New-York tribune., 1886-05-16
MINOR NOVELS.
STUDIES OF IL


THE MARK OF CAIN. By ANDREW LANG. l6mo
pp 49, Charles Scribnot's Sons.
AUNT RACHEL. Rustic Sentimental Comedy. By
I'D. CHRISTIE MUIR RAY. Crown svo., PIP VII ZIG
Macmillan Il Co.
DAGONET THE JESTER. Crown svo., pp 49,
Macmillan & Co.
TALES OF ECCENTRIC LIFE BY WILLIAM A. HAM
MosD and CLARA LAMA. 1Gmo. pp 2o9. ID.
NOTES FROM ANOTHER WORLD BY Lord GRAN,
wd,o. yILnE GORDON Crown svo' pp' 2e7' scribner
A DESPERATE CHANCE. BY j. D. JEERoLp KELLEY
U. $. Navy. 1Cmo., PIP. Will, 233' Charles scrib-
EVAN HARRINGTON. A Novel. BY GEORGE MER-
EDITH. Crown svo., PIP. 5l9. Roberts Brothers
THE ORDEAL OF RICHARD FEvEREL. A History
Crown svo., pp 472 The Same.
THE ADVENTURES OF HARRY RrciiM0NDs By
GEORGE MEREDITH. Crown svo, PIP 5i& The Same.
THE MIDGE BY II. c. BUSNER 12mo. pp 235.
Charles Scribner's Sons.
BEATON's BARGAIN By MRS. ALEXANDER 12mo
pp. 2j3 Henry Holt X Co.
In "The Mark of CAIN" Mr. Andrew Lang has
put forth little piece of fiction which stands
almost by itself There Is enough rascality in his
plot, ranging from cheating at cards to poisoning,
with enough of mysterious adventure, flight.
DISCUSSES and detective work, to satisfy the most
ravenous appetite for excitement but these lavish
exercises of ingenuity arc accompanied by quail
ties in which tho writer's Of murder and robbery
novels are not usually distinguished. In taking up
this sort of co IMPOSITION Mr.. Lang has not laid SIDE
his w.t. his keen perception of certain dro aspects
OF society," or his nice literary touch. He violates
probability we had almost said common sense
with delightful grace and elegance: and while he
is unrolling a tale whose chief incidents would
exactly snlt a weekly story-paper he artfully
combines with it some light but effective sketches
of character and humorous scenes of real life.
Maitland and Mrs. ST. John Deloraine are only
outline portraits but they are exceedingly clever
and natural Maitlands experiences
amateur detective in Paris make a delicious chapter
of farce and there is an exhibition Of the interior
of a young ladies' boarding school which would not
have dscredited Thackeray "The Mark of Cain
in short is a highly entertaining book, extravagant
in design but sin ngularly refined in workmanship.
"Aunt Rachel" Is concerned principally with
eccentric characters, and is perhaps well enough
defined as g rustic sentimental comedy" There
is "A strain of pathos in it, of which the reader
never quito loses the sense but the action proceeds
mainly by incidents which either grotesque or
ccmic ar much Of the dialogue bas q full flavor OF
humor The mixture certainly is pleasant.
simple story, full of natural feeling peopled with
striking figures which arc unconventional but
never unreal and told with drOllness and vivacity.
1t Will be q welcome addition to the pictures of
Stafordshire village life by whi,h the author has
already mado his mark.
"Dagonet the Jester" has slight claim to our
notice as story, but it is interesting attempt to
reproduce the language ana mode of thought OF
the last years of Charles /. and the first years of
the Restoration; and the sketch Of the Jester. !
almost tie last of his vanishing trade is ceverly |
done.
The Tales of Eccentric Life" by DR.. Hammond |
and his daughter various in character and very
unequal in interest. The most attractive are those
which deal with real or supposed medical problems, |
and in these 1t must be confessed that love OF the
sensational carried to the extreme Expert ments
of this sort satisfactory only when an air of
plansibilty is mantaned by the ingenious deyel-
opment of a good working theory. and a very exact
management OF details Poe understood the art
thoroughly. But the most elaborate OF the tales in
the present volume fails because it is not elaborate
enough. One never imagines for mo Hent. in
reading it. that in any conceivable condition OF
this world "The Mystery of Mrs Brown" could
possibly have come to pass; and the badness of
the inarti6cial conclusion is simply disastrous.
Lord Granville Gordon's Notes from Another
World are notes upon society in this. The satire
is pretty well worn but II not bad. and some of
the tales of which the book is composed-most Of
them tales of misfortune and crime--carry good
lesson, well enforced.
The author of "A Desperate Chance" has not
spared the horrors in his well-spced novel, but his
plot shows imagination than constructive
skill. Its best chapters are those which describe
sea-voyage and shipwreck. The police, suicide
and criminal passages more strenuous and less
strong.
A Lew edition OF the novels of George Meredith is
now publishing in nine substantial volumes. three
Of which, SEvan Harrington" "The Ordeal of
Richard Feverel' and Harry Richmond" are
already in the market. The vivacous manner, the
strong and often brilliant English, the powerful
Misunderstanding, and the vigorous handling of q
of personages, incidents and motives
II these excellent works insure Tor them long | .
of favor and sagacous readers Will be glad to
lave in becoming dress a set of novels to which
me can return SO often with entertainments
Mr. Bunner has produced a good story in /" The {
Iidgev The conception Is fresh The heroine, | l
young girl. whose Bohemian parentage and
arly surroundings have given her training cacu- i
atcd to influence her future mischievousy, falls
nto the hands of an old bachelor. who is almost =
ompelled by circumstances to undertake her educa-
ion. This affords opportunity for original develop
lents. and the opportunity has been skilfully en-
loyed. The surroundings are of an unconven-
ional character. like the characters them o
elves Dr. Peters and the Nudge are both cles erly
onceved and aristically worked out, and equally
dmrable in their different ways. Some OF
ne earlier SC enes, where the Mdge makes her
rst acquaintance with the loyable doctor, are ex-
rcmely well done Many of the subordinate char
cters are drawn with vlgor and truth, and the
zeal color is always correct. The story does not
nd as the average novel reader would like il TO
nd, perhaps, but while II is impossible not 10 SYM
athize with the disappointment of the poor Goc-
Dr the authors judgment is IN accord with the
oTmal fitness of things, and the reader can but
'el that the actual denouement IS far more trne 10
fe than any other which could have been selected:
he style pure and true and there Is evidence Of
)nscientlous work from the hrst page 10 the
st. The Midge belongs in a remote way
the family of bickenss "MarchionesS,"
ut there Is suggestion OF borrowing
om another writer in her personality, which is
stinctiyc and original Mr. Bunncr is 90 be con-
ratulated upon "a success which ought 10 induce
i'm to repeat the experiment.