The Portland daily press., 1864-12-15
Recent Publications.


JOHN GoDFnEY's FORTUNES; related by himself 7
story of American Life by Bayard Taylor.
i vol. limo. New York: G. P. Putnam Hurd /
& Houghton. I'll
Mr.. Taylor has but recently come before the
world in the character of novelist. His first
work of the kind, Hannah Thurston, -, eIicited |
much comment, and some rather groundless |
severity of criticism. The reason Of the stric-
lures upon it is not hard to discover There is |
q class of persons who cannot comprehend
irony. Theysee malignant sneer behind the
kindliest smile of the humorist. and it would
seem, too, as il they believed all truth to be of
nature too fragile to bear to be fearlessly handled
Mr.. Taylor undertook pleasantly to satirize some
of the exaggerations and absurdities exhibited
by many disciples of certain new theories and
reforms, and straightway he was accused ofridi-
culing the reforms themselves. 1t may be an
but tbs the inevitable fate of him who is daring
enough to prick the bubble Of a popular folly.
: In "John Godfrey there are passages which
will doubtless expose the writer to similar mis-
conception. The description of the revival
meeting Isl case in point; yet the picture has
many parallels.
As story "John Godfrey" is better construc-
ted than its predecessor, and the interest is bet
ter sustained. The scenes connected with the
hero's early days constitute perhaps the most
pleasing portion of the book, though there are
sketches Of incidents and personages connected
with journalism in New York which are graphic
and entertaining. The characters are, sharply
outlined, and in the main truthful, several of
them apparently drawn from lite.a In Mr.. Mel
lowbY we are shown popular New York clergy
man. The originals of Mr.. Clarendon and Of
Brandagee are recognizable among the ranks Of
journalists in that city. The hero, Isabel Ha-
worth and Penrose are finely individualized. OF
the minor characters, Bob Simmons, Amanda
Bratton, Irish Hugh and Bolty Himpel are es-
pecially well done. lt4INI4GG Il IA
The story is not lacking in that great essen
tial to truly delightful romance, q fortunate
conclusion. Everybody likes the books in
which, to use the boy Thornton's expression,
''they get married, and wind up comfortable
On the whole nothing SO fresh, SO piquant. so
natural, has recently been given to the public as
this new story Of American Lite. 1t can hardly
fail to prove a success. a9as 6shssess sd.
For sale by Hall L. Davis and Bailey &
Noyes. alas1 40 9c.teai bga asm 81 ,esr
IDYLs OF BATTLE AND PoEMs OF THE REBELLIoN:
By Howard Glynden, (Laura C. Reddon).
VOL PIP. l52.. New York: Hurd & Hough-
/ 4 ton. q naaA ,poAeAdh " 7l,ea aye
~ A collection Of short poems called out by the
stirring events of the times. Though marked
by certain sameness of thought and showing
occasional infelicities of rhythm and Of express
sion, yet they have a Of pure patriotic feel
| ing, and often of tender sweetness which COM
pensate for their lack Of artistic finish.
For sale BY Hall L. Davis. \ 3yt bss.is,r
THE HIsToRY OF SANDFoRD AND MERTON: By
~ Thomas Hartley, NJ. A. Illustrated. l vol.
PIP. sos. New York: Hurd Houghton.
The SWISS FAMILY RoBINsoN; or Adventures in
| q Desert Island. A new edition. Illustrated
BY Gilbert. vol pp.- 4OS., q New, York:
Hurd Houghton.
The. boys and girls who first hung delighted
over the pages Of these two charming books are
now passed into thu ranks Of grown-up people,
but still the sight of the old familiar title. awake
something Of the old charm. The present gem
Grafton Of young folks should feel especially
grateful to the publishers who have revived for
their benefit these favorites of their fathers and
mothers. The volumes are finely printed and
prettily bound in gilt muslin.
For sale in this city by Bailey & Noyes.
! D6mIaM0i8 EQ---HI&1G VI V549A4tl
ENooH ARDEN: By Alfred Tennyson, d. c. L.,
e. Poet Laureate, i vol. Small quarto. Bos-
! ton: Ticknor u Fields.
Messrs. Ticknor s. Fields are the chosen pub
Fishers Of Mr.. Tennyson in thiscountry and in
preparing this holiday edition of his latest work
they have spared no effort or expense. The illus
trations by La. Fargo, vedder, barley and Hem
/ nesseys are some of them of very remarkable
character, and invest the text with a deeper and
/ more subtle meaning than might be obvious to
the hasty reader Those passages. in particular,
| which are illustrated by Yedder are rendered
with surprising power, Their weird and solemn
beauty haunts the memory long after the book is
closed.
The mechanical finish Of the volume is ex-
tremely elegant, the paper, type and binding
corresponding well with the beauty of the text
and the artistic merit oflthe illlstrstions The
book must take a foremost rank among the holi-
izday issues.
lod The same publishers have issued a small VOL
/ ume, blue and gold, yeryibeautiful though lack
ing the illustrations, containing Enoch Arden
and, .ssSeraln other poems off Mr.. Tennyson.
together with q brief biography. Of the poets
life. Sea Dreams, Aylmer's Field, The Grand
mother, Northern Farmer, and numerous mis-
cellaneous poems are found in this tasty little
4 volume. fsci 'isi oed ~ 'S'AsAA
Hall L. Davis has.it for sale.