The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1906-12-23
Girl Novelist Writes OF the
Wioled Duke Of Milan

Girl Novelist Writes OF the
Wicked Duke of Milan
The viper ar Milan" IS the latest
addition 10 the historical novels OF the
season. in many respects ii-is.s very
extraordinary production Marjorie
Bowen. the author. ts represented 70 US
sc a girl OF nineteen, who has been
writing al thIs hook in her leisure Tor
the lssr four years But ior the con
fession-or IS II advertisement the
wrlter.s extreme yeutnfulress wolie
not have beeB suspected certainly
nothing ii the text suggests H. And
10Y nineteen Il is remarkably wen
done though not % the rank - that
other lnfant prodigy novel % rev
seasons seo. The Helmet q NavarI E.
Mistakenly IL s. often assumed that
the so-calIe5 historical noTel is sim
ply sngar-coate6 history That IS sci
dom trce our fctionist who goes 70
the ub-srs- fof his,gnen and women, ms
castles his forests, his loves a1a l-zt
ed Sights and feasungs lets no mere
fefaff ~ chronology cheek the iTee
nrrt ~ hls fancy. Did not the incom-
-ehlc Dumas turn the centuries up-
4 dgnu to SUIT The purpose OF MS
Y nance1- ARA SO with the nineteen
N.-ar-osd novelist Brareiy enough she
sets down the date tn her very hrst
page as 1s63-and then throws away
her calendar.
The viper. Clan Gaieazzo Maria Wis
cor DUKE % Milan. about thirty years
oic aas Duet captured and sacked We
roma rrf-n SITS prince. AI1stino della
raa iuLo fght and raker Della sea-
wte prisoner holding Der IS 2
hostage clan makes fls hrst appear
fhe eos of driving his deposed
fe and neither in an open carriage
to Erescia. where De murders them,
end so makes his own position as
r.----r.r more secure Thus the reNet,
history records lt thas sian Galeazzo
YVES ho-n lr 1877 ard aid not usu-p the
~faee and power of his uncle Barriaio,
rr and aid not become first Duke
IL aLnar until 1925 Also poor Mas
tlno della Scala was assassl1ated
trLfire matter Of eighty-fNe years be
gore this story opens
Prf fg for History when Romance
holds Che sra &c, II IS enough that the
stor hangs weI together and that IN
tecest lapses not into duilness- So Il IS
can ~ the novel IS com
posife ~ Clan and Ezzelino da Romano
IN history EzzeIin0 Of history walled
go famuv ~ princes IN a tower 70
perish on munger. clan or lie mover At
templs the same treatment Of Count
Conrad The evil deeds charged 70
fhe wiper ~ Milan" can almost ell Of
4 aem be verified In or near the scene
Md period ~ the story. but may not
be laid with Justice ar the same door
In fne. MISS Bowen's Clan IS 2 100
vIIlafnous villain. The publisher :
preface tells US that no novel gives 4
more concrete, Vivid and brilliant In
preston 81 the ITALY o. the Early Re-
Nuisance" bat that IS not so easily re-
futed as tho matter Of datese The
"spirlt' Of the Renaissance Is easy
enough 10 get, with certain amount
o. cruelty. treachery and love OF art
ard q back ground OF wandering mer-
cenartes and mysterious architecture
This novel IS a clever weaving into an
frtere sting narrative OF scraps OF I'm
perfectly renemb ercd tales from the
I.atiaE middle ages and such Il
may be accepted and thoroughly en-
5oved.
we have learned that Marjorie
Bowen" 81 should be said. IS nom dc
plume. adopted 20 avoid confusion
with the you1g novelists mother, who
fs not unknown n England as q writer
% serials Il Is OF interest also to
know that she was educated as an
artist There are evidences OF that all
through the book.
(lTcClure.. Phillips 4 Co. New York
Price g rn3