Fiction.
Mr. Meyer’s Pupil. By Eva Lathbury. Second Impression.
6s.
Ever since the foundation of the publishing house of Alston Rivers, a persistent endeavour has been made to discover new authors, and to appreciate how successful has been the quest a mere glance at the firm’s publications will suffice. In introducing Miss Eva Lathbury to readers of fiction, the publisher can but hope that he is not too sanguine in anticipating that the author’s lively wit and whimsical outlook on the life of the leisured classes will meet with the reception which, in his opinion, it deserves. The author’s style should at least escape the charge of being derivative. The volume is rendered still more attractive by means of a coloured frontispiece by Mr. R. Pannett.
The Adventures of Count O’Connor. By Henry Stace.
6s.
A new novel writer of exceptional promise is always interesting, but when he makes his bow equipped with a story that is absolutely fresh, his chances of success are all the greater. In “The Adventures of Count O’Connor” at the Court of the Great Mogul, the author has found a theme exactly fitted to his delightful humour and vivacity. No historian has ever furnished a more convincing idea of the crafty Aurungzebe and his egregious court. The escapades of the hero, as the self-dubbed Irish “Count” may worthily be styled, are of the most extraordinary description, and are recounted so racily, that the reader can barely pause to question his veracity. The “Count’s” journey from Agra to Surat is packed with incident, and though gruesome events are chronicled, the writer’s innate lightheartedness completely divests them of horror.
The Lord of Latimer Street. By Jane Wardle. Author of “The Artistic Temperament.”
6s.
In the early months of last year Miss Wardle’s first book made a sensation both in the literary circles and with the general public, it being a matter of common wonder how such a young lady, as she was understood to be, could have such a grasp of the artistic, commercial, and suburban worlds. That Miss Wardle would be heard of again was prophesied by more than one critic, and there seems every prospect of “The Lord of Latimer Street” going far to substantiate her claim to recognition as a writer of marked originality. As may be conjectured from the title, Miss Wardle’s new book is concerned with characters of more lofty station than was the type depicted in “The Artistic Temperament.” The same whimsical humour, however, pervades the story, which, it is to be hoped, is sufficiently characteristic of the author to allay any suspicion on the part of critics as to a concealment of identity.
The Meddler. By H. de Vere Stacpoole and W. A. Bryce. With 8 illustrations and frontispiece.
6s.
Those who affect the lighter side of literature have never been in such need of thoroughly amusing books as during the last year or two, and with the host of requests for “something with a laugh on every page,” the bookseller has been powerless to comply. The publication of “The Meddler” is at least one step in the right direction; it is full of fun of the lightest, healthiest sort. The artist, too, has entered thoroughly into the spirit of a book which goes with a merry swing from start to finish.
Furze the Cruel. By John Trevena. Author of “Arminel of the West,” etc. Third Impression.
6s.
Mr. John Trevena’s rise to a high position among West Country novelists has been rapid indeed. If “A Pixy in Petticoats” revealed a talent for romance, combined with the nicest vein of rustic humour, “Arminel of the West” proved that the author was fully equal to the task of writing a really powerful novel. In his latest work he has advanced still farther, for there has been no more artistic representation of the men and women, far from simple in many respects, yet in others primitive to a degree, who dwell in the heart of Devon. When a district possesses chroniclers like Mr. Trevena, it is easy to explain why holiday makers are year by year evincing a disposition to leave the beaten tracks in their rambles.
The Turn of the Balance. By Brand Whitlock.
6s.
Though it is true that many novels that have had a huge vogue in America meet with a comparatively frigid reception on this side of the Atlantic, it is equally true that when once an American book hits the British taste, the impression it leaves is far more lasting than that of the average run of publications. “The Turn of the Balance” is the work of a realist who, perhaps inspired originally by the arch-realist, Mr. Howett, has attained a realism that places him in a position entirely his own. “‘The Turn of the Balance,’” says Mr. Upton Sinclair, author of “The Jungle,” “is an extraordinary piece of work. It is as true as life itself, and yet irresistible in its grip upon the reader. I know nothing with which to compare it, except Tolstoy’s ‘Resurrection.’”
