised
amongst quellors of giants, and he would have
in some way associated the subject of the
volume with the English affections of the