The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-01-24
BOOKS AND AUTHORS.

Henry James is still in America and
he has decided not to return to England
until August Possibly the distinguished
author. an exile from bs natiye land for
some twenty years ia absorbing local color
and gathering material for new novel
with English characters set against an
American background. English men and
| women are quite IA absurd when taken
| out of their own environment and set in
| juxtapostion with unfamiliar conditions az
American men and women are, and the
| delightful thing about IL is they never
| know il themselves One of the first things
the American abroad learns ia 10 laugh at
| himself and TO submit TO criticism and
| patronage with graciousness that is usually
misunderstood for mystifcation at his own
shortcomings An Englishman always
takes his England with him, like his luggage
and sits in the midst OF it serene In the
conviction that every body and everything
is wrong except himself. He will no doubt
take his shoe trees along when he dies
and put his boots outside the golden gate
to DO cleaned when he goes to bed 1t
would be quite worth disentangling all the
grammatical hard knots that Mr.. james
can tNlSI INTO MS SyutdA W HdNe "diIio9
version of the Engishman In America.
with al the su5tiety Of analysis and
keeuness Of observation FOR which the
selr-exied author is famous. Such book
would. no doubt, put even the celebrated
third edition Of the Golden Bowl
which has startled the American literary
world, quite in the shade.
The Bdxdrs new serial ia written by
Mary f. Wilkins-Freeman and is called
The Debtor 1t promises to be worthy
successor to The Masqueraders- and the
ever popular Memoirs OF a Baby, which
have preceded it.
1t IL rumored that F. Hopkinson Smith
is preparing a new book for spring pub
licaton. The subject Of the book IL
unknown, but il signifies little. The world
will welcome the rose the artist author
offers by any name he chooses 20 call IT.
And his world IL wide one and full OF
sympathetic admirers. There isn't gon-
dolier In Venice who doesn't know how TO
find the small canal across the Gindecca
where Smith was fond Of sketching and OF
which he has written in his book on Venice.
At the quaint little hosiery az Dortrecht
in Holland where Smith spends his holt
DAYS. they bring out with pride little
sketch Of the place written many years
ago for an American magazine The
host cala up the man servant Jan" blond
and bhishing, 10 salute the guest who asks
for him Tine the maid, has gone the
way Of all the earth and married her Dutch
lover. whose name was not Jan" Conse-
ouently she is no longer to be seen at the
little inn, but all the rest is unchanged.
To bring out all that is amusing or peculiar
in a place or people in whimsical manner
that never oHends, but really endears the
author 10 those Of whom no writes. seems
TO p,. peculiarly Mr. Smiths province.
Under the title Of The Other Side Of the
Lantern Sir Frederick Treves has writ
ten an account OF his recent tour around
the world which ia Of unique interest be
cnuse Of the advanta geous introductions
the author had in every country. He
reached japan Just after the outbreak
OF the war when he was received by the
Emperor and entertained by the leading
men OF the medical profession and the most
distinguished OF the military stan His
description Of that dramatic period is not
ODiV IMPRESSIVE III IAsfNis bNN - " 1N'NA"ai
value "a a picture OF Japan in the early
days Of the great war
Although -Parsifal' has lost prestige
with the ticket spectators in New York.
and both the Ger man edition de luxe and
the cheaper English version have departed
from the rity, interest in Wagner's final
work is so great throughout the country
that a new edition has been demanded
OF Kaferath's "Parsifal of Richard Wag
ner.- The seriousness with which the
people who buy this work take Wagner
music drama may be gagged by the fact
that the book is 800 pages long, and not
only considers all aspects of Wagner's
work. but gives the detailed consideration
of the narratives Of Chrdtien de Troes
and Wolfram Won Eschenbach upon which
TO some extentWagner based his drama
Burton T. S,evenson's Tho Marathon
Mvsterv. the detective story with the
astonishing dtnouement has gone into
a fourth printing. and the publishers have
received an offer for the German rights
OF the book.
In view Of the recent development Of
affairs in Russia the new novel Of Inner
Russia. upon which A. Cahan has boon
engaged so long and which is promised
for publication early in February, becomes
OF important interest. Sir. Howells says
Of the Russian writer, who was obliged
TO hy from his native country on account
OF his revolutionary principles, His sense
Of character is as broad IA his sense Of hui
man nature is subtle and deep | cannot
help thinking that we have in him writer
OF foreign birth who will do honor 10 Ameri-
can letters
It il an interesting fact chat two books
under the came title. The Storm Center,
are announced for spring publication. One
ia written hy Charles Egbert Craddock. and