The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-12-08

A HOUSE PARTY. Stories by-Amerlcan
Authors Small, Maynard &. Co., Bos-
| ION.
some weeks ago there was published
in this page an announcement OF a novel,
published by Small, Maynard y Co,
which sought recognition by means OF a
| contest among its readers for a prize OF
| sJuv the object OF the contest belnS 10
| decide on the most beautiful face among
several published as illustrations TO tile
| book. The same enterprising puoilshers
| have now inaugurateo new contest d
! the Same nature, governed by tnez same
conditions, ana in all ways resembling
/ the methods adopted for advertising
/ other wares, prize coupon and all. IN
| cidentally. there is book; but the merits
i'of the volume play so small part III
the matter that we hardly feel Justll1eo'
| in discussing them. The whole atten-
ton of readers is neceSsar..y centred on
the contest. ana this is the only matter
of real Importance. The plan Of the pub
fishers has been to collect in one volume
| twelve stories by we!l-known authors, OF
whom q list OF twenty-Seven is given as
having furnished the writers OF the
| twelve stories and the readers OF the
book are to guess at the authorship Oh
| each story, the fortunate guessers TO
| divide among them the handsome sum
of 81 600 There are few minor conol-
| TONS for which and for further descrlp-
| ton of the nature of the contest, we re-
| fer our readers to the book itself. where
the coupon will also be found. BY the
way. the title of the book is, ga House
Party" our interest was SO exclusively
occupied with the more material matter
of the guessing bee, that we are prone
to overlook minor details connected with
the work as a mere piece of literature
, 70 t,o NJ
| terprisinr publishers would prefer that
we should consider the book entirely in
its appeal to the cuzidity of its readers,
since this is evIently its true purpose
! and nature. SO
| AS a work of fiction. "a House Party"
| is very bad. But as an advertising
| scheme with its own circulation as the
end Of the scheme, it is; SO great as to
! be deserving of all reverence. And thus
and not otherwise, it should be consid-
| cred. S. t. D.
| THE SCREEN. BY Paul Bo,1rgett il.
| Taylor & Co, New York.
We can find no praise to award to 'The
| Screen 1t is purposeless and tiresome;
| it gives us no pictures it has no vitality.
| Its personages are the merest puppets,
| we can see the wires and hear tn creak.
| ing of the wooden joints of the figures.
| There is no breath of life in the charac-
ters of the book. It may have lost much
| in translation for the rendering is eA-
| tre1aaly bad occasionally there are err
rcrs, which, even in the English, are
palpahle to anyone having the most su-
| nerficial knowledge Of French. If In the
original which we have never seen, there
was any life. the translator has taken
| it all out and left instead a deadly dull
ness.
We regret that We cannot praise "The
| Screen for we admire most. of NJ Bour-
| 1o,1t OF .
nothing good to say. and we should be
committing a fraud upon our readers
were we TO recommend it to them.
T. T.. NJ.
DICK RANDOLPH, a SOCIAL RENE
GADE AND OTHERS. BY Frederick
L. Myers Press OF Myers Brothers,
Columbus,
The pen Of Frederick L. Myers is still
/ The life-wor1 of the brilliant young jour-
! nalist has been closed and closed far too
| early. The little volume placed before
| lis for review contains bright aud ample
| promise Hhosc fulfilment was rendered
| impossible by death Issued az a memo
/ rial Of Mr. Myers. "Dicl1 Randolph pos
/ sesses 4 dual interest AS a reviewer We
! must. however. put aside the sentimental
interest that naturally attaches to the
/ literary remains OF a felloW-craftslnali
/ crt off Mt the threshold OF a career hat
| vas his. with possibilities. We must dis
cuss the work solely with consideration
| of its qualities as a piece of literature.
| The volume contains fourteen stores
| of VARYING interest and merit. Inc least
readable of these tales possesses 4 GER
/ tain value; the best contains mnch 10
/ commend IF we were to use q single
! nbrase Of commentator we might sum
| IN the value of the book by saying: It IS
of great interest. This interest arises
not only from the manner OF teillnG. put
| from the very spirit OF the stories them
selves Mr. Myers writes with dash
and elan that brings his characters plain
" before the reader and shows them IN
action. He does not present automatons
nut characters of flesh and blood. he
does not give us the ideal but the actual.
In short. Dick Randolph is coliec-
ton of intensely human pictures sketch-
4 ed hurriedIy but effectively. u. =. L
/ KING MIDAS. BY Upton Sinclair. funk
& Wasaalls Company. New York
We are told that king Midas, novel
by Upton Sinclair. has, in the form OF
advance sheets, won extraordinary praise
from several eminent critics we are
not eminent, therefore we cannot praise
1 the book; our logic may be delecli'e' put
| our conclusion is absolute.
ssKing Midas''$is. considered IN slInples'
form the story OF g girl who determines