SOME RECENT FICTION

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2932, 18 November 1916, Page 13

SOME RECENT FICTION

"Tha Pearl Fishers," by H. Jl Stacpoole (Hutchinson and Co., pr Whitcombe and Tombs, Ltd.). The author of tho "Blue Lagoon' is' hero at his vory host. J is a long timo sinco 1 liav read so well-told <1 story of will lifo in tho Pacific as this of Mr. Stac poole's. A castaway, a young Englisl ship's officer, is tho hero, and a ras cally South Sea trader and adven turer, a smooth-spoken and subtl; unscrupulous German, tho. villain o tho drama, which is played out oil i solitary coral island, in tho centra lagoon of wliioh hero and villain joint ly discover a rich patch of pearl-bearinj oyster shell. Not even Louis Beck or Jack London,' to say nothing of tin New Zealand lady who writes unde: the name of G. B. Lancaster, has givei us a more realistic study of South Se; Ecoundrelfsm than is to bo found ii Mr. Stacpoole's carefully-limned por trait of the rascally Schumer, and tin story of how this worthy plots tin robbing and murder of his partner how he is cleverly outwitted, and o the dreadful fato to which ho is self doomed is grimly fascinating. In it: own class, "The Pearl Fishers" is at exceptionally powerful and attractivi novel. "The Crimson Cardenia" am Other Tales of Adventure (Hodde; and Stougliton, per Whitcombe an< Tombs). Rex Beach is an American novelis who can always be depended on to supplj admirers of well-told sensational fiction with exactly what they like. Ii his_ latest book he presents us with s saries of short, but not too short Btories, in eaph of which there is c powerful dramatic interest; The background is agreeably varied. In the title story it is New Orleans. "Rope's End" and "Inocencio" are stories oi Hayti and the Caribbean Sea; "The Wag Lady" has for its scenario a Wesl em mining camp; whilst in some ol the other yarns Mr. Beach takes us back to, the scene of his earlier fictional tripmphs, an the frozen Yukon, and in tho dense forests ! of Alaska, in which he is always specially at home. Most of tho stories deal with full-Wooded episodes and primeval passions, and here and there, maybe, the note is a little melodramatic and suggestive of the "movies." On, tho whole,_ nowever, they show reasonable restraint, and in some there is some very effective character-drawing. All the stories are essentially readable. "The Luck of the Strong," by William Hope Horgsan (iSveligh Nash, per Whitcombe q.nd Tombs). Eight full-blooded, vigorously-told yarns, mainly of the sea, by the author of "Men of the Deep Waters." Sometimes the scene is laid on an Atlantic liner, as in "Captain Gunbolt Clarity and tie Painted Lady," a story of a stolen duplicate of the Mona Lisa; at others, on a desolate Pacific isle, where is worked out a tragedy almost as grim as that in Stevenson's "The Wrecker." Yet again another twist of the kcliodoscope, and Mr. Hodgson has us all agog with excitement over the recovery of some stolen gold in a British Columbian mining township. Sometimes tho touch suggests Stevenson, at others oven Conrad, and save for its excessive brutality, the yarn in which two "hard cases" from 'Frisco outwit a greedy skipper, and administer a well-merited punishment to a brutal Yankeo mate of tha "hazing"' typg, might have been written by Mr. Jacobs. But as a rule Mr. Hodgson is as original as ho is virilo. His stories aro not meat for babes, but there is no denying their fine dramatic power and the literary artistry which has gono to their composition. "Olga Bardell," bv Stacy Aumonier (Methuen and Co.). A welN-written, convincing story, tho heroino of which, a girl of Jewish extraction, a natural musical genius, has to fight against a sordid environment in her youth. A drunken, dishonest brother, an openly immoral sister, and a selfish, miserly undo are serious handicaps, but tho young musician wins through to artistic success. . ller first marriage, however, with a successful composer, turns out badly, and a second venture iiito matrimony, this time with a baronet of aesthetic but