The title gives a ready clue to the purpose of the book. “The Turn of the Balance” is a searching and sweeping arraignment of American modes of administering justice. The indictment is set forth in detail and particularity acquired through years of living at first-hand contact with the sufferers from man’s inhumanity to man. The law itself is put on trial here, and all who reach from under the law’s mantle black hands to crush their fellows with injustice.
The Rainy Day. Tales from the Great City. By the Author of “A London Girl,” etc. Second impression.
3s. 6d.
The anonymous author of Tales from the Great City has already attained to high repute by means of “A London Girl” and “Closed Doors,” in both of which his unrelenting pen exposed the depths of misery that underlie the so-called “Life of Pleasure.” In his latest work, “The Rainy Day,” the author turns his attention to the middle-class suburb as it existed in the eighties of last century, before the local idea was completely absorbed by the spirit of metropolitanism. To the novel reader who demands a good story, and to the student of social phenomena, “The Rainy Day” can be recommended with equal confidence.
The Glen o’ Weeping. By Marjorie Bowen. Fourth impression.
6s.
“Is a great improvement upon ‘The Viper of Milan,’ with which Miss Marjorie Bowen suddenly conquered a position for herself last year. The writer is on firm ground. It is our own history that she is playing with, and it is handled with far more confidence and power of conviction than a seasoned reader found in her Italian feast of bloodshed.”—Outlook.
“Such a novel as this might be placed not very far from those in which the Master of Historical Romance made such admirable use of Scottish history.”—Scotsman.
“Should serve to maintain the popularity, while it increases the reputation, of the author.”—Tribune.
“The only thing to be said about ‘The Viper of Milan’ and its brilliantly successful successor, ‘The Glen o’ Weeping,’ is that they carry one completely away. There is in this second novel every fine quality of its predecessor. It is an entire and complete success.”—Morning Leader.
“As we began by saying, Miss Bowen has an assured future, and is something of a wonder.”—Daily Telegraph.
“The author has a sense of style and a fertile imagination.”—Athenæum.
Exton Manor. By Archibald Marshall. Author of “Richard Baldock,” etc. Fourth impression.
6s.
“Better than any of its predecessors.... Captain Thomas Turner might well say of it—could he read a story of which he is a delightful part—‘That’s a capital one!’”—Daily Telegraph.
“Few writers of the day have the power of Mr. Marshall to enchain interest and yet to disregard conventional devices.”—Bystander.
“Will be read with pleasure from the first page to the last—and leave the reader still asking for more.”—Tribune.
“By far the best thing he has done. A novel which is not merely entertaining, but sane, wholesome, and excellently observed—qualities by no means invariably found combined in modern fiction.”—Punch.
Privy Seal. By Ford Madox Hueffer. Author of “The Fifth Queen,” etc.
6s.
“‘Privy Seal’ is written with the same happy valiancy of language which made ‘The Fifth Queen’ so admirable, and the plan of the book is masterly. If you do not read Mr. Hueffer’s book you will miss a rare enjoyment.”—Evening News.
“As for the desperate political intrigues, the by-plot, the fighting, the book’s whole body and action, it is admirably done.”—Daily News.
World Without End. By Winifred Graham. Author of “The Vision at the Savoy,” etc.
6s.
“One of those books that haunt! ‘World Without End’ has already attracted interest in high places. The incursion of an intrepid Englishman into the forbidden Shrine of Masbad is one of the most amazing tales which a novelist has had to tell. The Eastern scenes are altogether admirable. ‘World Without End’ is the author’s best work.”—World.
The Amateur Emigrants. By Thos. Cobb.
6s.
“Mr. Cobb has worked a capital idea into his new novel, which is exceptionally bright and amusing.”—Standard.
Arminel of the West. By John Trevena. Author of “A Pixy in Petticoats.”
6s.
“The author made an artistic success of his ‘Pixy in Petticoats,’ but this book is even better.... We cordially wish more power to Mr. Trevena’s elbow, and more books from his pen.”—Field.
“Arminel reminds one of that former pixy in her teasing, affectionate, plaguey ways.”—Daily Mail.
