BOOK NOTICES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 March 1939, Page 5

BOOK NOTICES

“THE OLD WIVES’ TALE.”

ARNOLD BENNETT'S FAMOUS NOVEL. It is over thirty years since the late Arnold Bennett wrote “The Old Wives' Tale.” rated by some authorities as his best novel. The book has its well-es-tablished place in lasting literature and an edition now brought out by Messrs Hodder and Stoughton in their Great Novels series no doubt will win its measure of appreciation among discerning readers. “The Old Wives’ Tale” is the work of an author who had. in his own words “always revolted against the absurd youthfulness, the unfading youthfulness of the average heroine.” In its bold range, presenting its leading characters and others as they move through all stages of life, from youth to old age and death, it is an impressive panorama of the tragi-comedy of human existence. Its scenes are laid in the Five Towns and in France. Some of its chapters deal with life in Paris at the time of the famous siege. In its play of incident the book moves all the way from the commonplace to stark and overwhelming tragedy and back to the commonplace again. It is a calni survey of life in broad and long reaches. Arnold Bennett’s style is quiettoned, but with a suggestion of rich and deep colour, never over-emphasis-ed. “The Old Wives’ Tale” no doubt will continue to gain the attention and the admiration of readers of an educated taste for many a year to come. AN INTERESTING LIFE STORY. As its title implies, “What I Owe to Christ,” by C. F. Andrews, is a book devotional throughout in theme and treatment, in it the author tells the story of his own life and religious experience from his early years onward. After serving over an extended period in college and other missions in England he went to India as a missionary teacher and has a narrative of varied interest to unfold. Not least interesting are passages in which he tells of happy associations with people of other faiths than his own. In the course of his career, the author came intimately into contact with some famous men, amongst them Mahatma Gandhi, with whom he worked in South Africa, and the famous poet and philosopher, Rabindranath Tagore. Copies of the above books, which may be obtained from all booksellers, have been received from Mr W. S. Smart, Sydney representative of Messrs Hodder and Stoughton.