New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-11-28
HOLIDAY GIFT BOOKS.
Prose and Terse Accom- panied by
Good Pictures.

shakespeare Illustrated b. b, Artnq ar Ra'Kham
MAR n2Tated Sy John cec Gay syo PIP is
| Houghton Miff1in Company.
fi s1o 9i pp. $50 HougHton Mifiin Company
TALES BY EDGAR ALLAN POE. ce g}t.I,sI
s Eqleinn sf f1'i pp. 517 n Dufieid Co
THE CHIMES As writer in 1 Win cTI 9.ra
in color and Hs BY Gsorse Afeq C Wl
our HOME AND COUNTRY. Pictured by " vi Ii
Taylor. Svo. PIP. xxxiit 12e MoHa'' la"
| THE cHRIsrY BOOK OF DRAWINGS. Pic
Ts d p Bfsk e sPf White Fa an6
4 Go.
BACHELOR BELLIES With nustEstiog.s IS, y y
Hspgood. svo. Dodd, Mead & Co.
! AS was noted in these columns not long ago.
an unusual number of English artists have
lately addressed themselves to the Illustration
of Shakespeare. The first of the resultant vol
urnes TO appear this side of the water Is an
edition of "A Midsummer Nights Dream" with
| pictures in black and white and in coors by Mr..
Arthur Rackham, and it certainly makes an
suspicious beginning. This artist who has rap
idly risen to high repute, has surpassed himself
on this occasion. His designs delightfully."- blend
those elements of nature and of faery which
exert such magical influence in the play the
frontispiece picture of Titania lying asleep In
the wildwood, strikes just the right key ana Mr.
Rackham adheres TO this key throughout lie
is withaI inventive and adroit passing easily
from a theme all gossamer and dream to one OF
simple realism. His creatures of enchantment
and his hobnaed types, his lovely maldens ana
his shapes of dread are alike we'll conceived ana
skilfully drawn The tints. too in these illus
trations are thoroughly pleasing. Each colored
picture is affixed 10 a mount. providing back
ground of another hue; the text is handsomely
printed and both title page and front cover
have been designed with taste. Only the back
of the cover falls short of the standard of ar
tistic quality aimed at. Despite this detail,
which has a somewhat cheap and mechanical
appesrsnce. this book must remain of the
very best publications of the holiday season
The Christmas book is never more welcome
than when it embodies work of literature or
interest TO the reader at any time In recos-
milton of this fact we always nave. around the
HOLIDAYS new editions of old classics like the
volume of Shakespeare noted above; and we
have also what is equally to be commenced IN
its way the reprint of some good bit OF modern
| writing Acceptab BILE indeed, is Marjorie Daw,"
| now for the first time separately republished In
| book form Aldrich wrote this well remembered
tale in his highest and most graceful vein. It
wears Marjorie Daw" is trihe. if you like,
hut il is trife that will bear rereading. The
| present edition has been freely Illustrated by
Mr. John Cecil Clay, a craftsman with sem
sitive touch. His sketches are printed IN dell
cate colors and are from every point of view.
| harmonious with the text. From the same pub
! fishers comes THE Children's Lonsfellow,
| selection from the poet made with Judgment ana
nut into book which just in its external ap-
pearance should invite the young reader who Is
| leaving the nursery and beginning to develop an
| things.
| ase Illustrations in colors have been capitally
drawn bv various hands and the floral chapter
| headings make another decorative feature
Good type and paper have been used, and the
| cover of cream and gold with colored picture
| on the front, is likewise attractive
In a volume of Tales by Edgar Allan Poe
/ which appears with reference to his centenary
the selection from his writings has evidently
/ been made with view to the taste OF the MUS
traitor Mr. E. L. Blumenschen That clever
, artist has made seven pictures for as many
stories and all of the latter represent Poe in MS
aeriest mood THE Fall OF the House OF Usher"
| The Masque of the Red Death, The Plt ana
! tho Pendulum" and THE Black Cat are among
| these pfeces Mr.. Blumenschen has read them
! ali with feeling for the subtle horror in them
! t5a &c son7brelv fantastic His figures are boldly
conceived and broadly painted Just once ne
! fails tn carry conviction. The picture for The
| Murders in the Rue Morgue" is ingenious in con-
| ception. but though we see what the illustrator
is driving at he does not quite gam the desired
! effect The other pictures have great merit
They fit perfectly into the text. they are sound
in execution. and they have a SAVIOR OF orlgl-
naIitv MI Blumenschein is particular! TO De
concentrated on his avoidance Of the merely
grotesque extravaganza into when the Hius'ra-
! tor of Poe is easily 10 be lureo'
Mr. GEORGE Alfred Williams has made some
entertaining illustrations for The Chimes The
full mage pictures in colors are sympathetcaiiy
a.,,ised and executed with ability. The one in
which Toby Week slips out into the street at the
call IF the bells is uncommonly picturesque.
1rh. hook is Iuxuriously printed with headpieces
q, black and white and simple tinted borders.
nv, the green and gold cover. part OF the coored
frontispece is repeated, a winter scene With
figures in the costumes of another day. The
result is thoroughly festal binding
In .our Home and Country a collection of
noAr7s and prose fragments dealing with Ameri-
can life Is deliberately illustrated BY Mr.. W. l..
! TavIor His drawings form kind Of panorama
in which familiar types, domestic scenes and, in
short the spirit of the land as land OF home
nu;ldars NAV be observed through glasses of
bsppv sentiment A preface by Mr.. W. II.
Downes calls attention to the typical character
of Mr. Taylor's designs They are not so many
pretty pictures. They have been composed with
a lively instinct for genuine human things.
Composed and drawn with practised hand and
ercellently reproduced in full page plates they
make winning souvenir Of national traits.
s.The Christy Book of Drawings is of
those large, fat, oblSng volumes in which the
works OF a popular illustrator ere more and
more frequently gathered togethe-. The idea is
.g.@ -.