given, alas, to the morphia habit, is oqually disappointing. Eventually tho much-tried woman finds rest and happiness with tho man, a fashionable portrait painter, who had been her first love, but whom an illnatural fortuno had driven from her side. The loading characters aro strongly drawn, and the story is by no means so dreary as a brief summary of its main features might seem to indicate. "The Half-Priest," by Hamilton ' Drummond (Stanley Paul and Co.). That famous figure in mediaeval Italian history, Cesare Borgia, is to the front once again in Mr. Drumiiond's latest historical romance, which :leals with the passionate, unselfish devotion of.. Paul Mairfalcia to ' his patron's daughter, Madonna Maura, ivho, for political reasons, is forced to become the wife of a brutal condottierc, Luiri di Varan a. As in most stories if this period, intrigue, treachery, and Foul crimes ap prominent, but Mr. Drummopd. is skilful in avoiding any. descent into mere melodrama, and the final scene, in which tho Borgia plays a leading role in assisting the lialf-pricst to rescue his beloved Maura from tho villainous di Varanu, and to avenge tho murder of her brother, is convincingly tragic. "Tho Half-Priest" is i very good specimen of Italian historical romance. "And What Happened?" by E. S. Stevens (Georgo Robertson and Co., per S. and W. Mackay). Tho latest story by tho author of that hignly promising loveJ, "TlieVeil," anu tlio equtlly enjoyable "Alhvara" is, so its subsidiary iiile informs the reader, "an account jf some romantic meals." It is largely Mncqraed with the advontures in journalistic and Bohemian circles in LOlll- of a young lady of good birth and :ducation who comes up to the great Jity from a Hampshire rectory with a small legacy in her pocket, and her mind full of ambition. Lactitia Ress is a very charming heroine, and although she may seem to somo readers to be singularly erratic in her sentimental attachments —and not a little foolish ill certain of her escapades— uvcryone will bo glad to see her made liappy in tho last chapter. The author is at great pains to delineate tho Bohemian life led by tho, for tho most part, very pleasant young people who ligure in her story. The cccentrio but lovable Dicky Matruvors is quito a Murgcr-like figure iu his own way. A most entertaining' story, trilling, may be, in motif, hut told iu a happy-go-lucky, unpretentious style which is most engaging. "Because it Was Written," by Princess Catherine Radziwill (Catherine KoJb-Danvin) (Casscll niul Co.). A powerfully-written, romantic, and in parts very pathetic war story, the heroine of which, the Countess Wcra, stands between a dissolute, neglectful husband, a Russian nobleman, and a handsome lover. Tho scene is laid partly at and partly in tho war zone >1 North-eastern Prussia, at the tiaw of the great disaster to Renleukampf's army at Tannenberg, Tho author gives us some very realistic and dreadful pictures of the ghastly plight of the retreating Russians when caught in the Mazurian swamps. Later on, the scone changes to Flanders, and we get a .pathotic description of ruined Ypres. The love story which is incidental to the main plot is delicately worked out, and the novel, as a whole,

!is decidedly above the average of current war liclion. "Tlio Wind's Will." by Aanes and .ligerton Castle (Oassell and Co.: por S. and \Y. Mackey.) Mr. and Mrs. Castle licro give us a pretty, ultra-senti-mental story of life in Paris in the year which followed Waterloo. A gallant, high-spirited, and very susceptible young English officer, of aristocratic family, is the hero, the lovely, hut lowly-born Colinette Hardi, daughter of a flower-stall keeper, the heroine. Love at first sight; angry relations; a secret marriage ; misunderstandings: a separation; tho canvenient deatli of a nobleman or two; the accession ot the hero to wealth and position; mutual regrets; reconciliation; relenting relatives ; delighted relatives; happiness all round. There you have the main components of a very dainty fictional dish compounded with all Mr. and Mrs. Castlo's old skill.