The Washington times., 1901-08-04

Is denied by the author. 1he Otnef rea-
son for the sensation which the book has
made lies in its theme and style. 1t is
what the average Anne rican would prob
ably call decadent. Matters of the pas
sions are treated with a freedom and
frankness which may be the rule in
Italy, but certainly not in any Anglo
Saxon country. The hero is an Italian
poet and novelist and the heroine
world-famed actress with whom he Is
intimate. The story is the story of their
emotions. II is soaked in emotion OF
every kind; there is nothing else to it,
except the wonderful color and lucidity OF
the style. The translator, kassandra
Nivara is as thoroughly mistress OF
English as DAnnunZio is master OF
Italian, and the combination has produced
a somewhat remarkable example OF the
possibilities of the language in suggesting
color, feeling, and sound. The scene Is
laid mainly in Venice, and the very soul
of the city seems to have been caught
and transfixed by the authors imagina-
ton.
The richness and decay of old Rome
penetrate every leaf of this book. lt is
not modern in its decadence; it is essen
TALLY pagan. 1t is not consciously i'm
moral: it is immoral like Bacchus, and
Pan, and the Maenads. 1t is in short, a
perfect example of a certain type of
Italian thought as Zola and Flaubert are
examples of certain types of French
thought. (Bostcn: l.. c. Page Coz
"A Friend of Caesar" by William
Stearns Davis, is a story of the fall of the
Roman Republic, and has made some
thing of sensation on account of the
fact that the writer is Harvard under
graduate. Considered in that light, it is a
remarkable piece of work; considered
merely as fiction. it is not so remarkable.
The character drawing is clever. the plot
well worked out, and the atmosphere of
old Rome is reproduced with a fair
amount of skill; but there is nothing very
original in the book. (New York: The
Macmillan Company. N.50)
"A Child of the SUM- by Charles Eu-
gene Banks, is a collection of legends of
Indian life, illustrated by Louis Belts.
The Illustrations are in color, and are
simply charming. The style of the book
is simple, and it is likely to find favor in
the eyes of young readers, while it may
prove interesting also TO older people.
The pictures, however. would alone make
the book worth buying as a gift book.
Their richness of coloring. daintiness of
design, and entire harmony with the text
make them the most attractive feature of
the volume, and that is saying something.
Chicago: Herbert 5. Stone s; Co. s150)
THE Nineteenth Hole by van Tassel
Sutphen. is the third of the portrait
series" of short stories issued by the
Harpers. Mr. Sutphen is the only man
who has thus far had the temerity to
,rnlf r.
iy well with his somewhat difficult ma
terial OF course, the average reader will
need glossary in order to get at the
point of some of the stories, but there
was no way to avoid that Some of them,
moreover, are ineligible 10 the uninitiat-
ed. The brightest thing in the book is
the last. farce called First Aid to the
Injured which has little or nothing to
do with golf and is capitally adapted to
amateur acting in a drawing room. The
first of the stories The Teleautomaton,"
is also rather good, and there is an In
teresting automobile epic. The Greatest
Thing in the World is a speculative
study of the kind of hades this world
might become If entirely inhabited by
golf fiends. CNew York: Harper * Bros
sI15D
THE Letters Of Her Mother to Eliza
beth. which has appeared anonymously,
is supposed to be sequel to The Visits
OF Elizabeth a bit of recent fiction The !
average maternal parent. IL she happens
to get hold of this collection of letters.
will piously hope that there are not many
such mothers in the world. and be very
much inclined to wonder what is going |
TO become of Elizabeth in that last day. |
sensible maiden viii not allow her moth |
er to read. 1t would be bad for the |
nerves. 1t is a collection Of second-rate |
English social slang and Irritation gossip |
(New York: John Lane)
-Four Leaved Clover" by Maxwell |
Grey, is a story of English life with the /
usual gallant officer and the usual pretty,
spirited girl in 1t. The only strillingly orig /
inal feature of the tale is an encounter
in which the heroine knocks the villain
down. landing him in the mud of goose
pond and disturbing the geese very much.
New York: ID. Appleton & Co. sLOO)
Love and Politics." by nellie Bevans,
$ a romance of Washington in which. in
nero that he is mo longer a demi-John. |
,ut her husband John" The artistic ex-
'elience Of the work may be judged from
his. washington: Neile Bevans)
THE Soldiers Revenge; or, Roland and
is the title of a book by Flor
nee Nightingale Craddock, whose quality |
S Indicated with clearness by the title |
{ l.; supposed to be romance of West |
Point, and will probably furnish some |
amusement to the cadets if ever circulat- |
d there. In chapter bearing the head
ng THE Lovers Quarrel we find this
stirring passage:
With his arms folded. white as marble
mage, his eyes sparkling like those OF an en- |
aged serpent with jealousy and hate Wilfred |
.Orimer stood gazing at his wounded cassnate. |
The cadets crowded around Lenox.
''Wilfred Lorimer' you have killed him" said
.lwoOd.
IN expression of Hendish glee swept over VIII
reds face.
II they had this kind of thing at West
Point often they would not need hazing
grapes for excitement. New York: The
abbey Press)
"A Woman Alone by Mrs. W. X Cliff
lord, is a small book containing three !
sketches Of English life, quite up to the
standard set in the authors previous
york. CNew York: d. Appleton & Co.
~
Friend or Foe" by Frank Samuel
-hild. is a story of early American his
ory, the frontispiece Of which exhibits a
nan and a woman in early nineteenth
entury costume, looking very solemn and
sitting very straight on wooden bench.
rhe furniture OF our ancestors was not
al |