WORTHY BUT NO WORK OF GENIUS

Radio Record, 22 July 1938, Page 30

WORTHY BUT NO WORK OF GENIUS

NOTABLE among recent: historical novels is Anton Voice’s "Royal Purple," a story of France in 1588. As the dust cover so wisely states, it is rash to tread in the footsteps of Dumas, for "Royal Purple" las all the detail and all the laborious ‘"conversations" of the Musketeer series, It lacks, however, the touch of genius. It is merely worthy. For the patient reader and lover of history, I have no doubt that it is a. good book. Given patience to mark and inwardly digest the sum total of its factual intricacies, the reader should feel that Mr. Voice had depicted for him with remarkable clarity the great figures of an extraordinary age-the last of the Valois kings, Henry of Guise, Rosny, d’Aubigne, Duplessis, and the formidable Queen Mother, Catherine d’ Medici. Into this background is woven the stormy romance of a young French couple-a hero with English and Huguenot connections and a heroine whose beauty and fortune expose her to the schemes of daring and ambitious politicians. If you like solid historical romance-if, indeed, you like the Marjorie Bowen school of historyyou will find "Royal Purple" a diverting companion for a few evenings by the fire. Otherwise-don’t. "Royal Purple," by Anton Voice (Hutchinson, London.) Our copy from the publishers.