The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-06-15
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
The Art of Authorship-Other Works ke-
ceived by THE Times"

ceived by 1.-The Tines,
For years no book with such genuine
qualities Of utility and pleasure has been
given to the reading public as "The Art Of
Authorship" II is perfect gem. Any IL
brary would he enriched by the possession
Of il, and have in it letter of introduction
into the machine shop Of almost every great
brain worker Of our country. 1t is most
attraetively made book, and contains liter
airy "reminiscences. methods Of work, and
advice to young beginners IN the
art. all of which are personally
contributed by ledding authors of the day.
The volume is the happy thought and COM
piatOn of George BaintOn, and the whole
Of il bearing directly upon the art OF eiiec-
tive written composition. so many letters
about their personal mode of lnnermost
thought, from such people as we are wont
10 think of, Is mere complications Of ma
chinery for the manufacture Of romance, are
charming indeed, and give brief au,obi-
OgraDhy of these writers that is intensely
Interesting, apart from the intellectual
benefits derived from their perusal. II Is
strange and striking TO note that, however.
modern may he the thought and style Of
these followers of the art of letters, the
greatest of them confess that the Bible and
Shakespeare have been their most valuable
giyers to the use of pure English, and one
might almost say that the hobby Of these
men and women of genius seems TO be a
straining after simplicity of style.
Charles Dudley Warner says IN it, 81
have steadily endcayOred 10 lessen the num-
Der Of any adiectiyes and TO avoid what Is
called fine writing. While a writer ought
not 10 strain for brilliant expression, he
ought not to fall into the inevitable com
a. x,rhi .h
The Duke of Argyle has no faith in rules
and formulas OF style. Says he: "Clear
thinking will find its own expression in
clear writing"
Marion Crawford Is intensely interesting
in his communications. 1.-The greatest lit
erary production in our language is the
Bible, and the more a man reads II the bet
ter he will write English" says he ALSO
THE hardest word of all for people Of
imagination is work. Literature is Ia
bOrious professions; the competition is enor-
nous, the progress of the beginner slow"
Sir Edwin Arnold, the gifted writerof the
Light of Asia" thinks that the more
writer knows the simpler will be his style,
and that zone must believe in all art to be
an artist, and most of all. in the divine art
of writing. And one must have perpetual
good will and steadfast purpose" The
opinions on this subject of SpurgeOn, julien
Hawthorne, prank stockton, Mark Twain,
Robert Browning and many others are de-
lightfully set forth. Published by ID. APP
pleton Il Co.. New York, and for sale by
West, Johnston n Co.
THE CAPTAIN OF THE JANIzARIEs. by
James NJ. Ludlow, DID,. Lit. ID. Published
by Harper n Brothers, New York.
This is not only the latest, but strongest
Of the historical novels, which this period
has brought forth. Its style Ofdiction is the
loftiest, the expressions being patterns
often after the sacred literature Of the
ancients. Though romance it is undeni-
ably founded on facts and with animation
and spirit pOrtrays the character OF George
CastriOt or ScaderDerg, a. he was called by
the Turks, and follows his career with that
of the history of the Eastern Mediterranean.
Ii reveals how this wonderful man, Cor
twenty-three years resisted the power Of the
Ottoman Empire, and baflied the skill OF his
successor, Mahommet. For sale by West
Johnston 4 Co.
A HAND Book OF TIE ENGLISH YER
sIONs OF THE BIBLE, with copious exam
pies illustrating the ancestry and relation
ship of the several versions and cOmpara-
tive tables, by j. |. MOnbcrt, ID. ID. This
work is of invaluable assistance TO any
theologian or deep thinker on the origin of
several versions of the Holy Writ. Pub
lIshed by u. Appleton a Co. For sale by
West, Johnston a Co.
BLINDFoLD, novel, by Florence Mar
ryat, published by John w. Lowell Company,
New York, is story whose sole charac-
teristic is an oyerstrained effort on the part
of the writing for false excitement and
morbid sensationalism. Its plots, its char
acters, and its style, would poison the I'M
tutored mind, while it sickens the cultured
with contempt. 1t is such weak produc-
tons OF drcggy imaginations that dlshonor
the art, and if publishers do not reject such,
then let self-respecting readers leave their
pages uncut.