The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-12-03

light English readers of fiction is the
newest find that the Little Brown house
indorses in confident anticipation, we
should say. OF much the same justifica-
ton that was accorded Quo Vadis."
'The Story of Costa Berling" is a novel
translated from the Swedish of Selma
Lagerlof. Ii Is a splendid surprise. We
are not used to having the works of
Swedish novelists put i'm our hands.
But the experience is no more strange
than was that i'm respect to the Pole
and IL promises TO be as tremendously
satisfactory. 1t appears that with
Costa Berling" Miss Lagerlof, sur
prised her home people in Sweden quite
as much as she has done such English
readers as have yet opened this re-
markable work. IL IL said that COSTA
Berling" took the Swedish public by
storm. We can easily believe that. II
Is bound to take by storm anybody that
reads il. 1t is not TO be easily described
In a brief review because of the inn
mensity, not i'm size. but in structure.
II is as strong as a saga, often as mu-
sical as "A lyric. That il is the story of
a priest driven from his church for
drunkenness by a congregation that
only asks that its minister be sober
enough for the Sunday morning SER
mon, the period being one of strong
men. strong drink i'm a forbldding land.
where the women are as muscular as
men, and the wolves come after you
on winters night sleigh ride with
your sweetheart. may not sound invit-
ing To delicate ears, but to thus indicate
Costa Berling' is far from describing
Il. for IL Is by no means a book OF mis-
cry and crime Strong men and women
and a rugged environment take the
reader into new and vigorous atmos-
phere and sharply command his in
tercst i'm behalf of some very striking
characters who are Intensely human.
and with whose passions one is bound
10 sympathize very keenly. 1t is often
n weird and terrific tale, often almost
grossly human. but it is magnetic
throughout. and few pages slip by
without "a dash of humOr that suggests
Dickens or a bit OF sentiment often I'm a
rough coat that starts "a tear. Costa
Berling'' is n remarkable book. price
$175)
MIR SHEPPARD stevens has written a
dashing novel entitled 81 Am the
King" being the account OF some hap
penings in the life of Godfrey de Rer-
sac. crusader-knight. The romance is
capital reading. and the archaic Eng
lsh I'm which it is told Is Immensely
pleasing and contributes To the Middle
Age flavor that is impaired. The book
is named from an incident in the Holy
Land When Richard Of England and
Godfrey de Bersac were bcset by Sara
Gems. Godfrey proclaimed himself the
king and allowed his master 10 escape.
De Bcrsac. being captured. was taken
Co the Saracon camp. where hc gained
the friendship of Saphadiu, brother OF
Snladin. II IL handsomely and sug-
gestively bound. with a crusader on
the cover. price 81 25D
Mr. George V. n. Rivers. who wrote
the Governors Garden and Captain
Shavs." again indicates his capacity for
making an American historical ro-
nance I'm a stirring story entitled The
counts Snuff Box" lrice 81 i0.) The
romance deals with the 1919 war period.
"of Washington and Buzzards Bay"
during that time. and central figure
IL that of Count Tidouard de Crillon.
notorious I'm the John Henry letter
forgcrles that contributed 90 arouse the
poopie OF the time against England.
MIR Rivers furnishes q doubtless ac-
curate picture Of this attractive con-
ndence man. whose game Was nation.
and one follows with pleasure the au-
thora reasonable speculation IA 60 his
later career. The book ia illustrated
| fetchlngly by Clyde q. De Land.
4 book. truly. bv itself. unique to-
day. az W was more than two centuries
ngo. when Srst 10 was printed. II Tho
| Complete Angler. or the Contemplatve
' Mans Recreation itself the contem-