The Portland daily press., 1899-03-21
CONCERNING BOOKS.

Another Of the works of DR.. Maurus
Jokai, the famous Hungarian novelist,
has been translated by X. Nisbet Balm,
and published by the Doubleday Nc
Clure Company portland. Loring, Short
Harmon.) 1t 10 entitled A Hungarian
Nabob, and in the original Is considered
n national classic. The translator in his
preface says of it, "This noble novel, now
translated into English for the first time,
was written nearly 6fty years ago. On
its appearance Hungarian critics of every
school at once hailed 10 as u masterpiece,
q nd 1t has maintained It's popularity ever
SINCE
The Nabop is an eccentric character.
who, after long life Of Wild riot and
surfeited with every form Of dissipation,
marries a lovely young girl, in order to
spite his nephew and heir, who has perse-
cuted the girl with his attentions. Poor
little Fanny weds the Nabob though
loving another man. but is true to her
husband, who absolutely adores her. On
dsr his wife's influence the old Nabob
becomes all that he ought to have been,
and his heart is broken when his Fanny
dies, after giving birth to q son.
The story Is d turbulent one. while yet
there is much Of the finer element in 1t.
There are dashing descriptions of hunts,
and Of wild orgies among the Magyar
mobiles; and there are strange types. and
characters innumerable. The style Is
highly dramatic, and psthos, passion ana
humor are DOM bined with intensely real
istio effect. 1t Is by far the most impress
i've of the several novels by Jokai which
have been translated into English.
The New God Is a tale of The Early
Christians translated from the German of
Richard voss by Mary A. Robinson. IL
is one of Harper's The Odd Numb Der
Series, which contain translations from
the works of such famous writer's as de
Maupsssant, Halevy, Vergs, Sudermsnn,
Galdos and others.
The New God is Jesus of Nazareth, who
has been cruoifed and has risen from the
dead; -"the nav God who, in place of
the old dead and buried gods. and greater
than they, should Danish all death, sor
row and guilt from the world and trans
form 1t into an abode Of bliss" for suoh
vas the hope of many who were LOOKING
for the coming of the Messiah.
The book seems to be curious mixture
OF Hebrew history with the fancies of n
German ystic and idsalist. 1t Is pictur-
esoue and poeticaI, and will doubtless be
Of great interest to oil those who instead
Of taking their New Testament pure and
simple prefer 1t recbauffe, and served
with spices and various elaborate gar
nishings 1t seems to be difficult to i'm
prove upon the New Testament, and l
am not inclined to encourage anybody In
the attempt to do so. Nevertheless Mr..
yoss's work is good OF its kind. port
land: Loring. Short & Harmon.
Mr. W. w. Jacobs, the author Of Many
Cargoes and The Shippers Wooing, has
recently published through the Frederick
A. Stokes Company a rev volume OF
short stories, entitled More Caigoes,
which ars thoroughly excellent, and most
entertaining They are all Of the sea and
of sailors, purely nautical, and Of pleas
ing variety.
While not by any means n book written
for boys it is one that the youngsters will
enjoy immensely, especially the iirst
story which is of very trying and trou-
blesome lad who ships with the skipper of
n mild little schooner under the impress
sion that the vessel is a pi e Graft, and
that t, er Is Lloody work ahead. How
the captain and Grew take 1t out of Mas
ter RalI h Is effectively told. and also how
the 10y 'goes them one bsttar" and comes
ont of it all with flying colors.
The.last story OF The Lost Ship, is sad
and pathetic, bat most of the game yarns
have lots Of fun III them. cortland:
Loring, Short Il HARMONY
Short Rations, by Williston Fish is
published by the Harpers portland, Lor-
ing. Short & Harmony, and has an intro
duotion by II. C. Runner, written in
rather serious vein, for which Mr.. Bun
ner apologies upon the ground that mo
offlcsr. or officers wife or daughter who
Sues these (Mr. Fish's) clever. and preg
nant studies offered to the reading public,
win be sorry to have . friandly hand pen