New-York tribune., 1905-02-05
THE DESERT.
II Brilliant Study of Its Beauty
and Its Psychology.

l2no, pp. 4S2. Frederick A. Stokes Company.
It is little difficult TO adjust ones self to
the fact that this book is by the author OF THE
Green Carnation." Mr.. Hichens has improved
out Of all knowledge. We knew that he had
the principle of growth in him, for some of
his later novels have been better than their
predecessors, and If one or two of them
the other hand have proved disappointing, they
have only shown in that regard that Mr.. HIGH
Is not q man of genius. We have never
taken him for a genius, but we have always
felt that his talent was above the average in
quality His studies of English society have
been marked by considerable insight, and he
has shown in the mere writing of them that he
possesses the narrative gift in generous meas
ure. One OF his books, THE Londoners," is,
We may add one of the cleverest bits Of farce
published in years An this has caused US to
expect interesting work from Mr.. Hichens, but
in TIE Garden of Allah he goes beyond our
expectations and gives US a novel which we
can almost imagine ourselves reading second
time. II does not seriously matter that it con-
tains a good many phrases which can only be
regarded as unfortunate survivals Of his Green
Carnation" period. We can readily grant the
author such sayings as that the expression
of his eyes was almost disgustingly intelli-
gent" for we know that he has himself inteli-
gence enough to get over that sort Of thing
some day. Moreover, the central motive Of
The Garden Of Allah" is too strong, and Mr..
Hichens shows too much sympathy and skill
in the broad lines Of his treatment OF it. for the
reader to feel anything save gratitude, as he
turns these absorbing pages
The fact that they are absorbing is of itself
something to excite our admiration 1t is not
often that the iaded novel reader encounters
hook the interest OF which holds him from
beginning TO end with scarce a moment OF
tediun Moreover, Mr.. Hichens has undertaken
TO do in this book that which only one man IN a
thousand could hope to do with success, To
make nature play a great part IN ms drama
The North African desert provides him with
much more than a background 1t forms an
integral part of the story, and TINS al every
stage of the latter, when the hero and heroine
are living their most reflective moments, ano
when they are in the grip Of the most dramatic
crises Description necessarily counts Tor nucn
in the strengthening Of this aspect Of the book
Mr. Fichens gets at the psychology OF the
desert at the subtle exercise of its influence
over those who set foot upon its sands through
recreating unnumbered desert scenes upon ths
printed page. But his descriptive Wrluns Is
very far from being that of the ordinary search-
or after local color. Pierre Lott Is MS CLOSEST
urototype where the difficult art OF palntng
+la+ strange land is concerned. and Lott has
never done ha11 SO HluCn ~ - -
1ial mystery as MI Hichens does IN The Car
den Of Allah"-which, by the way Is the name
given by the Arabs TO their desolate DOMAIN
The Frenchuaan is a consumInate impressionist.
and IN the delicate drawing and exquisite color
of his fnirritable sketches there is truth WHICH
Is only enhanced by the poetic glamour ne cASls
oyer them But TO the confirmed reader or Lou
and TO read him at all is to read him a great
deal-there comes soon or late. feeling tnAt
an excessive sophistication interpeneuates MS
-. Lao,,;lipg nrose Charming as Lott -