“I have read with great delight the second volume of the author of ‘A Pixy in Petticoats,’ whose name, now divulged, is John Trevena. To be fresh and unconventional, and yet to have Devonshire as your locale, is a notable feat, and in ‘Arminel of the West’ Mr. Trevena does this thing.”—Bystander.
“Mr. Trevena has given us a strong piece of work, marked at once by observation and fancy.”—Daily Telegraph.
“The novel is of great promise, and will delight many readers.”—Tribune.
“Wander with dainty Arminel through Devonshire lanes. You will end by loving her as we did.”—Daily Chronicle.
“The charm of the whole is that it displays the spirit of the moorland.”—Athenæum.
The Artistic Temperament. By Jane Wardle.
6s.
“Whoever Miss Jane Wardle may be, he or she has given us a really diverting story, the forerunner, we hope, of many others.”—Daily Telegraph.
“It is most mysterious suddenly to find a novel by an unknown woman, which appeals to one instantly as a very faithful picture of the very people one sits next to on the tops of omnibuses, dines with occasionally in suburban drawing-rooms, and meets at one’s own special brand of club or studio.”—Tribune.
“There is much good-natured satire and lively reading at the expense of Suburbia.”—Morning Post.
“It is safe to prophesy that Miss Wardle will be heard of again.”—Daily Mail.
A Bunch of Blue Ribbons. By Geo. Morley.
6s.
“Mr. George Morley has long since established a lasting claim upon all who are lovers of, or dwellers in, Warwickshire.”—Birmingham Daily Mail.
“It is probably safe to say that no other writer could have charged a story so full of the authentic and recognisable atmosphere of Warwickshire village life.”—Birmingham Daily Post.
“We can commend Mr. Morley’s rural story on many counts, and we do.”—Daily Mail.
“This is a capital book to peruse among the woods and fields; the peasants talk very amusingly, and the scenery is well described.”—Globe.
The Viper of Milan. 11th impression. Marjorie Bowen.
6s.
“Miss Bowen is to be congratulated upon entering the ranks of our fictionists with so strong a piece of work; a story for which a wide popularity may confidently be predicted.”—Telegraph.
A Pixy in Petticoats. John Trevena.
6s.
“‘A Pixy in Petticoats’ is as good a story of Dartmoor as has been written these many moons.”—Evening Standard.
“A glance at any chapter is almost as good as a breath of that breeze which charges at you on the top of Hay or Yes Tor.”—Bystander.
Collusion. Thomas Cobb.
6s.
“‘Collusion’ has all the brightness and cleverness which might be expected of the author of ‘Mrs. Erricker’s Reputation.’”—Observer.
Meriel of the Moors. R. E. Vernède.
6s.
The author’s first essay in fiction, “The Pursuit of Mr. Faviel,” was universally commended for its sparkling wit. Though “Meriel of the Moors” is more in the narrative style and bristling with excitement, the lightness of touch remains. Mr. Vernède’s career as an author should be assured by his latest novel.
The Ivory Raiders. Walter Dalby.
6s.
“Mr. Dalby’s enthralling pages, of whose lively colour, indubitably the result of a rare combination of first-hand experience and innate literary talent, no adequate notion can be given within the limits of a review.”—Glasgow Herald.
Mrs. Erricker’s Reputation. Thomas Cobb.
6s.
“We can safely predict that Mr. Cobb’s latest novel will be one of the hits of the present season.”—Liverpool Courier.
The Fifth Queen. Ford Madox Hueffer.
6s.
“It is an ambitious theme which Mr. Hueffer has taken, and we have NOTHING BUT CONGRATULATION for him on the resultant achievement; this book further strengthens his position as ONE OF THE ABLEST OF THE YOUNGER WRITERS OF THE DAY.”—Daily Telegraph.
Richard Baldock. Archibald Marshall.
6s.
“Unlike nearly all other novelists who appeal to the many, his work has qualities which commend it no less warmly to the few. The story of little Richard Baldock might almost have been written by the author of ‘David Copperfield.’”—Mr. Hamilton Fyfe in the Evening News.
The House of Merrilees. Archibald Marshall.
6s.
“It is a pleasure to praise a book of this kind, and rare to find one in which a narrative of absorbing interest is combined with so many literary graces.”—Bookman.
