The San Francisco call., 1904-06-26
lin ActOr to I'LL
and EDen Himself

n PECULIARLY difficult character
"a to analyze is that about which w.
E. Norris has written his latest novel,
Natures Comedian" There are in
sincere men in the world, lots OF them,
as there are tnsincere women; there
are men whose conscious acts OF de-
ception and Of equivocation are care
fully studied and planned for the ends
in view; but the man whose insincerity
deceives himself alike with others, and
whose deceit is sui generis thing OF
him so much a part that 1t is one with
the sub-conscious self-this man,
though not uncommon, is uncommonly
subtle He is inordinately selfish while
believing himself generous, cynically
cruel even when giving OF his prided
kindness. OF such man 1t is verify
true that,
All the worlds stage
And all the men and women merely players
The hero of Norris novel. Mr.. Harold
Dunville, is a fair type of this dis
agreeable species of humankind. At
the hands of the author he is. made
no less interesting, however, than re-
pellant.
study of one character and one
alone is the veteran English novelist's
latest book BY word and deed, secret
communings and open descending is
Harold Dunville we'll called Natures
Comedian" made to reveal his inner
most self to the reader. From the
standpoint of literary workmanship,
Norris analysis Of this character is
complete and artistically wrought.
Through the various chameleon-like
changes of heart that this moral
weathercock experiences, or, better, in
dulges himself with. the writer has not
r,7f= chi of mil M n
ped a line of significance. Whether or
not this perfect portrait will please
must depend upon the taste or the
reader in the matter OF this Intensive
style of fiction writing-the style that
calls little of incident to the support
of it's interest.
Mr.. Harold DunvilIe is an actor of
no little worth on the stage and or
consummate skill when of. We are
first introduced to- him when he is just
drawing to a close his very successful
season and wondering how he can hide
himself on his vacation so that Miss
Lorna FitzWalter, his leading lady and
devoted lover, may not sbother him
Chance, in the guise of his mothers
sudden death, calls Dunville from Lon
don TO his old home in Kent and there
he believes that he falls in love with
a little rosebud of a country girl VINO,
like the lamented FitZwalter, loses her
nedrI lnStdnIef. Enters lueiI the tHlIO
young lady, Josephine Gardiner, rich,
worldly wise and wOrldstale. The
reader cannot conjure up dilemma
more perplexing than was that of the
hero. But the hero takes a course
which the reader might well eschew.
From love 10 politics the change is
made with results little more encour-
aging. People begin Ito find out, the
hero last of all. At last the author has
his creature creation take course
vainly melodramafic. vainly propitiat-
ing Harold Dunville dies, true to his
nature. in a foolish self-sacrifice, which
may be lauded in the papers for day
and then forgotten.
Above the superficiality and the triv-
ialities of Harold Dunviile's character
there may be found by those that are
kind an element of tragedy all-sufh-
cfent in extenuation. After reading
Natures Comedian" we may well be
moved TO add TO the Litany: From
our own unconscious conceits and the
tricks of our vanity, good Lord. deliver
us"
ID. Appleton & Co. New York; price
81 50)