New-York tribune., 1896-10-04
RECENT FICTION.
THE WISE FANTASTICALITY OF JOHN
OLIVER HOBBIES.

THE IERB-MoON. a Fantasia By 'oRn Rnederiek derrick
Hobbies. ismo. PIP. cSs New-fork' r''''''N"
A. Stokes Company.
ONE OF THE .vIscONTI Novelette,; vel IeWyork: Wy i
Wilder BrOdhead. lbmo. PIP '''' -
charles Scribners Sons
WITHOUT SIN. BY Martin j. Print,dn Pritcna.Jn co. "''
pp 29s New-York: Herbert . o'o"e
IN THE VILLAGE OF vIGER BY Dunfam mane,ond ond" Z
bell Scot. l6mo PIP 3D. hoS'o"'
Day.
DAy-BOOKS BY Mabel f. Wo''oh' ''"' ''
lSs. Boston: Roberts Brothers
NATREEN'S FAIRING. BY Jane barIom IoMa,,pv
pp. Isl New-York; The Macmillan o''p''''
The invocation OF Prospero. in the 'ou''' '.,, ''
The Tempest" rises 10 the Hips as one app '.,'
the author OF ''rhe Iierb-Mooh. o" W, ,ho
thought. ] thank thee Ar'e, 'o','' Immediate
rosrorss of John oliver Hobbies her i',"' ,
,,a,,n.r, NJ all the tricksy. whimsical '
,,,ors aud vet lovable conditions "h'c" -
IN make up the world OF hef o"' ,
prototype leaves the reader WIZ xc;,e.
Of wi,chery tha; is fun OF , a., fam
,r,n, and equally pleasurable repose' 'o ch
,.,;c,,itv of this author is also very WEI ,,
'"H'I r.doxical even a little cyni'a'
" e,h ,t.. ,udaciotis drolery or hcr P"s'.
.,. rms a steady stream Of right ieel''s 49,
many things in life which too many "o, I rr.
posed TO treat with cant p'ir"S'H ~ and
teuce hat they standing up io' s am
, ,,s,. John Oliver Hobbies plainly mas W., W
xicti
ia AZ necessary az TO have mor'lS III ~ -, ..,
. " ,, .he talks AZ a woman OF the worin ""'
or d.,l with that world on iis Owl u'"' Il" -,
,oust-wiihout sacrincing any OF 'he u'oo'' a.,co
means q stainless mind. she can SCI 'o ~, ,Irh
~, mos, surprising situations, a. !"
Moon which seems somehow eh'c.oPe
at % the last IN an atmosphere OF imp
" :, -. ,t,oo che kc.ps the white pTlh'lP''S v.
ia ,r sipht and shows the reader no" '"'' VIZ
carry eccentric and even impr'o'o'e r, ,,
s,raieh, TO the honorable cohc'"so''
o,r,cism II cvnicism 1t must be caien, ma " r
IN common with the arid hppahoE VIM ,,
oos hv the same name. The mere sco"'' "ou
- 49,. .,oh a ..Fan,asla" AZ this should p'
,,.,oa all the poctic license Of a fah'asid 10 ''''
end and that the characters shoud w """
the stage with only such hhlSh'ns ''"' .,a,
given 10 their careers as the wa! """ IAN 80
creator should prefer. But, we repeat NV
,icaI,,v n, John oliver Hobbies is very wise H"'
,he mos, frcakish writer In contemporary "'"o"'
bui there is no novelist living "ho H. q" '''' '
mora human - ..,.
II the figures in "The iIcrb-Moon "'r' me-
described II their oddities we're cSpio""u j"s' V
tho sake of the pc;urcsqueness In them W" ''''''
,h, M, ,akc Them very seriously after all ana y
is not certain that John pliVor i''"'s WIZ "''"
gcthcr escape from the charge OF having ''"S
,Joi.o oil ,b.n, She sets no limit 70 her VlNd'lH.
