Wharton, Edith. [Italian villas and their gardens]; il. with pictures by Maxfield Parrish, and by photographs. [**]$6. Century.
To come so absolutely under the spell of Italy’s garden-magic as is possible thru Mrs. Wharton’s word exposition and Mr. Parrish’s color interpretation, is almost as rare a privilege for the traveler who has visited those haunts as for the stay-at-home tourist. Magic which in its first supernatural impression defies analysis, often yields to laws of formation in the sober moments of consideration. Thus does Mrs. Wharton show that the seemingly spontaneous glory of Italian gardens is, after all, the result of garden-craft which the architects of the Renaissance resolved into a three-fold problem: adaptation of the garden to the architectural lines of the house it adjoins; adaptation to the requirements of the inmates of a house, in the sense of providing shady walks, sunny bowling-greens, parterres and orchards, all conveniently accessible; and, lastly, adaptation to the landscape around. There are fifty illustrations, in color and in black and white by Maxfield Parrish. Months of close observation and sympathetic study have been devoted to the large undertaking and the harmony with the subject matter which the De Vinne press has wrought into the book workmanship is exquisite.
“Mr. Parrish has performed his part of the task in a delightful and satisfactory way. The impression, the atmosphere, created by the illustrations, is not sustained in the text.”
| + + — | Critic. 46: 166. F. ‘05. 1260w. |
“The text is well written and contains much information concerning the villas and gardens selected for treatment.”
| + + | Int. Studio. 25: 179. Ap. ‘05. 150w. |
“This is a notable volume, all the more so from the archæological and historical associations which it recalls.”
| + + | Spec. 94: 118. Ja. 28, ‘05. 70w. |
Wheeler, Candace Thurber (Mrs. Thomas M.). Doubledarling and the dream spinner. [†]$1.50. Fox.
Doubledarling is a little girl “twice as good and twice as beautiful as other children.” When she tells her father how her little discarded red shoes led her in the night to the land where the old shoes go, he promises her a dream machine which will tell her wonderful stories all night long; and on Christmas morning her dream spinner hangs on a peg by her bed ticking out story after story to her. The book tells about these dreams and also of Doubledarling’s waking hours, her friends and her pets. One regrets the commonplace realism which lets an ordinary burglar finally make away with the dream spinner. Dora Wheeler Keith has illustrated the volume.