The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1920-09-25
Treasure of Isle of Mist"
Is Full ofExquisite Fantasy
Tsrns Book Touched With Magic Yet Warmly
Game Writes Novel at Ia Jesyl and Hyde-Conngsby
Dawson Writes Whimsical Novel

acclaim, is after all only reyamplnp
OF 'Dr. Jekyll and Mr.. HYDE" Ii a
study IN duel personality, with the
contrast In character which gave the
spice 10 that famous pair, LETT out.
Noel Carton was to use his own
words handy legged honorable, who
was TOO lazy TO work and married a
rat Jewess for her money" She mar
ried him for his social position and felt
herself cheated In the bargain for
| Noel's social position vanished after
his marriage to her. Noel repents OF
the bargains, too, but IL TOO lazy to cut
himself loose from his wife's purse
| strings. 80 he takes her orders and
her money and hates her. Finally he
decides 10 write novel as a sort OF
| refuge from the intolerable situation.
He begins by keeping Journal as a
prelude 10 being q man OF letters. This
journal Is largely an account OF how
the novel gets itself written. The plot
u really an extenslon--one cannot say
mprovement--of Stevenson's idea. Ii
IL DIR. Jekyll and Mr.. Hyde complex,
for we have two pairs OF dual PERSONAL
ities--Noel and his hero, and the novel
and the journal, which finally become
so inextricably entangied that nobody.
including the author can tell which Is
which. Ha 1ft -
Hilda Rumble. Ronald Vantage, Jocelyn
and Nigel Carter. Ronald Is the man
Noel would like TO have been. Biida
IL the girl he would like to have fallen
In love with. Nigel is Noel himself
and Jocelyn IL Josephine. Noels wife.
The characters come to have an In
dependent existence of their own; an
existence which seems TO be beyond the
control OF their author. Noel becomes
Nigel and Josephine merges into Joce-
lyn. Finally the events OF the novel
become so real to the author that he
m Narffa he
sion that she is Jocelyn. The PUBLISH
ers call this an astounding climax"
We really don't see how the thing could
have turned out any other way. The
only thing we were doubtful about is
the method Nigel-Noel would use.
Mr.. Caine presents his characters
with extraordinary vividness. You feel
that you know them all very well In
deed, and quite understand why Noel
Nigel should hate Josephlne--Jocelyn
and worship Hilda. You understand
and pity Noel. while despising him. And
this is evidence OF the realistic quality
of the story. Mr.. Caine has given his
reader such an intimate picture OF his
pitiful hero that dill the time Noel de-
bates how he shall end his novel you
know that II can have but one ending
and that tragic one. A strange. book.
after all our first impression 10 the most
lasting. IL IL a horrible book.
1.-THE Little House."
1.-THE Little House," by Coningsby
Dawson, published by tho John Lane
company. Is a whimsical, wistful lit
tie story OF ''the lady who needed to
be loved and didn't know It," and "the
wounded officer who wanted rest" II
Is told In Coningsby Dawson's graceful
style, with the touch OF pathos, which
marks everything he writes. and Is full
OF many quaint conceits OF houses that
Ia nj aA fNssAA $50
their stair steps" The house tells tho
story and the author has endowed II
With n pesonality. One counts II as
ono OF the actors In the drama which Is
enacted between It's old gray walls.
Incidentally the exterior Of the book
Ia very attractive, and the illustrations
are In keeping with the lusive charm OF
the whole conception.