LIBER'S NOTE BOOK.

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 27, 26 October 1918, Page 11

LIBER'S NOTE BOOK.

The Much.chD.nged "Athenaeum."

Timo was who:i "The Athenaeum" was known.all the English-speaking world over as pre-eminently-a literary journal. Founded bv Sir Charles Dilke's father, it remained, as it started, a weekly journal until soon after tho war began, when it became a monthly: A year or so ago the whole character of the periodical seemed to change. Instead of specialising in. well-written articles on literature, science, and tho fine aris, and being u most readable guide to all tho now literature of any moment, it is now largely devoted, so it would soeni, to political anil sociological questions, its general point .of view being that of tho advanced Itadicul, Pacifist, and. Little England' Parly. -Not even the "Daily News," or "Tho Nation," can surpass the "Athenaeum" in its new form in sneering at and belittling overseas British opinion. It is an earnest advocate of free trade, even with Germany, and is specially insistent upon Germany's lost colonies being returned io her. The August issue contains a letter signed "Anglo-Australian," and headed "Australia and the German Colonies." .Tho writer of tho article goes to great pains to make out that "tho average Australian does not care a cherry stone about the German colonies." He seems to translate public opinion in Australia as the opinion of pro-German Labour extremists. Tho whole article is most misleading, as a specimen sentence will suffice to show. After declaring that tho Australian (his brand, of Australian) is lost in admiration of the Gorman settlers in South Australia and Queensland, he continues-, "Hence, if Germany is overcrowded and wants room for. expansion,,. .'Lot 'em. havo it, and good luck to 'em.'". Elsewhere he says that the Australian would "prefer Germany as a. neighbour to. any Oriental Power." This sort of rubbish is put forward as "Australian public opinion." It is nothing of the sort, and lam sorry to seo a journal which I havo rend with some regularity for over thirty years finding room for such mischievous trash.

Stray Leaves. In a recent "Sphere," Hint excellent Judge of fiction "C.lv.S." warmly praises a new story by that clover writer, Oliver Onions, entitled ''The New Moon." It is a soldier's dream, or prediction of nfler-wav conditions and possibilities, but incidentally there is a very pleasant 'sentimental interest.

Apparently, every gentleman who has acted in an American diplomatic capacity in Germany deems it his duty to give the world a book on his experiences in Hunland. Mr. .David Hill, a former American Ambassador to .Berlin, is publishing a volume of "Impressions of the Kaiser," in which ho follows the example .set by .Mr. Gerard in exposing the duplicity' and inordinate ambitions of (lie "All Mightiest." This sort, of literature is becoming' a trifle overdone. ■ ■ A former secretary of the T)ickens Fellowship, Mr. J. "W. T. Leys, has written a book, entitled' "The, Dickens Circle," introducing all tlio great Victorians of DiekensJs world, with personal anecdotes, and illustrated character sketches. 1 am always interested in Dickensmua. but nowndavs there is very little left to be said about the great novelist and his friends that lias not already been said. forster's and the late Frederic, Kitton's book give all the main facts. To these ad'd tlio invaluable Dickens studies by tho n, , (jeor S e Gissing and bv Mr/ G. K. Chesterton, and thorn is little need for such books as that of Mr. Leys. Herbert Jenkins, the publisher-author, whose "Bindle" made such a bit, and whose "Night Club" was another very readable story, has resurrected bis hero in a third-volume, "The Adventures of Bindle. .No fewer than -2/,000 copies of the new "Bindle" were sold lo the trade before the day. of publication. , -Cassells are publishing a uniform edition of the works of "Bartimeus," whose bonks on life in the Navy have been so popular.

Tin; third volume of. Conan / Doyle's interesting mid historically valuable workon thi! British campaign in Franee and Tlanders is to be issued in London next mouth. It will, deal with the British oniupiiisn in Northern Franco <liii'in« 11)17. The same publishing houso announces three other new war books, which promise to be of special interest, namely "A. t'adre in 1-Yaiice," by George A. llinuinirhuin (Canon Ilaimavi: "The Curtain of Steel," in which Hie naval chapnliiin wlio wrote that excellent book "rn Northern -Mists''." -tells Hie slnrv of the (irand Fleet from the eve of 'the war down to the present time; and a new book by that vivacious writer "Barliniens." entitled "The Xavv Eternal." I should not have lhou'?hf that William BlacU novels would still be sufficiently popular .(o justify the ■ issue of a complete new uniform edilion. but the holders- of (lie Black copyrijhls, Sampson; Low .ami Co., evidently think otherwise, for they are about lo'publish such an edilion in Iwenty-live valumes at half a crown net each.

The "Book Monthly," founded by Mr. .Tames Jfilne, and of late published by Cassells as a quarterly, has been taken over by'the proprietors of "The Graphic." For the present it will remain a (|uarlerly, but when the war is over it iiiav resume its old monthly issue. Mr. Milne is, 1 am glad to see. lo remain on a« editor.

Two new volumes of Tchokov's short, stories. "The Wife and Other Stories" niid "The Witch and Other Stories." have been added lo I he charming little set of Tchekov's works published by Chatlos. .As in the earlier volumes, the stories- mostly, if nnl, wholly, rcllect the pathos and tragedy of Russian life. Tcheliov. is undoubtedly a great realist, but one wearies of the everlasting tragedy of hopeless lives, of unreasoning discontent, of bitter wrangling, of cruelty, of selfishness, which are exposed in _ Russian ficlion. Tclickov, it is true, gives an occasional (ouch of humour, but it. is mo'tly humour of. a morbid character. No lias been rnropai-ed to Dp Mau'aissiinl, but in reality there is no ground for tho comparison, and personally, after u

course of Tchekov, following upon a rereading of the best of Dostoevski - , "Liber" ,<lill holds Turgeniev to be the greatest of the Russians. Assuredly he is the least: morbid. Arnold Bennett's new comedy, "The Title" in scathing satire on' society parasites and the pushful title-liun'ter), was produced at the I'oyalty Theatre, London, early in .Inly. The play, is to be published* in boot form by Chatlo and Windus. 'Apropos to Arnold Bennett, his lastnovel, "The Pretty Lady," has had. I read, a big sale in the I'nifed States. An interesting, discussion has been pioceeding In the .American Press on the morality—or alleged immorality—of the story.