The Detroit times., 1911-05-22
Fenelia.

FeneIia.
There are a lot OF good things TO
be said about Fenella. by II. L. Stuart
and, while 1t Is not very illuminat-
ing criticism, we would rank II as one
of the best novels of the year. There
are faults In II, of course, but there Is
great deal more good than bad.
The first chapters are laid In 1T
tie French watering place where Fen
ella. her mother and Paul Ingram, her
intended husband. have gone TOT q va
cation. Fenella is the daughter OF an
IMPOVERISHED branch OF an Engiisn
titled family, while Ingram, descend
ant OF old New England stock, mas
lived a life full of color and adventure
and suffering all over the world. Snc
Is Young, fresh, simple and thoroughly
charming: he is past youth. an IDEAL
lar and a self-taught scholar with
strictly logical conception OF justice
in human affairs. He is also poor, with
no prospects save novel, whlch 10
generally recognized 10 be somewhat
| doubtful asset.
II Is his strictly logical study OF
the situation that forces him to the
conclusion that he must give up Fen.
ella because she does not understand
him and from this point OF departure
| the story starts.
| Fenella, the butterfly girl or the
| opening chapter develops into Wo.
man living with the sole object OF
! learning TO Understand. As dancer
she becomes the idol OF the stage and
rises high on the tide OF popularity
PAUL in the meantime goes down IN
the struggle, his principles always
| standing in the way OF his progress
and his book falling into the hands oil
those who convince hiIA that II Is toe
! radical TO be thrown upon public
that might misunderstood. When she
IL, at the height OF public favor and
| he has sunk TO the lowest depths OF
poyerty and despair, the call comes
and she answers. him, the old love re
turning and with II the understand
ing that was lacking before.
'.Fenella" Is an interesting study ol
two interesting characters and the
story is worked out with convincing
consistency. There are, however
some incidents that run close 10 lns
edge OF the melodramatic and one
cannot help feeling that the results
could have been obtained equally az
we'll without some of the rather cheap
| ly conventional incidents. For In
stance, the fortune left to the hero a.
the opportune time by the rich, dis
tant relation has long ago lost the
charm of originality and unfortunately
4
real life to make II readily believapie
In the many novels In which II ap
pears. Some OF the deaths also seem
quite too opportune to carry conyic
ton. The wheels of construction
sometimes whirr too audibly.
"Fenella" has two things that are
very essential TO a good novel; one Is
good beginning and the other Is
good ending. AS whole II is story
that Is much above the average.
The style OF Mr.. Stuart Is excellent
though we sometimes have to smile
at the slang. The author seems to be
too familiar with good English TO han
die the dialect OF the streets with en-
tire comfort
''Fenella," by H. l.. Stuart, Is pub
lished by Doubleday, Page & Co.
New York. and will appear in the 10
cal bookstores soon. The price IL
$1.20 net.
The Woman Who Could.
II is only within recent years that
there has been any attempt at the re
yival OF the custom Of publishing
plays, either before or after they
appeared, but playwrights are begin
ming to realize that there is much
larger and perhaps more appreciatiyo
audience OF readers OF literature than
of play.goers. II Is now becoming