The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-06-03
THE CRITICS CORNER.
WzEKLYCHA7 REGARDING WRITER'S
AND BOOKS.
The "seuthcrners" Magazine, June NJ m
IBERIA Yellow Aster"-Rocentfu D"c"~
lions Iron App,eton-Notes'
THE SOUTHERN MAGAZINE: June
1894. The Southern Magazine Corpora"
aunuTn.


1894. The Southern Magazine corpora
ton. Louisville. Ky. $50 per anhum'
For sale by West, Johnston * co.
As whole this issue Of the southern
Is much stronger than any OF the pre-
ceding issues which we have SEEM ana
contains four articles which in them
selves would give It value.
These are. THE Romance of the ori-
gin Of Louisville" by Reuben T. Durret';
General Jubal Anderson Early, Dy
Lawrence S. Marye: The tr1endship
between Lee and Scott" by j. william
Jones; and THE Last Great Battle Oh
the War between the States, by Daphey
II. Maury.
While both the fiction and the poetry
are distinctly OF a mediocre quality, they
are very materially better than In for iiier
issues Indeed each number OF the MAJ
azine shows an advance in interest anu
Strength, and gives ground for the beiiei
that eventually. If the reading ana IN.
telligent public Of the South sustain III
as they should do. since it aims to rep
resent the thought of that section purely,
1t will become representation OF It's
best talent and take q high place among
American magazines
There are a number OF spicy contribu-
tions to the "SaImaSundi' department;
that devoted to books and writer's. al
though containing nothing OF general un.
u,
Table is good, and as usual. the Illus
trations are numerous, fine, and very
decided attraction.
IL the character Of the fiction and OF
the Book Reviews, as well as the COM
ment and Criticism" was as excellent as
that Of the articles upon general subjects,
and If silly poetry were cut out with an
unsparing hand, nothing more could be
desired for the magazine which. in It's
aim to make itself a medium for budding
talent In the South Is less discriminating
than 1t might be.
A YELLOW ASTER: BY Iota. Apple
toms Town and Country Library. ID.
Appleton & Co. New York. so cents.
For sale by West, Johnston & Co.
The notice, both adverse and otherwise,
which has been given this very extra
ordinary contribution to the hysterical
literature of to-day. is but another proof
that to many minds eccentricity is one
with talent, as. to many others, original
ity is one with danger, and thing TO
be frowned down.
The readers of "A Yellow Aster," whose
writer we are told is woman, are large
1y divided into two ciasses-those who
think the book one OF unusual strength.
and those who wonder whatever made
its writer publish IT.
TO us it seems an outgrowth of NOR
bid mind; its heroine coarse. impossible,
overdone. 1t gets the credit Of orginali-
ty simply because II Is glarlngly unnatu-
raj, and does not deal with the truth II
wants to tell either in a rational or beau
tifui way. Certainly admitting given 10
be a possible woman, no man would care
to risk marrying her. and to US 1t seems
to be bad reasoning TO presume that her
environment in childhood should have had
the effect Iota describes There is an
occasional touch of healthy and real pa
thos in the book, and good deal Of hui
NOR. but IL Is morbid, silly, and pervad-
ed by coarScness. Ii gives us the feet
ing that we are noting symptoms in
sick woman; that she IS distinctly an abb
normal creature, not human, wholesome,
and lovabIe.
A COSTLY FREAK: BY Maxwell Gray.
Appleton's Town and Country Library
u. Appleton & Co. New York.
50 cents.
A NEW MODERN WIZARD: BY r.
OttOlengin. g. Z. Putnams Sons.
New York. 30 cents.
A BEGINNER: By Rhoda Broughton.
cents.
THE TREsPAssER: D. Appleton & Co.
80 cents.
LOT 10: BY Dorothea Gerard. d Apple
ton & Co.. New York. 80 cents.
All for sale by West Johnston & Co.
These five books. of more or less prin-
cipally less) merit will so to swell the
mass OF summer resort literature, anu
possibly pay for their publication. moth
ing more. They have no special strength
and no special weakness; are fatiguingly
usual, and with the exception of ~
Modern Wizard" tell the old, old story,
Of the girl and her lover. the rival the
separation and the reunion, etc, with
placid commonplaceness.
OUR MANIFOLD NATURE: By Sarah
Grand, author OF THE Heavenly
Twins ID. Appleton & Co., New York.
90 cents. For sale by West, Johnston
* Co.
This book consists of a number of
short stories told in the characteristic
style of the author OF THE Heavenly
Twins" about which there are nearly as
many opinions as there are readers.
They are in no way remarkable and have
no startling motive TO make the public
listen because OF its audacity.
LITERARY BKEYITfES