The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-06-13
A GREAT NOVEL.
Winston Churchill Does His Best Work
In His Latest Book. Mr.. crewe's
Careepv


IN His Latest Book, MIR. Crewe's
Career
Winston Churchill is pre-eminently
the American novelist, and his latest
book Mr. Crewe's Career, is If not
the American novel. at least as near
II as any we are likely to have. on
all accounts IL is a remarkable story.
To say that II IS the best that Mr.
Churchill has ever written is equiaa.
lent to calling il one of the rost inn
portant novels of recent years II is a
love story with a background Of pclit-
ical life. and II is hard TO say whether
the love affair of Austen Nane and
Victoria Flint has greater charm than
the plot and counterplot of political
scheming. or vice versa. Readers viii
be sure to divide on this issue. but no
one will dispute the strong claims and
large interest of the story Surely no
one can ask for a more charming
heroine than Victoria Flint, who in
the end crowns with happiness the
life OF her strong young lover Vic
toria is a heroine worthy of Mr.
Churchill's best raditions-spirited,
beautiful, delicate, and true. And Aus
ten Vane is hero fit for her love.
The charm of the chapters which
are devoted entirely to these delight
lful young people is enhanced by the
studies of American life and Ameri-
can types Of character which make up
the substance of the book. There IS
the Hon Hilary Vane. Austen's father,
a mastery sketch Of the political man
lager--a man not without his fine and
lovable qualities, but a victim OF the
lsystem under which he has grown up.
Then, there is Mr., Crew. who typifies
one style Of the modern reform" poll
tician. as Austen Vane does the other.
Mr. Crew is perhaps Mr.. Churchilis
most brilliSnt character psrtrait-a
lcreature Of much more complex quail
tiles than the famous Jethro Bass OF
| "Coniston," and by so much the more
Interesting to the modern reader In
Mr.. Crew the good and bad qualities
are mixed as they are in every man in
real life; and it is a proof Of his gen.
uineness that one hasdly knows wheth.
er TO dislike or admire him most.
Because Mr. Churchill has been ac
tive in politics IN New Hampshire
where he lives. and because some OF
the events described IN Mr.. Crewe's
Career are known to have actuall,
happened there, il VIII be assumed
that the scene of the novel is laid in
New Hampshire. But this is only rel
Iatiyely true. In a general way the
political situation described fits the ac
ltual conditions of almost any state IN
the Union; and certainly the charac
tiers in their broad outlines are so es
lsentlally American that they belon.
to no restricted locality. Probabl,
there is hardly a village in the coun
try that has not at one time or al,
lother had its own political boss:
lprobably there Is no state but has had
to fight for decent government and an
independent ballot Wherever sucl
lcondltions have been known. "Mr
lCrewe's Career" will awaken interest
and exert an influence for good. ii
IS generally agreed that no other
lAmercian novelist has so large an an
ldience as has Mr. Churchill. "Mr
! lCrewe's Career promises to be tho
most widely circulated and the most
discussed Of all his books. II Is 50
thoroughly healthful and optimistic IN
tone that IL may well prove TO be one
Iof the biggest influences OF the ia,
In favor of pure politics And in any
case there can be no doubt of the en
tertainment that thousands OF read
ers will find in love story so Original
and delightful