Long, John Luther. [Way of the gods.] †$1.50. Macmillan.
In this story of Japan “the little Samurai—a ‘girl-boy’—born to be a gentle poet, is educated and inspired to be a soldier of the Emperor.... Never a warrior in appearance, the spirit and patriotism of the man carries him honorably through two wars. He succumbs to love for a Japanese maiden of lowly birth whom he finds in China. He marries her, and upon that act follow all the tremendous train of suffering and tragedy in which the two loving souls are engulfed.... Mr. Long is able to make us see from the Japanese point of view, and reverence the nobility of the lowly maid who sacrificed all for love and rose to heights of heroism that her beloved Samurai could never attain.”—Outlook.
+ – Ath. 1906, 1: 791. Je. 30. 180w.
“On close inspection this curious, erratic, exotic bit of fiction offers a better example of this whole matter of pictorial art in novels than any other book of the month.” Frederic Taber Cooper.
+ + Bookm. 23: 538. Jl. ’06. 740w. Critic. 49: 191. Ag. ’06. 80w. + + N. Y. Times. 11: 384. Je. 16, ’06. 100w.
“Perhaps ungrateful to complain very bitterly of mere mannerisms when the matter beneath is altogether admirable.”
+ – N. Y. Times. 11: 451. Jl. 14, ’06. 510w.
“Mr. Long has succeeded in conveying in this romantic yet thoroughly modern story a fine impression of the marvelous persistence of hereditary ideals of honor and sacrifice among the Japanese.”
+ + Outlook. 83: 244. My. 26, ’06. 190w.