SOME RECENT FICTION

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 90, 10 January 1920, Page 11

SOME RECENT FICTION

"The Power of a Lie," ' A year or ago a Norwegian writer, •Tohnn Bojer, socuigcl a wido and appreciative circle of English and American

admirers by that very fino novel "The Great. Hunger." Ho hos now followed iir. h's success by n story of Norwegian rural life, entitled "The Power of a Lie , ' (Hodder and Stoughton). As to tho inolif and moral of the new story there will bs no small difference of opinion, but none whatever as to the dramatic strength and literary charm of the- tale. Bojer's new book is sponsored, in its English version, by Mr. Hall Cn'ne, who says, in his introduction:' "This is a great book. I ran have no hesitation in saying that, Rarely in reading a modern novel have I felt so strong n sense of reality and k> deep an impression of motive It would be difficult to praise too highly the power and the reticence of this story." In "The Power of a Lie" is set forth the story of Knut Norby, a well-to-do farmer, wild eiyiis his name as bond for a friend, the wireless, dissipated, but good-hearted Henry Wangen, and then, when fho frend becomes bankrupt, denies that he has done so. and accuses the friend of forgery. Tho accepted end of such a story should be, of course, Ihn'exculpation of'the wronglyaccused man, and the discomfiture and punishment of the li.ir. But Bojer'gives 115 a very different conclusion, for in his story the innocent man is committed to prison and the guilty one is banqueted by his fellow-villagers. And this is not all. The author wouM apparently have u* bel:eve that, as Mr. Hal] Cnfno oxplains in his prefnen, "a life of deception does not always wither up and harden the human heart, but sometimes softens and expands it," and that "a man may pass from lie to lie until he is convinced ho is as white ,is an angel, and hav'ng betrayed himself into a belief in his innocence may actually became generous, unselfish, and noble!" On he other hand, "the sense of innocence in an innocent man may bo corrupting and, debasing"—"to provo himself guiltless a man may make himself guilty"—for poor AVangeu, in order to prove himself innocent, as indeed ho was, of tho alleged forgery, actually commits forgery—and that "nearly every good and true impulse- of the heart may be whittled away by tho suspicion ,-iiid abuse of the world." The author works out his theme very clearly, and there is no denying tho bnlliauce of his elaboration of the complex psychology of both Norby and Wangen. Nevertheless, most readers of the book will agree with Mr. dine who, while holding it "entirely within tho right of the artist to show by what machinations of the. demon of circumstance, the bad man may be. rawed up to honour and the good man brought down to «hame," riglflly contends it to b) "the first and highest duty of the 'artist to show that victory may be worse than defeat,' success more to be feared than failure, and that it is hotter to bo with the just man on his dunghill than to sit with tho evil one on his throne." So -much for.the moral issues raised by the story, which, by tho way, ■was recently, "crowned" by tho French. Academy. As to its quality as a work of literary ort. that is unquestionable. The shifty and greedy Norby, his avaricious wife, Marit. tho weak but amiable AVangen, and that truly tragic figure, l?ru AVangen—the four chief actors in this rural drama—must live long in the reader's wemor.v. Tho setting of the story, in its rural buckwound, irt full of picturesque local colour. .'Sojc-r's Norwegian peasants seem as real to me as tiro figures in Thomas Hardy's AA'essex stories., "The Glorious Thing." Edinburgh, Edinburgh in war time, is (ho scenario of Christine Orr's story, "The Glorious Thing" (Hodder and Stouyhton). It is a novel devoid of anything like sensation, but ie possessed of a. quiet but most compelling charm, reminding me, in a.way, of that fine story of Glasgow- life, "Tho Sctons," which appeared about a year ago ard found so many admirers. The principal figures in Miss Orr's story are a. young lawyer, returned from the war, wounded, and given to terrible fits of depression, and tho eldest daughter of .1 largofamily upon whom the cares of household management, upon a very small income, press very heavily. Marion Sutherland's portrait is ono of which anv novelist might well be proud. The ifirl l.as to contend with difficulties and trials which might well discourage, even to ilesnair, the stoutest hearted of women. A too easy-going father, sisters ivho are cither lazy or unwisely flirtatious -or hfllh combined—tho reflected woes of irirl friends, who.-e sweethearts are killed at the front, unsympathetic or mischiefniakinc neighbours—with all these to do battle with the girl's task becomes it times positively heartbreaking. Tho rouiis lawyer, however, proves an ardent lover, and the attachment works won-

