SOME RECENT FICTION

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3112, 16 June 1917, Page 11

SOME RECENT FICTION

A Swedish Lady Novelist, "Tho Queens of Kungahalla, and Other Stones," by Selina Lagerloi: (Werner Laurio), is tho title or a collection of short stories by the only woniau who has yet succeeded in. winning tlic Nobel Prize for Literature, and who is already known, to many English readers by her tiro longer novels, "Jerusalem" and "Gosta Beriing." TCliss Lagerlof's latest book takes its title from a , series or cycle of stories or legeride, tho scenes of which are laid in a, fabulous locality, in. which were situated the mightiest and -wealthiest cities of mediaeval Sweden. The stories deal with a life, partly imaginary or based upon ancient legends, and partly tinged with what is a curious air of modernity. At timos', not only the prose but poetry of William Morris is suggested, but there is little trace of Morrie'e archaisms in these stories, so simply, yet so gracefully written, Hiss Lagerlof provides a ■ curious admixture of tho supernatural and tho real, and once tho strangoncße of the subject and the scenario is grasped, ('.ho etoriee become imbued with a fascination which* is peculiarly their own. In other stories in the voliuno, outside the Kungahalla cycle or scquonee, tho novelist goes further afield, one Tory characteristic and beautiful story describing tho peculiar and pathetic ceremoOy with which the mystical marriagoof Saint Catherine is still <onimcmoratod in tho ancient Italian city of Siena. Another story, "Tho Fisherman's Ring," has for its subject a Venetian popular legend. English readers who havo not as yet mndo acquaintance with tho works of Sweden's greatest living novelist should not fail 1o do so. They may probably find Hies T/agnrlof's shorter stories more to th«>ir tasto than Uio more ambitious "Jerusalem." The author is unquestionably a novelist of striking originality and wealth of imagination. Day and Night Stories. In ".Day and Night Stories" (Caseell aud Co., per S. and W. Mackay), Algernon Blaotwood again proves himself a master of "ei'ccnj*" fiction. Of tho fifteen stories in. the collection nearly all are occult or supernatural in subject. Some may bo what a rough and ready criticism might call too "far folohed," but in most of them tho author invests tho uncanny and tho seemingly incredible with <wi air of realism which is almost, if .not always, entirely convincing, For sheer horror "Tho Wings of Horup," tho scono of which passes at a great hotel under' the shadow of tho Snbynx, and which deals with tho singular monomania o[ a. youug 'Rusiiaa that lie is the latter day incarnation of tho anciont bird deity of. the Egyptians, could, not well bo surpassed. In tho opening: story, "The Tryst/' Mr. Blaekvood gives us a. rcali6tac a-nd most pathetic presentment of the elusive, but, to some people, very rewl psychical connection which Mists betu-pcn the living and fho ion-living, whilst in "H.S.M." ho has actually the temerity to introduce iwcnXiotb-cenlury ■ renders')o a. personal Devil. "Tho Other Wing" and "The OccupaDt of Iho Room" iin> more i>( the oH-lnwhioncd "ghoMstory" \ypo, but there is a touch of ingenious humour in "An Egyptian. Hornot,' H"d as a study of mental cure by eiiEge&t.ion. "A. Victim of Higher Space" is "decidedly norpl in subject and treatment. Air. Blackwood hns a delightFully fresh and fascinating style, a.nd there is Jiol.' a dull page in the whole book. "Marsh'dykcs." LoTC-niakins ami politics are both to the fore in Helen Aebton's novel 'Marshdykes" (Pisher Unwin). The author presents a pleasant little comedy, the loading parts being played by Michael Dittany, a dover young author; his wife. C'elia.; Afichaol'B old friend and Celia's ex-lover, Baucis Harland; and Michael'n > half-sister, Lotty. Celia, although married and true to Michael, knows she utill lovps Francis, but deems it her duty to bring about flsrland's marriage with. Letty, who. in her turn, though in lovo with .Francis, ia aware of Celia's attachment to the latter. Tor some time the two men. and two women play a game oE cross purposes, bufc' eventually Michael dies, and Celia' is left free to marry her

"Id nijinirnr. l.pHy consoling herself with fin flisiMn (not. in I lie military sense) young (liivlur. An election contest is inlrodui-ed, ami »(Vords n. plousant variation from ihn more sentimental inlcrcßt "I' (lie tilory. "Second Choice." Will Uarlwi's laipst novel, "Second Choir.! , ' (liarpcr ami Brothers; per Whitconibd ;md '.lombs), is a woll-told Btory, tli« background of which is at first a (•mall country town in a southern State, "•ml lo.tPr a hustling, bustling mining township ia Montana. The hero, "Wynn Dunham, an intelligent, ambitions young fellow, is -weighed down by his homo environment, a wastrel, and, indeed, criminal brother, petted by a. foolish mother, eventually being the rauso of tho older son losing his fiancee, and of his iIV success in business. Ho leaves his native Stale, and following Iho Greeloyan advice, "Go West, co West," wanders away, meeting with varying fortunes, until ho settles in tho liltlo Montana town of Benson. Here, in lime, he become* a wealthy citizen, respected for his -wealth, but; not; much liked personally, on account of his by this time Hiard and. misanthropic nature. To Benson there comes ono day a friend of his Youth, a travelling vendor of quack medioinpn, and talks of his old home an<t old acxuaintivTicos. Tho hero then, turns to tho kwbbs of his youth and marries, after a romantic courtship, a ynunger eister of the girl who had jilted him. I'or its clever che-Tacter-drawing and its interesting piohires of homelT provincial life, "Second. Choice" is -well worth reading.