New-York tribune., 1902-05-17
PART II.
SIX PAGES.
SUMNER READING.
CURRENT LITERATURE CLASSIFIED
AND SIFTED.
UNUSUALLY INTERESTING MEMOIRS AND
BIOGRAPHIES ESSAYS AND LITERARY
sTUDIES-NOTES OF TRAVEL-A
RICH HARVEST OF FICTION.

rest upon their oars for little while, and then
occupy themselves with preparations fo7 the
autumn and winter season, issuing compara-
lively few books until about the middle of Sep
tember. But they leave readers well supplied
for a period which, perhaps more than any
other, is favorable to the enjoyment of books
one cannot be playing golf all the time. The
long summer mornings and afternoons contain
hours in which. among thousands of readers,
new books are taken up that have been neces-
sariIy neglected in the few short weeks before
the warmer weather weeks so crowded with
these publications that only professional
mentators could hope to keep up with them.
Summer reading is often assumed to mean
nothing more than fiction. Undoubtedly the
novel is very much to the front But other
books are also in demand, and we therefore
make no apology for first glancing at more
serious writings in what offer to our read
ers as a concise and convenient survey of cur
rent literature. Indeed, If entertainment is de-
sired. il is TO be found in unprecedented abun-
dance this year among books not commonly
considered TO make light reading We refer
more especially 10 the volumes of memoirs and
biography recently brought out.
They range from formal studies Of historical
personages TO collections Of anecdotes: but even
your scholar nowadays, is aware of the potency
of intimate personalia, when kept within ju-
dicious bounds, and makes his work as inter
estng TO the layman to the special student.
Take, for example The Mystery of Mary
Stuart Q-ongmans, Green & Coz, by Mr
Andrew Lang. This gives one of the most sym
pathetic portraits of the romantic Queen that
exists in the great body of literature that has
gathered around her name. Though it is fun
of argument, making for an adverse Judgment
upon the question of her guilt, it brings out in
iz-id her is
larly attractive for the vignettes that it in
cludes of Mary's friends and foes A good book
TO read with this is the entitled Five
Stuart Princesses" (E. P. Dutton Coz, in
which Mr.. Robert S Raft and several other
authors write with vivacity about Margaret Of
Scotland, Elizabeth Of Bohemia, Mary of Or
ange, Henrietta of Orleans and Sophie OF Han
over Mr.. Bellocs "Robespierre' (Charles
Scribner's sons, though burdened with rather
obscure psychological analysis, is rich in pict-
1Iresoue description. The new Life OF Ma
poleon I" CThe Macmillan Company, by Mr..
John Holland Rose, is an ideal work for the
reader who wishes authoritative but not too
big or too technical book the subject. In two
handy volumes il gives the first really we'll
balanced and entertaining popular biography Of
Napoleon that has been published. The author
is scholar who is content 10 keep his scholar
ship in the background, and simply give his
reader the results of its exercise 1t is sufficient
ly seasoned with anecdote and is altogether
absorbing. "Napoleon's Letters to Josephine"
(E. P. Dutton & Coz is curious and in its way
very interesting book well edited by Mr. H f
Hall book abounding in important Napol-
comic data is the translation of The
Memoirs of Chateaubriand" (G. P. Putnams
Sons) made by Alexander Teixeira de Mattos,
in six volumes Of which four have been brought
out within the present month. This famous
work, never before put complete into English,
is crammed with anecdotes and with portraits
of the authors contemporaries.
There are several other new books of value re-
lating TO French history. THE Diamond Neck
lace" q. B. Lippincott Coz, by NJ. Funck-
Brentano, gives account of the historic scan
daI as interesting a novel. NJ. Bertins sym
pathetic monograph. Madame de Lamballe"
Godfrey A. S. Weiners) has been translated
hv ArabeIla Ward. Mr. TalIentyre's Women
Of the Salons and Other French Portraits
0,ongmans Green & Coz is fascinating book
OF essays. We must add to the list also, the
important series of transations made by Miss
Worneley from the memoirs of Count Fersen'
D'Argenson and Cardinal Bernis, with the Lille
and Letters of Madame Elizabeth" and the Let
ters of Mile Julie de Lespinasse," all published
by Hardy, Pratt & Co., of Boston. italian his
Martinengo Cesaresco's italian Characters"
CCharles Scribner's sons. collection OF eleven
interesting chapters Ricasoli, Manin, Ugo
Bassi and other figures in the epoch of Cniflca-
ton, and by Mr.. Opdycke's fine translation OF
Castiglione's "Cortegiano" (Charles Scrbners
Sons), the most famous Of all Renaissance
books on manners. Mention may also be made
of Baron CorVo's CHRONICLES of the House OF
Borgia" CE. P. Dutton & Coz though the af-
fected style of the author goes far to spoil
the effect of his good material. A striking
study Of Russian court life in the eighteenth
century is Mr.. Nisbet Bain's Peter III (E
p Dutton & Coz, in which the tragic his
tory of the rickety little emperor is briefly set
forth with useful sidelghts on Catherine II, his
consort, who is believed to have conniVed at his
murder famous German court which was
Illuminated by the presence of Goethe Wieland
and other authors. is celebrated with much di-
verting anecdote by Frances Gerard in two
plump and pleasing volumes. entitled "A Grand
Duchess: The Life of Anna AmaIia Duchess OF
Saxe-Weinnar- -Eisenach, and the Classical Cir
Gle of Weimar'' (F1 p. DuttOn & Coz. biog-
raphy concerned with both Germany and Eng
land is Mr.. w. II. WHns's Caroline the IL
lustrious Queen Consort OF George II and Some
time Queen Regent Oongmans, Green & Coz,
mine Of lively gossip and anecdote.
The list Of English memoirs includes some OF
the most diverting books of the season. Mrs.
Charles Bagots Links with the Past" Oong-
mans. Green Coz gives, in the most agreeable
1orm the recollections Of English woman,
who, as the daughter of an admiral the wife
OF popular court official, and the relative of
various distinguished people. was in the way
seeing xnpu in