0 flers. 'J'lio licro's mental depression disp appears, a now world opening no tor him 1 tliroiiL'ii llic iovo ut tii srcrliiig, allec I- tioiiiite creature who toils on with such f tii)!i'i)(Jid seli-sacrilics lo Keep the lainily 11 tosetner, and m the end butu have their t well-doserved lewaid. The charm ot tlic c storv lies in its careful and successiui •■ character drawing, and iis quiet, veil s restrained, but num- the Iks delighiiui 0 humour. David f nujuair is, on Ihe siirii face, somewhat sell-conscious, not tar re--1 moved lruiii prigjjislni'.'ss, but the brave, i honest Marion makes u new wan oi him 1 in more way* than ono Some very hu- ■ man children iisure in the story, and 3 there is nu old servant who ruignt have. J stemied our. of ono ot Dean uanisay's r character .studies ot shrewd-witled, sharp- ' tonuued, but warm-hearted old Scots--3 women. "Liber" can strongly recommend ■ "The. Glorious Thing" as an unpretentious but verv pleasant story of Scottish ' middle-class life. . Anthony Hope's Latest, , "Ileauiuaroy" (.Mtthuen and Co.) is - fioiu Hie ],en of our old frieuu Antnoiiy 1 llojie (t>ir Anthony Hope Hawkins;. ' It. is a war-time story, but its ; connection witu tlte var is but very slight. The plot turns upon tiio 1 strengthening— .-iliiiom actual regenera- ' tion— of a. man who content's tinit the ; war has left him without .scruples, villi ' an ctuiciil outloufc .-o weak as to rcntiw ; him an easy picy to a. temporary criini- : tiai templacion. "Jiiio regeneration is the work ol a. strung-miudoa woiniiu, a doctor by profession, and it K" ts without 1 saying li|,-it in Iliu Lint chapter Dr. .nary Akroyd is induced to continue rtgeiieratins process indefinitely. The scene is laid in an Eujilisii coiuitvy town, where Beaumaroy is acting as tecretary to mi ceceiitric old "enilouisui of groat wealth, plus the hallucination, that he is a. long lost hinperor ur iioroccu. Bcaumaroy tenemes to possess himsell ot the old man's wealth, but his love for Jlary Akroyd viovcs superior to his predatory instincts, and wneii his employer dies very suddenly lie cleverly outwits two professional criminals who had marked <lown tue eccentric as their prey, and calmly witnesses the ihanding over of the iortune he had coveted to some greedy relathe.-. The story is remarkable for its clever character-draw-ing, although lo some readers it may especially appeal by certain sunievhiii sensational incidents. "Barry Leroy, ,, "Barry Leroy," by H. G. Bailey (M.UUUCU. and Lo.), is a spirited romance troin due tame writer to whom wo owo those excellent 'novels, '"i'he (jentleii.un Adveuttucr," "The Gamesteio," and "The iouiii' Lovers.' , lu his lutwsl 6tory Mr. iiailey takes his renders back to the .Napoleonic period, and gives lis , a very pleasant melange of history and fiction. His heio is a young adventurer, who, when the story begins finds Jiimself penniless at Toulon, and engages himself in Hie secret" service of \ho ■French liepublic. Very soon, however, his fortunes become involved with those of a yotiiig , lady of the vieille noblesse, and, liko •"Ci 11 Bias," ho begins to have qualms of conscience «u to the true enaracter of v.k cmployiucnt. the end, disgusted at the foul murder of the Uiie (I Jjiiguieti, he goes to Jinglaiid and becomes as devoted to Nelson as previously he had bjen to Bonaparte. Needless to .say thai his love story and that of thu beautiful and well-born Valerie do Valence has t;he happiest of la-st chapters. .Mr. Bailey's Historical colour —not only Napoleon himself and the wily Pouclio, but Nelson and Emma Hamilton iigute more or le;s prominently in the story—io us vivid and pictuu'sijue as it ■was in his earlier Napoleunie. romances, and the vivacity of the narrative, and its generous supply of exciting incident should inako it QuiLo as popular as its author's previous performances in tho same genre.