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SOME RECENT FICTION

Torchy Once Again. Sewell Ford's amusing creation, Torchy, the slangy but shrewd, tho sharp-ton-gued but good-hearted, who has already amused us to much in three stories dealing with his exploits, makes a new appearance in ."Torchy,- Private Secretary" (Edward J. Clode, New York; per George Robertson and Co.). Early in the new story the office-boy hero emerges into the fuTl brilliancy of-a private secretary. It was a new suit and a shave,' which,' plus the good nature of young Mr. Robert, the junior partner, which helped to effect the transformation. The suit .was carefully thought out.

No out-price, closing-out, House of Smartlieimer bargain, altered free to fit—not, so Lobelia' Why,-1, pawed' over whole bales of stuff in g, sure enougli Fifth Ave. tailor works, had blue print plans of the front and side elovations drawn, even to the number of buttons on tlhe cuffs, and spent three different ' noon hours Vhavin' it modelled on me before they could pull a single bastin' thread. But it's some stream line effect, at the finish, take it from me! Nothing--sporty or ca&e-wulky, you understand; just quiet and dignified and: rich like, same as any second vicepresident or gen'ral manage would wear. Two-button sack, 'with wide English roll, and no tunr-up to the trousers—oh, I ehould ripple.

ll It is a' proud day for the ex-office boy when he sits in the junior partner's room at his very own private "roll top/' and becomes initiated into: the mysterious inner working of the Corrugated Trust; but he lives up to the character, and "makes good" in a way which eventually gains him the confidence of the, at first, distrustful and rather hostile Old Hickory, \ the head of the business. Then we have Torchy as a' confidential agent, -Torchy as a Wall Street speculator, and, best of all, Torchy as a. confirmed sentimentalist and lover. The great New York "slanguage" may at times, baffle a New Zealander who knows not; the speecn of the modern Bagdad, but it is all vastly amusing. The Genius. Itrequiresagood deal of courage in these hustling,' bustling days to sit down to the perusal of a novel of over seven hundred pages. But by this '.time, ,by, these two ■ . powerful,- but in ' many, ways - .repellant, stories, "The 'Financier' and , "The' .Titan," Mr. Theodore.- Dreisler, the author of ."The Genius" (John Lane), has got a fairly strong following'of readers, who know his methods, and doubtless consider they: c/iunot. have too much of a good thing. '■'■ Personally I find • Mr. .Dreisler not only too long-winded, but, in places, aud that not infrequently, very dull. In his latest story, that. of an American artist, who" is' as much of t» Don Juan as a brilliant painter, tho longueurs are sometimes unpardonable. I find it impossible. to ..take continued interest in the alternating artistic successes, and failures and' business speculations of tjie hero. Like Mr. Frank Coppenvood, of "'i'he Financier,"''and ' '.'The Titan," Eugenff -Witla' l's an incorrigible amorist, aud, in t]ie presentment, of his hero in.thisi character Mr. Dreisler certainly, does not err in. the, direction "of prudishness. ■ Tho •hero i may be a genius, bht'in his relations -with women, especially his .'wife, lie' proves' himself on unspeakable cad.'. .And 700 pages , devoted, to the-life of 1. cad is "fayther. too'rich," as Mr. gain Weller' would have expressed it. Jlr. Dreisler apparently' works on . Zolaesquo': lines'in his frank realism. But not even. : Zola< .ever inflicted -upon his readers somo fifteen .pages of obstetrical, detail as does the author of "The Genius." Treasure. , -A'year or .two ago Mr.. W. Daue Bank ■wrote-.-an" - umusmg novel;, 'entitled "James;"/ the- hero. df which strongly! resembled; ; : in his. selfish and too scrupulous ' "pushfulness,". Mr. Arnold Bennett's famous character, Mr "Denry" Machin. ■ Mr.. Bank now; gives us a new story, "Treasure" (Hodder and ■ Stoughton; per Whitcombe and Tombs), . in which- a selfish and miserly Lancashire manufacturer—of .hat trimmings—is the chief figure. ' Tho'carcer of this worthy, one of unredeemed selfishness, '-brutality, and dishonesty, is contrasted- with that of the friend and associate of his youth, a -struggling 'printer, a cultured, - honest, good-hearted fellow,- and tlie contrast is. extended to the ,families of .both- men. TJlo; result is a*.well-told and interesting .story, ■ in ; which\. welcome touches of both sentiment and humour brighten the record of the contrasted family fortunes of the Ewins-'and Harveys. . ■ David Penstophen. •.< '.' Richard-Pryce, the author of that ex-. \celleiit novel "Christopher,'.' takes i'or the- hero of his new story, "David Pen-' Stephen" //(Methueiv and Co.), a clever, 'high-strung, and very Movable lad,, whose parents'foolishly decide to challenge society by ignoring, iov a time at least, the marriage, ceremony. Consequently, pool David starts life with the handicap of illegitimacy, and a very , sad and-cruel handicap he : discovers it (o be, especially when his father, succeeds 'to ..a. title,, and the young'man attempts to take his place ursociety.- .The. earlier chapters or tho story, in which 'the Continental wanderings 'of the f&mily are described, 'are very charming; ,-iiud ..there is a. faithful,- old , nurse, who-must at cince win and keep the heart of every reader of the book./ Poov David, plucky to tho :end,- -is undeterred by loss of;, love and fortune, and we le,avß,-him on -the threshold .of. <£j)mr career, : o'n the- stage, with . a half,'fancy and a. very, decided hpiie that' Mr; Pryeu will give us a sequels : : A Now Eden Philpotis.: • Mr. Edeii Philpotts would: seem to have temporarily relinquished/'his, project of writing,a, series of novels on:west country industries, that series in which ; _Towei"" and "Old Delabole" have already appeared. Or has .he gone to' some long unopened draweri of hift writing-desk and dug out ar, old-and forgotten manuscript? In either case, his "Faith Trosilion" (Ward, lock and Co., per Whit-colnbe and Tombs), a story of the old-time smuggling days, is samewhat disappointing. The'heroine, whoseiamily are all smugglers, is the sweetheart of a young Exciseman, and it is easy to understand how, upon such a foundation, a very complicated plot-can be built. Mr. Philpott gives us some capital pictures of the smugglers—and the press-gang— and is even more.generous than .usual in his introduction of eccentric and interesting minor, characters. Nevertheless, although; the story has many good .points, it searcrfy can be said to exhibit its author's literary ability at its best. On Toast.

