New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-04-17

importance for lack of new material,
new points of view. Certain It IS
that the leading books in the held
published during the past winter and
carly this spring are practically hnal
in their scope, their knowledge and
their Observation-Disclosures Hender-
sons The Changing Drama" for in
stance, and Sheldon Cheney's most
optimistic The New Movement in
the Theatre"
THE SEASONS FICTION.
Il IS almost superfuous to direct
renewed attention to the exception
ally high quality OF several new
American novels whose publication
opened the spring season-Ernest
Pcoie's The Harbor," newcomers
first book, which Mr.. Howells has
called epic; Blue Blood and Red
a story Of Staten Island, by Godfrey
Corson. -vhich is probably pseudo
rym: Booth Tarking ton's The Tur-
MOL" Henry Sydnor Harrison's de-
lightful comedy Of temporary spin
sters, "Angela's Business and Har-
~ Leon Wilson's irresistibly funny
"Ruggles of Red Gap" To these is to
! be added in May Winston Church
ills new novel, "A Far Country"
whose title is taken from the para
bic of the Prodigal Son: And took
his journey into far country and
there he wasted his substance IN
riotous living
From England we have already
Joseph Conrad's Victory" w. L.
Georges wholly admirable The Sec
ond Blooming" Richard Dehan's
study OF Bismarck. The Man of
Iron," H. G. Weiss "Bealby," far
cical comedy, and Maurice Fewlett's
Lovers Tale"
William ]. Locke's new book.
"Jaffrey," is not to be issued until
the last week of June. Mention
should be made also of that delight
full tale in holiday mood, .Gouverneur
Morris's The Seven Darlings."
recently issued. A new volume OF
Katherine Fullerton Gerould's short
stories, The Great Tradition" ap
pcared only last week; new Sher
lock Holmes story is always Of in
terest to many readers, so here is
The Vale Of Fear" and, last but
not least, we have what is decidedly
the first notable novel of the great
war in Will eff, gton Comforts
Red Fleece"
Fiction is sbundantly represented
in the publishers lists this spring,
but no pronounced tendency. new or
cid, can be discerned. Light reading
for summer there will be a plenty
the new "Polyanna" book, for in
stance, and for the rest there are to
be, as usual, detective stories, ro-
mances and serious studies of mar
riage and divorce and woman's
economic independence. Constance
Smedley's re Mt "On the Firing
Line" deserves mention here. The
historical novel continues to be in
eclipse.
FINAL REMARKS.
Nietzsche is having his belated
posthumous day in this country,
thanks to the war. So is Treitschke.
whom we have had. first OF all, in
selections TO prove case, but whose
great History of Germany in the
Nineteenth Century is now at last
to appear in an English translation.
Speeches of the Kaiser one can have
in endless variety, also revelations
OF his court and its dark doings by
anonymous English governesses and
pseudonymous German counts, most
entertaining reading. The diplo-
matte and military spy systems Of
the great powers may be studied in
books imaginative and matter of
fact; Russia is being placed before
us in new light. especially by Brit
ish writer's who freely admit that
their predecessors on the subject
were influenced by inexplicable pref
udice. There is a great slump in the
department OF biography, the Kaiser.
Kitchener and General French stand
ing almost lonely here. with no
doubt, lives Of Hindenburg and Jof-
FIRE still to follow. A new biogra )hy
OF Emerson, based on the new ma
terial made available in the Journals,
promises to be OF genuine interest.
There will be. indeed, no dearth OF
good reading in the new books. And
there are always the old ones TO fall
back upon.