The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-24
4 Batch OF New Novels.

A thoroughly unhackneyed plot has been
devised by Mr.. Henry Wilton Thomas in
The Sword Of Wealth" &c. p. Putnam's
sons, and he carries the reader with him
by the freshness and d%irectness with which
he relates the extraordinary adventures
of his people. He gives "A good portrait of
the INSCRIPTIONS Italian slave driver, the
type of many of the psdroni in this country.
and his socialist hero has the right touch of
Latin rhetoric. The minor characters. too,
show that the author if familiar with Italy.
The story turns in a manner on the riots in
Milan after King Humbertis death. and
vivid pictures of these are presented. There
Is a trihe too much socialism perhaps, and
a good deal of going to and fro. The char
actens are inclined TO declaim, too. at critical
moments. but the story reads easily and
there il plenty of movement.
An entertaining burlesque on detect i've
romance will he found in The Chase Of the
Golden Plate, by jacques Futrelle (Dodd,
Mead and Company. The plot hangs to-
gether better than is the case in many
solemn stories of this kind, the stupidity of
police detectives is exposed and the solver
of the mystery is amusing. 1t is very light
reading.
In white Fang" Macmillan 81 MIR. Jack
London returns to the theme of his first
triumph. The actors are again the wolves
Of the barren north land. There are remi-
niscences OF Kipling, there is a dangerous
approach to sentimental natural history
IN the wolf biography and there is. of course.
a lot Of brutality. II il, however, the sort
Of work that Mr.. London does best, and we
confess that, if there must he brutal fights,
We prefer them among beasts rather than
men. This tale is told wildly. 1t is a sort
OF Cal from the Wild the processes Of
the first story being reversed.
The half dozen stories called six
Women" by Victoria Cross Mitchell Ken
nerley). are drawn with very thick strokes.
The author at times calls a spade a spade
very plainly, SO we suppose they are
strong" The desire to provide a dramatic
situation blinds the writer to the absurdity
of the behavior, of the characters. The
alteration yielded by young women Of in
ferior races to manly Englishmen must
crafty male readers.
Purchasers of Mrs. Gertrude Atherton's
sRezanov' (The Authors and Newspapers
Association. New York;, though they may
obtain the book at a low price, will be
alarmed at the conditions imposed. II
prior to August 1. 1907, they resell or offer
or advertise to resell it the title reverts
20 the publisher, and worse than this: ANY
defacement. alteration OF removal of this
notice will be prosecuted by the publishers
20 the full extent Of the law" This indicates
no intention TO brighten away readers,
We fancy, but some new and ingenious
plan OF selling books, unless it be a phase
in the fight in England between the Times
and the publishers. Mrs. Atherton's tale
10 about the Russians in the Pacific at the
beginning Of the last century. There are
references at the end. so that we imagine
II must be accepted az another example
OF the method Of improving history, which
she tried previously on Alexander Hamilton.
A helter-skelter rush through a tumble Of
farce and crime Is made very sute rtaining bv
Mr.. Arnold Benuett in Hugo" Ct. NJ
Buckles and Company. The author is
afflicted with a superfuity Of ide az. MANY
of them amusing, but seems 20 lack the
patience to follow ary one Of them for anv
length Of time. The ideas are not whollv
original and are generally theatrical. He
Jumps from one situation to anot her.
Nevertheless he has the Palais Royal dash
that carries the reader along breathlessIy
and in a da0e through all the absurd COM
plications. The criminal story is exciting.
though the points in it will not bear close
inspection. ,...r.