The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-11-07
THE ALExANpR1AN RoMANoEs

The Romance of Alexander tho Prince
The Romance ol Alexander tho King. |
The Romance OF Alexander and RoEana.
The AlcNaudrian Romances. BY Mar |
shall Monroe Kirkman. The Cropley
Phillips Company, Publishers, Chicago
These fine historical novels are in
the truest sense A growth. Tho author
wrote first. Islander Then he
wrote Alexander the King and
Alexander and Roxaua.' After conl-
pleting the triIogy, however, he found
that "Iskander' was inadequate, and
so he devoted two ycars to tho rcwrit-
ing of that romance and now calls 1.
''Thc Romance Of Alexander the
Prince Thus the first of the trilogy
is the last to bc completely written.
We have many historical novels OF
different ages and peoples. but few
have come from the era OF the great
Alexander. The period was one OF un-
rest and continual war. Macedonia
her supremacy. The sublngauon OF
Greece was next in order; then OF ASIA
Minor, of Egypt and Of Persia. Each
OF these novels is Il complete story Ill
itself, vivid. thrilling, undertaking 20
convey tho rich color of life in those
strenuous times 10 tho comprehension
Of the modern reader. Eaci. being
cd together by the personality OF she
great Alexander. who is the dominating
figure throughout. Even during the
lifetime OF his father, King Phillip,
l,a was 4 great parsonage. 1T muat be
conceded that the author hns been ad'
mirahly successful in reproducing the
vanished life OF Alexander 6 time. Tho
sentiment, and local adaptation. The
stories arc woven around and include
tho greatest men of that age Of the
world, and also the greatest women;
| those who, though thcT played pre-
eminent parts in the shaping of the
world, have hitherto been neglected by
writers Of fiction. The gorgeous pa.
battles. the splendid dccda of heroes,
me loves, hates, fears, intrigucs, hopes,
and ambitions Of the greatest hgnres
of Il splendid age Tcappear vividly and
| IN appropriate colors. Towering above
all, and alike 4 figure commanding in
all .hc novels, the great Alexander is
made to live again III the flesh, ami.
mated by lofty ambition mingled with
unselfsh, as we'll as cruel acts, tender
friendships, and stcadfast loyalty to
his word and to his friends.
Tho author, Marshall NJ, I<irkman.
is nm adept, skilled well In the art of
storytelling, He is, in fact, n trained
export. Ten years ago he wrote 4
book, 'Thc Romance OF Gilbert
Holmes "a love story of the dayo OF
Lincoln and Douglas, that charmed the
critics of America and England with
its beauty and dellcacy of touch, and
is still appealing to readers because OF
its interest and high literary quality
For half century close aud ardent
student of the history of the ancients
his virile imagination seized upon Alex
ander the Great as the central figure
of his romanccs. In these romanccs
the great conQucror lives again. animal
cd by n lofty ambition and love
of conquest, but mingled with a pure
and msclfish lovc-tender in his friend
ships and steadfast in his loyalty Il
his word and those about hun. In th'
telling Of his stories the author is n
once vivid and painstaking in the por
trayal Of the stirring and romantic
events with which he deals, and so clcv
erly does he interWeavc the history ot
the time with the romance that it be
comes an integral part of the war;
aHd woof of the whole fabric.
The publishers haze put forth thc
novels in fine form, three volumes. Th'
Illustrations are good, some Of them i:
vivid rolors, and altogether the scrir
is one much TO be admired and desired