SOME RECENT FICTION

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 193, 4 May 1918, Page 11

SOME RECENT FICTION

"Tho Definite Object." In liis lfttost novel, "The Delinilo Objoct" (Sampson, Low, and Co., per S. and W. Alaokay), Mr. Jofl'ery Famol. tlio author of "Tho Broad Highway" and "The Amateur Gentleman," lakes his readers across tho Atlantic, far away from tho English lauos and English inns, of which he used to write, to tho marble palaces of Fifth Avenuo and tho Blums of tho Bast Sido—to Now York in foot.

iho story is of the present day, and instead of liigiiwayintii nml labhionablo guiiKwteis, jolly old squires, rubicund tapsters, cit> dames, am; rustic, maidens, wo aro introduced to the "crooks" and "mirks," tlit) Uiii'ves and receivers, and an tho Bcoundix'ldoui gtiiemlly uf Hell's Kitchen. Tho motif ol tho story is veiiorablo enough in all conscience. Who that reads iiction lias not, met thu uaiiO-μ-uio and wealthy young inuii of good family, who, bored to ifeatli by tho banality of his .pampered every-dny exlatbute, sucks relief from Lis eternal oiinui .by burying hiinsolf in n quarter inhabited by thu poor, Uiero to nient ■> beauteous and highly \irtuous maiden to whom ho acts .vi Prince Cbaruiinit and ultimately pri-si'iits a golden coach uml white homos (a lOUO-guiiu-a Rolls-Koyco is the latter-day variant), plus a plain j,nld ring Mild all that ling represents. Geoffrey Kavcnslce, Mr. Furnol's hem, is weary of life, and socks detraction In Hells Jutcht'ii, befriending tin , wastrel young h.ilf-brothor of tlie- ionely ile.rmione, and masquerading for :i time as a peauut-soller! Kavmisleo is u good fellow, with far more bruins than lias the average young millionaire of iiction. Also, hs is a champion amateur bruiter, a fact which stands him in • .-marUably good stead when ho "butts in" against that unwholesome brute, "iiud" Ai.'liinnis, himself a pugilist, who persmitts Hie pretty and virtuous Hernuono with his unwelcome attentions. The principal scenes of tho story take place iu Hie .New lork underworld,' wit.i which and its inhabitants Mr. Ftirnol exhibits a first-haud knowledge, probably gained when, in his younger days, ho was ii theatrical srone-puimer in Uio I great American city. The story is kinewatographic in ntyle, with villainy and virtue each strongly exemplified in certain of the characters, just ;i.« it used to be in old-tiino melodrama, liud Jl'Oinnis, Spike, The Spider, i>nd others of tho Hell's Kitchen characters nre, however, more carefully drawn than ltf usual in .sensational fiction, and tho drama and tragedy of tho piece are relieved by some excellent light comedy. Tho millionaire's Cockney butler, Brimborloy, and his bibulous friend, Mr. I Stevens, are perhaps a little osiiggerateu,. but the .masterful Mrs. Trapes, who brings order into the Ravonslee household,' and the Old 'Un, a retired English prize-lighter, who is the hero's i tutor in tho "noblo art," aro both I excellent. As in his earlier novels, i Mr. Farnol displays an intimate ac- ! quaintance with pugilism, and some ot j the encounters described with such lavi isii detail in the story would bo worthy lof a place in a new edition of Pierce I Egan's "Fistia'na," or that other once famous record of the "noble art" and I its professors—"Pugilistica." Hermiono I is a very charming heroine, 'and readers of tho story, especially if they bo of a sentimental ■ turn of mind, will find great plcnsuro ' iii watching the development of her romance. Tlw story is simply packod with turn of mini.', -.vill iiud great ijlea,suro in sensational incident, am! although, personally, I prefer tho English backgrounds of the ijiii'iinr novels, ttfere is no gainsaying tlio entrain and fascination of Mr. Farnol's latest effort.

"Alpha of the Plough.." whoso litllo book of essays, "Pebbles on the Shore," was recently published by Dent's in their comely.find handy "Wayfarers' Library," is tho nom-dc-plume of A, G, Gardiner, tho editor of the London "Daily News," who, under his invn, name, was respon. siblo for thoso much-discussed character sketches, collected under the titlo ot "Prophets, Priests, and Kings."