The Portland daily press., 1893-12-21
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

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The Coast of Bohemia, one of those
Shakespearian titles in which Mr.. How
ellis takes SO much delight, reads even
better in book form than as a serial.
Naturally it seems closer knit. there.is
no loss of continuity in the readers in
terest, aad the work appears better sspro-
portioned. The atmosphere of the story
is more cheerful than in any other of
our American realist's recent tales, there
are fewer sdisagreeable people to be met
and the story itself has warmer in
terest. In the tone, though in no respect
in style or construction, there is return
to the authors earlier manner which
will please his old-time admirers The
wit is ass delicate and airy as ever, the
dialogue has the charm and the illusion
OF reality which are so peculiarly Mr..
is as strong and subtle as usual, though
the painting be not SO heavy and appar-
emily solid. The personages-for they
rise to that dignity in their relation to
the story-may not be so marked but
they are much more agreeable than most
of those he has portrayed of late. The
Coast of. Bohemia is not that of Murerg,
nor of Henry Clapp and George Arnold,
but that pale copy TO be found in the
studios and literary workshops of New
York From so mild and civilized sur
roundings little that is dramatic or out
of the common can be expected. Indeed
were there anything unsual, Mr.. How
ellis would dou btless disdain it. The tale
is pleasing, told with that fine art of ex-
quisite reserve Of which the author is SO
complete'a master, and is, above.all, lit
erature. New York Harper & Broth
ers; Portland; Loring. Short & Harmon
1t is more than thirty years since The
Cloister and the Hearth was published
and almost at once took it's place among
the very greatest masterpieces Of MARIA
tive in English literature. Eminent
critics have not hesitated to call it the
greatest historical novel of the century,
picture of the past more faithful than
anything in the works of Scott. Walter
Besant, whose researches in the field of
medieval literature have been profound
and extensive, declares that there is in
Charles Reade's work SO vigorous, life
like and truthful picture of a time long
gone by, and differing in every particular
from our own, that the world has never
seen it's like. AS one reads it one feels
in the very atmosphere of the fifteenth
century; one breathes the air just be-
fore the great dawn of learning: it is
still twilight, but the birds are twitter-
ing already on the boughs; there is the
restless movem emit which goes before a
change. And there runs through the
book the sweetest, saddest, and most
tender love story ever devised by wit of
man. To this great classic romance the
Harpers have given fit holiday garb.
The two volumes are made up in the
French manner. rivuiet of text in a
meadow of margin, the paper is moder-
ately glazed, thin and plant, the bind
ing is superb. The illustrations by Mr..
William johnson are done with skill,
sentiment and historical accuracy; the
groups are full of energy and dramatic
force as BELTS this robust story, many of
the figures are models in precision of
line and the vignettes set in the text are
delicately toned. (For sale by Loring,
Short & Harmony