The Newark star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1909, 1909-11-12
BriefReuiews
of Interesting
Library Books

.RIH. HHH
Following are brief summaries of the
latest books to be received at the Free
Public Library. These. books, each in
their classification, are more in de-
mand at present than are any others.
The list includes fiction. history and
biography:
1.-THE Point OF Honor" a military tale
by Joseph Conrad. The tale is swifter
in movement and holds the attention
better than THE Secret Agent or
"Nostromo." The scene of action is in
the times of Napoleonic warfare. Two
officers in different regiments of the
hussars keep up a series of duels
/ through years Of military service. The
murderous hot-headedness of the one
is made but the more dtabolicai by the
calm reasoning honor of the other, who,
off the dueling ground, never fails to do
his adversary a good turn.
AN Olympic Victor by ]. B. ON
molly. Alive with a fine Greek spirit
of ancient and modern sport, which will
make it interesting for boys. The hero
| is the winner of the Marathon race at
the first revival of the Olympic games
a years ago. Mr.. Connolly was a MEM
Der of the American team which took
part in the games. He has taken the in
cidents of the. race as he saw them, and
added enough of romantic motive to
make a good story.
Viva Mexico!', by c. M. Flandraw.
A description, of Mexico and the Mexi-
cans, which gives an intimate insight
into the social, political, religious and
commercial lift. 1t is the travellers
l. ar1.;,1 4Ia+ io ~,afao+AI In a,aovar,o
upon the authors canvas with the GER
tain details that catch the tourists eye,
but which are too often omitted from
guide books.
Henrik Ibsen," by e. w. Gosse. Mr..
Gosse has rarely given such proof of
his vivacity as in this biography. Just
as he sees Ibsen. so does he display
him; and the irrepressible sense of
character is enforced by a not less ac-
tive sense of humor. There is no at
tempt to set forth the plots of dramas
with their lessons and problems. but to
recognize any Irregularities and audaci-
ties, qualities of merit. The closing
chapters deal with his last years and
his personal and intellectual character
istics.
THE Grey Knight by Mrs. E.. b.
De la Pasture. The description of the
Welsh county and the fine old Norman
castle which is the property of Sir
Henry Geynne, the elderly hero. are
very attractive parts of the story A
titled Englishman of 60 weds the
trained nurse of 33, who had cared for
him through a critical illness. The
family oppositions and many misun-
derstandings from the current of inter-
est and element of suspense before we
finally arrive at the point where af-
fairs are turned into the placid chan
mel of ordinary living.
The Politician" by Antonio Fogaz-
faro. The American reader who hap
pens to possess no special knowledge
of the affairs of church and state in
modern Italy may find it more read
able than the novels of the trilogy,
1.-THE Saint, 1.-THE Sinner Ind 1.-THE
Patriot" 1t is a strongly emotional
story of a young italian politicians
love for the wife of a thoroughly bad
senator. Duty prevails to the point OF
Remuneration, grief is quelled by the
call to work and moral Justice
triumphs.
Robert e. Lee, the Soutnerner.'' by
Thomas Nelson Page. Not merely a
biography of Lee, although the narra-
tive Ices delineate the man and the
soldier. The biographical feature is
secondary to the authors main purpose,
that is, an analysis of General Lees
I military genius; while a succinct ac-
count of the battles fought in the union
war, 1t finally leads up to a comparative
estimate of the claims to military
greatness made by the two contending
generals in the war-Grant and Lee,
Life of Thomas Bailey Aldrich," by
Ferris Greenslet. No more fitting choice
could have been made for ~biographer Of
Aldrich. He brings to his subject all
needful sympathy and comprehension.
He writes of the s%ingularly fortunate
life of Aldrich with the spirit of one
who knows that estimable man of let
tiers well in his latter years and under
stood his nature. Mr.. Greenslet strikes
the golden mean between condensation
and undue expansion; no one will miss
any essential fact, nor will any one feel
that the story is a page too long.
lou of Doors in the Holy Land by
Henry Van Dyke. Exactly what might
be expected from a traveller whose eyes
like. DIR. Van Dykes are ever open to
/ Tie DCdulilui, diu WIoSC PCli Is 81 WtA
able to. set forth what he sees. He
journeys in the faith that Christianity
is an out-of-doors religion and that we
find it most significantly in the open,
among the streets and on the sur
rounding hillsides of Palestine. His
writing always combines poetry. re-
ligion and the love of nature, and this
threefold felicity could not be more APP
propriately displayed han in celebrat-
ing the birthplace of Christianity.
shamrock Land, a Ramble Through
Ireland by Plummer F. Jones. A
good general description in a running,
happy-go-lucky way. Of Ireland as it is
at the present time. There is very
much more of the sunshine of the Gel
tic temperament than of its occasional
| gloom in this description of Pat and
his Emerald Isle.
fThe Soul of Spain," by Havelock
Ellis. One Of the best and most en-
Tightening books on Spain that has ever
appeared. 1t combines the comments
of a thoroughly informed and appre-
ciative traveller with the observations Of