Thcr. are some passages IN her doom "N' ""S" !"
which the formidable Mrs. Harrowhy aPP'"'H'
which almost touch the extrcm" OF no'eHsu' n'"''
I, ia hard N rcpress n feeling that tho author Is
cvine her fancy free rein simply hecnus" 'h" ENJOY
,ha, sort Of thing and would not nina he'"ohhs n'
nubIic But this impression passes and oven MT
Uarrowbv Is accepted IN tho long run ~ person
whose iconoclastic talk is rooted deep IN common
sause Kindness Of heart and rectitud" ~ 'o' nv
santcntious Susan. an appl"-cheeK'a h'nui"A""
who looks after the hero and heroine 'hroueh 'n"''
curious courtship kccping the house IN "hirh 'h'S
i,
of a hreyet conferred by herself. she rs the ino''
cndearing domestic that hction has rad '' Sno" '
many ,oors She 20 Iovablc and sh" * funny. She
I, is who gives the book its t'ic. f"r th'r' noun
lnr so ", airing as the herb moon. 81" ""s"f''' u"
Pose Arden. when the latter Is standing rucfully
hctxeen a husband in the madhouse ana love-
ybor sbo is i'm duty bound 10 forget until IN" 'iild
oxuires Then follows the explanation Of this IN
familiar Observation-Disclosures phenomenon
ave, That's my nam" for one of these long court
ships Adam and did all our cour'lnS IN Il lof'-
,ich,. that's why We are happy. This walking out
with each other year IN and year out t'l All your
nerve is gone and you sick with talking. was
,,.vor In my taste nor 10 my mothers before me
',rain', natural and I'm all for nature am.
Susans cOmical aspect may he Illustrated D! an
other citation. The dsconsolatc lover cnlsts' ana
his doparture for India happening To take place just
as the insane husband dies. Susan adds the follow"
ing postscript to a letter 10 the man who can now
hone 10 win the widow II suppose you have heard
our sad news" writes the faithful Susan. Mrs
Ardcn's husband has been mercifuly took away
after a heavy meal. VIII send particulars IN my
next" 81 thought thai would do FOR "A first hint,
she says to Rose The Herb Moon" Is "A brilliant
little book Knowledge and sympathy are mingled
In its pages with imagination and ripping Wit
For the sheer pleasure of being amused on the
serious side Of ones nature there Is nothing In lat"
fiction which is 50 effective.
Mrs Brodhcad has written \ sentimental little
story in her zone OF the Nisconii" The characters
are commonplace the plot is not striking the style
IS second rate yet tho book Will amuse In its siig
gestion Of that kind Of alienation between husband
and wife which IL often produced by the brief
.ojourn abroad for the wifc-the sojourn which
looks 20 easy and profitable for the children The
temptation is strong perhaps, for an American liv-
ing here and there OH the Continent. enjoying new
sights and new social experiences. TO forget the
husband at home and to turn against him.
Such a situation is very neatly pictured In zone OF
the viscon,i" and the young Italian who gives the
book Its tale is made to fit into the unromantic
chain Of events In cleverly romantic way. For a
half hour on the train Mrs Brodheads book will
do very we'll
II rumors are to be believed. Mr. Martin Pritch-
ards book, without Sin." Is making considerable
stir In England. The circumstance Is recorded with
regret, AS indicating lamenabIy low level Of
good taste. II not almost total lack OF
decrncy on the part Of English cousins.
The style In which the book IL written shows no
restraint. but on the contrary. persistent strain
Ing after effects. The result Is not only continual
violation Of the rules OF style. but uniform dif-
fusion Of vuigarity. In this connection 1t may be
noted that the story Of Mary Levingcs life Is not
wholly unsuited TO artistic presentation. IL Is con-
ceivable that Tourgueneff might have told the
lovely tale with delicacy and effect Mr.. Pritchard
has given the portrait OF an artist "A creature
described II Pre- -Raphaelte, who is the imme-
diate cause OF Mary's ruin. and possessed OF
an uncommonly dirty mind. This being spends
his time painting religious subjects. Every
thing he touches he soils. and 80 it is with
Mr.. Pritchard. Charce has sent striking
plot his way. but instead Of dgnifying II,