McCarthy, Justin Huntley. Needles and pins. †$1.50. Harper.
7–18594.
The old adage of “When a man marries his trouble begins,” is here applied to François Villon, the “beggar rhymer” whom Louis of France ennobled when Lady Katherine of Vaucelles loved and married him. When the story opens they have begun their married life on Katherine’s estate in Poitou, where her new lord is ill received. There is much fighting and bloodshed and also much marital skirmishing before Villon wins his wife’s respect and learns how to keep her love.
“Notable in the novel are its gaiety and brightness, and its deft literary workmanship. We must not seek dull realism here; it is a field of sheer entertainment.”
| + | Ath. 1907, 1: 693. Je. 8. 180w. |
“The tale is told with quiet humour, sympathy, and an underlying vein of poetry that lends a definite charm to many of the pages.” Frederic Taber Cooper.
| + | Bookm. 25: 500. Jl. ’07. 370w. |
“Mr. McCarthy presents Villon in the light of a perfectly monogamous Shelley. Apart from this somewhat trying piece of originality, the book has merit.”
| + − | Nation. 84: 567. Je. 20, ’07. 260w. |