The Portland daily press., 1878-11-09

ana Iorce tnan most OIL its predecessors in the
series. Following the lead of the memoir of
Turner written by Mr.. Walter Thorubary and
the comments of Mr.. Ruskin, this biography
paints with sure touch and vivid coors the
likeness OF the singular, chaotic artist. The
appended list Of Turner'S works, Mr.. Sweetser
explains, is necessarily incomplete because 80
many OF them are the property Of private indi-
vldua'c, and are con tinually changing hands.
This series of biographies is most admirably
adapted, by its compact form and its reliable
and impartial style for convenient reference
and popular reading.
Mr. William Winter, the well known drs-
matte critic, is at present engaged 10 editing a
series of Edwin Booths Prompt Books. Mac
beth, the volume received from Messrs. Hoyt.
Fogg & Donham, contains the stage business
and readings of that tragedy adopted BY Mr..
Booth.
Another Of Marion Harlands excelent and
practical cook-books, is published by the Scrib-
ners OF New York, cortland: Loring, Short
and Harmony and is entitled the Dinner Year
Book, giving for each day 10 the year suitable
and seasonable bill Of fare. The index at the
end of the volume viii also enable the house.
Keeper to turn readily to any receipt in the
book without reference to the day Of the year
for which it may be suggested. Marion Hn-
land combines the qualities of charming
writer and helpful and entirely refined wo-
man, and her books upon housekeeping are of
the greatest value to those whose business and
pleasure 1t is to provide for the comfort of their
families.
Mr. Henry James's Europeans" (Boston:
Houghton & Osgood; Portland: Loring, Short
q darmon), Is better than his American,
without arriving at any notable degree of merit.
One pecnliarity Of Mr. James's work is that he
never seems to bs at home and at ease in
whichever of the two hemispheres he locates
his story. Hs-.reminds one of the definition of
an amphibious animal, zone who can't live
| on land and dies in the water" He is in 9
| literary sspse the man without a country; he
has disowned America and has failed to
naturalizs himself in France. Literary ennui
-penetrates his work; he appears to disdain the
| ordinary method of building q romance upon
some foundation of plot-and the result Is q
rather brilliant, invertebrate, semi-lucid ltera-
| ~ jellyfsh. 1t is undenable that Mr.. James
has good command of language, and not sell
dom uses it in pointed effective and witty
style. His books contain many bright and we'll
taken points-when they are not spoiled in tbe
utterance by an endeavor to arrive at whatever
M. Balzac would have been likely to say on
the subject, and an affsctation of French
idiom that makes some of his paragraphs read
like poor translation. The Europeans is
sketch of the experiences and sensations of two
| persons. brother and sister, who came across
the sea to visit their American cousins. The
hrst chapter is very fortunate opening to the
story-the oppression that the streets Of Boston
| in the late snow of May, the graveyard-more
lonely because the populous fremont House
overlooks it, the crowded horse cars and tired
women on shopping excursions give to the
Baroness, used to the polite and smiling atmos-
| phere Of Parisan life; the Americans, who
live in the suburbs, little saddsned and shad-
owed but much glorihsd by the influence of the
American Athens, are described with great
skill. Moreover Mr.. James deserves very
great credit for the uncompromising and
healthy manner in which he brings to naught
the faded allurements of the Baroness The
faults of Mr.. James's style are obvious and exist
as conspcuousy rs ever; but it Is pleasant to
see decided increase of strength In the spirit
of his work, and it is to bs hoped that the man
ner will gradually prune itself, and the novelist
recognize, with a certain patriotism, the worth
Of reasonably pure English idiom.
A new volume of Messrs. Appleton's attract
i iva Handy Valupna Gar;ao A.. q
McLellan) contains sketches OF the Great Ger
man Composers, written in an interesting and
exceedingly pleasant style, including memoirs
OF representative musicians from Bach to Wag-
ner. 1t little curious that so few can write
on Chopin without lapses into q sympathetic
sentimentality. If some critic could give mu.
sical readers q memoir Of the Polish composer
which should bs appreciatve Of the immense
and passionate impulse of his works, while
separating their artistic worth trom their wesk-
nesses and morbid expressions; balancing
instead of condoning the traits of the composer
that critic would do good work and clear
the air that at present surrounds Chopin and
his compositions with an overcharge Of cleo
tricity and lurid illumination.
Antoinette, translated from the French Of
Andre Theuriet, also belongs to Messrs. Apple
tons Handy Volume Series portland: Dresser
& McLellan), and is avowedly modelled after
Miss Rhoda Broughton's Goodbye Sweetheart.
Ii is literary pastime of M. Theuries, whose
artistic skill is far ahead of Miss Broughton's.
The story ends happily, and In many other
points varies widely from its model. But the
absurdities of Miss Broughton's heroine are
ended and even excused by her death-whereas
Antoinette is left with future before her-of
which the reader makes rapid, prophetic
perspective of folies. II is q lively story, bat
not OF M. Theuriets bsst workmanship.
Meanwhile it Is sufficiently enjoyable little
comedy.
John-2-Dreams (Appleton's Handy Volume
Series; Portland: Dresser & McLsllan) is q
clever story of modern English life, giving
amusing sketches of the high art coteries aud
other fashions Of the London of to-day. 1t Is
an original and very agreeable novel.
Mrs. Jack is the name of q story by Mrs.
Frances Eleanor Trollope (Appleton's Handy
Volume Series; Portland: Dresser & McLel-
LAM. 1t is a pretty and interesting story,
piquant and readable in style.
scholarly and well-arran0ed essay upon
English Literature, from 596-1SS2 written by
DR.. I. Arnold and Published originally In the
Encyclopedia Britannica is included in Messrs
Appleton's Handy Volume Series portland
Dresser & McLsllanl.
Remorse, by Th. Benton, is arecent addition
to the Libraryof Foreign Authors. New York:
d. Appleton & Co.; Portland: Dresser s. Nc
Lellan.) 1t is an exceedingly painful story
and yet is not an unwholesome one The au-
thors intention is clearly good and he tells hi 8
story with much dramatic force and b,antv of