■' "On Toast" is the title given to a round dozen or so neiv stories and sketches by our old friend Pett Ridge, and published by Methuen and Co. ill'.' Ridge does not, on this occasion, confine Ins subjects to incidents in London life. He goes further afield and introduces us to the humorous side of life in a small country town. His sketch, for instance, of how the town was roused up sufficiently to undertake a Grand Historical Pageant, and another, in which a wellmeaning but. rather bumptious country etationmastcr, bent on "reforms," was qqietly outwitted by his staff, are quite in a new vein. But Mr. Ridge, whether upon his new or his old ground, is always one of the most entertaining of writers, a genuine humorist, and, what is more,, his humour is always wholesome, and unfailingly good-natured. There is some excellent reading,in his latest book. A Debt Discharged. Mr. Edgar Wallace is by .this time a skilled .purveyor of sensatidnal. fiction, ami in his latest novel, "A Debt Discharged" (Ward, Lock and Co.: per Whitcombe and Tombs), gives, us an exciting and well-toid yarn of the exploits of a gang of American banknote forgers, who possess as theif head a well-educated, agrooably-mannered individual, . who [ moves in the best socioty in tondpn.

How this worthy's schemes are outwitted by two other Americans, .one a . man of great wealth; who has, however, an unpleasant episode is his past life to live (iov.ii, and a smart amateur detective who is omploye4 by tho American Embassy, is . told in a vigorously written, ominently readable way. Theodora. "Theodora," by Prances Femviek Williams (John Lane),'has'for a secondary title "A Soul on Fire.*' On the title page , appears a quotation from Omai Khayyam: And hell 'the shadow: from a soul on fire. Certainly, the soul of Miss Theodora Carne, 'of Montreal,' who is the heroine of Hiss (or Mrs. ?) Williams's strange and rather repulsive story, has some> workings which might well be termed demoniacal. Cursed . with an hereditary curse' of bringing evil to all who have the misfortune to love her, the heroine is responsible for several weird and wonderful'happenings, which may well Inspire in her friends an uneasy consciousness of her being a latter .'day witch, or even vampire. In the last chapter, by the psychological knowledge of- a doctor find the .faith and prayer, of a .good priest, the spell is lifted; the evil spirit is exorcised, and the fair Theodora ceases to be "The Witch of Carne," and becomes a very pleasant and proper young lady- The story will delight students oK .tho occult, but, I mu6t say,' to me it is most unconvincing.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19160513.2.66.3

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2770, 13 May 1916, Page 11

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,490

SOME RECENT FICTION Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2770, 13 May 1916, Page 11

SOME RECENT FICTION Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2770, 13 May 1916, Page 11

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