The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-08-23
Literary Lights and Shadohs
BY s. MAYS BALL.

IAYS BALL.
 slaves of the state, how the peasant be- came a revolutionist the peasants pres ent state of mind, how most people in Russia are now waiting for civil war. Part four describes the Evolution of Q new nation," how the people of Russia are becoming united, why the nation has chosen the revolutionary way: why the moderates are cooperating with the reactionaries; why the peasants becoming socialists have abandoned hope in the duma, with an interesting dissertation on the leaders of the people of Russia. Part five describes Revolution and the mes sage" through the workingmen, and their position; how the workingmen are organizing and planning for civil war; how and why the priests are becoming revolutionists and last but most im- portant, Is MT. Walling's discussion of what the message" is that Russia has now for all humanity wherever 1t may be.
 "Russia's Message is dedicated "To the men and women who in all walks of life are contending against the forces that are trying to introduce into Ameri- ca the despotism and class rule of east ern Europe: to all those who, in the tra- ditional revolutionary American spirit are leading our country against all the reactionary tendencies prevailing in pol itics, morality, education literature and science, to it's great democratic snd so- cial word-destiny"
 The book is great production. To any one who wishes to acquaint himself with the subject of the Russian revolution, hardly any other book recently pub liShed would do so well. The book is also very interesting, which adds to its strength naturally
 MT. Walling has dated his book "Lin- coln's Birthday, 190S." Just suppose the author had waited to write his book at MT Lincoln's home, Springfield, H., within the past few days of bloodshed and riotl
 ''The Circular Staircase" by Mary Rob- erts Rhinehart. (Bobbs-Merrill Col
 All that Is necessary usually to throw the poor suffering book reviewer into a state of gloom, from which 1t will re- quire numerous pleasant outside influ- ences to remove him, is to have to read and discuss the average detective story. There should be. maybe there Is, some law in the penal code which would pre- vent the issuance of the average detec- tive story, but if there is such a section of law, no one has yet been able to To- cate, bring forth and apply 1t, for those awful limitations of Sherlock Holmes still overcome us.
 It Is only when such a delightful, diff nt-from- others story, such as ''The Circular Staircase appears that we are glad that the indiscriminate prohibition of detective tales Is not in effect Any body who is accustomed to reading the average detective tommy-rot, or accus- toned to reading anything for that mat ter, can usually within the first 25 or so pages, tell positively who Is the criminal nf fhn ufn IQt,t most people feel that having paid $15o for book he should be punished for being such an easy mark, by being forced to suffer for his purchase by reading 1t through.
 Which remarks, being by way of in- troduction to the superior, way above the ordinary detective story just pub lished August 15) by the Bobbs- Merrill Co, called The Circular Staircase," written by Mrs. Mary Roberts Rinehart. It is only necessary to take into consid- eration the above remarks in regard to poor reviewers having to read the aver age detective tale, to understand that when an honest reviewer even intimates that detective story is above the aver age, that that is saying a great deal and no mistake.
 The publishers advise that this book IS the first from Mrs. Rhinehart Such DShis eho case, iel us nope sincerely that 1t will not be the last. Mrs Rinehart hal taken probable events dealing with an old country place near a city, and has had things happen there that in reading her book the reader will appreciate not only that they might have happened. but no doubt did. That is the great test of story anyway. Could the occurrences happen, would the people described do ana say the things that the author says they did? If the roader thinks so (and he will think so about "The Circular Staircase'o then the book "appeals."
 The plot of "The Circular Staircase', ia fine. The book is way above the ordina ry detective story in fact it is one of the best of such stories written in a long time. If the reader begins its perusal. he will finish it at a sitting-if possible. Can anything further be said in favor of "The Circular Staircase?" Hardly.