“The best mystery novel since Sir A. Conan Doyle’s “‘Sign of Four.’”—Daily Graphic.
“Can recommend cordially and with confidence to those who like a really good story, well constructed and excellently told.”—Punch.
The Pursuit of Mr. Faviel. R. E. Vernède.
6s.
“Mr. Vernède is able, by his cleverness and wit, to keep up the interest of this chase from start to finish. He writes with just that light touch that is necessary.... This most amusing, well-written book ends exactly as such a book should end—with a gasp and a laugh and a desire to read another story by Mr. Vernède.”—Academy.
As Dust in the Balance. Mrs. H. H. Penrose.
6s.
“Her work is a hundred times more genuine, more moving, stronger than most of that which wins a ready hearing. ‘As Dust in the Balance’ is a novel remarkable no less for finish than for strength.”—Morning Leader.
The Unequal Yoke. Mrs. H. H. Penrose.
6s.
“Mrs. H. H. Penrose, who is one of the women novelists to be taken into serious account, has not written anything better worth reading than ‘The Unequal Yoke.’ ... Mrs. Penrose is a bold thinker and a strong writer.”—World.
The Tower Of Siloam. Mrs. Henry Graham.
6s.
“This extremely readable and well-contrived novel should secure for its authoress a recognised position amongst the pleasantest of our writers of light fiction.”—Daily Telegraph.
Hugh Rendal: A Public School Story. Lionel Portman.
6s.
“I really do think this book of Mr. Portman’s may be quite fairly compared with the greatest school story ever written.... It sets before us both the merits and the faults of the public school system.”—Mr. Hamilton Fyfe in the Evening News.
In Desert Keeping. Edmund Mitchell.
6s.
“A sincere and successful novel.”—Times.
“Full of exciting incident, but the fine character drawing saves it from the charge of sensationalism.”—Glasgow Herald.
Peace On Earth. Reginald Turner.
6s.
“The thorough originality, both in plot and treatment, of Mr. Turner’s novel is its principal merit.... A thoroughly fresh piece of work and a novel of marked power. It gives Mr. Turner a firm position.”—Vanity Fair.
The Countermine. Arthur Wenlock.
6s.
“Surely few more commendatory things can be said of any novel than may fairly be said of this one—that it makes you read whether you will or no.”—Scotsman.
A Captain of Men. E. Anson More.
6s.
“The story is exceedingly well written, and the characters are worked out with consummate skill. The style of the book makes it doubly interesting and enjoyable.”—Dundee Courier.
The Friendships of Veronica. Thomas Cobb.
6s.
“It is pleasant to be able to say that his latest work is a great improvement on its immediate predecessors.”—Spectator.
Kit’s Woman. By Mrs. Havelock Ellis.
3s. 6d.
“I cannot speak too highly of Mrs. Havelock Ellis’s latest sketch of Cornish village life, ‘Kit’s Woman.’ In its way, this is a little work of genius.”—Bystander.
“As a character study of interesting types the book is an unqualified success.”—Outlook.
“Mrs. Ellis’s book is one of the finest things we have recently met with.”—Western Daily Mercury.
My Cornish Neighbours. Mrs. Havelock Ellis.
3s. 6d.
“This charming and characteristic volume of stories not only enhances Mrs. Ellis’s already established reputation as a finished artist in the most difficult department of fiction, but it confirms her right to regard Cornwall as peculiarly her own province.”—Glasgow Herald.
Closed Doors. Tales from the Great City. By the Author of “A London Girl.”
3s. 6d.
By his previous work the author at once established a reputation for dealing with the under-side of London life. “Closed Doors” is a social study of a still more subtle type, and the intimate knowledge of men and things which the book reveals cannot fail to increase interest in the series.
A London Girl. Tales from the Great City. Anon.
3s. 6d.
“Certain it is that the author of this pitiless tale is neither ordinary nor inexperienced. ‘Baby’ is a great creation. She leaps from the printed page into lovely merry life, and all through she exercises a spell over one.”—Dundee Advertiser.
In Life’s Byways. C. S. Bradford.
3s. 6d.
“They are tales of stirring incident, well worth relating, and their author has succeeded in the difficult task of keeping them free from all glamour and unreality.”—Bookman.