“One cannot deny that it is interesting, even though parts of it be painful.” Richard W. Kemp.
“Mr. Sherard’s account of this strange and broken life is full and interesting, although it suffers from the extravagant tone of eulogy and admiration which colors it throughout. It is to be taken as we have said, at the outset, as a defense and an apology; and taken thus, it well repays perusal.”
“This author has had access to abundant material, and writing with a full appreciation of the limitations of Wilde’s genius he has produced what may be called the most intimate biography that has yet appeared.”
“Mr. Sherard’s tones are not quite clear; his moral philosophy is not quite robust and direct enough for the terrible problem of human responsibility and error with which he has to deal.”
“Little excuse for its existence. As for Mr. Sherard he certainly possesses qualities we like to see in a biographer. He can draw distinctions and take note of both sides of his subject. He writes fluently and well. But he has chosen a hopeless, pitiful subject.”
Sherard, Robert Harborough.Twenty years in Paris; being some recollections of a literary life; 2nd ed. il. *$4. Jacobs.
Interesting are the different ranges at which Mr. Sherard, an Englishman in Paris, views a group of men prominent in French affairs. Motives of friendship, of admiration for statemanship and for literary genius operate in his reminiscences. Zola, Renan, Daudet, de Lesseps, Guy de Maupassant, Madame Adam, Victor Hugo, and Jules Verne are among the notables who figure in Mr. Sherard’s recollections.
“The volume is full of good anecdotes which strike us as new.”
“The whole narrative moves so briskly, the dialogue is carried on by so many and so interesting actors, the stage is so crowded, and the scenes succeed one another so quickly, that it would be unhandsome to feel otherwise than friendly toward the purveyor of so much varied entertainment.” Percy F. Bicknell.
Sherman, Frank Dempster.Southern flight [poems by] Frank Dempster Sherman and Clinton Scollard. *$1.25. G. W. Browning, Clinton, N. Y.
A volume of verse containing fifty-odd pieces with Southern themes.
“A small volume of tender and graceful lyrics.” Wm. M. Payne.
“Contains no piece quite at the highest level of either of its authors. There is somewhat too much sweet in it, but it is full of melody and pretty imagery.”
“They are perilously slight in subject and treatment. Though the verses in ‘A Southern flight’ are metrically simple they demand more careful pruning than they have received.”
Sherman, Waldo Henry.Civics: studies in American citizenship. *90c. Macmillan.
“On the whole, the book would prove an unreliable text in the hands of students. It should be of some value to teachers by reason of the suggestions in the second part in regard to the method of study and the teaching of civics.” A. R. Hatton.
“It is to be regretted that this new book on civil government was not written in a better style with more literary form and flavor, as to the average reader it is bound to be dull.” George L. Fox.
Sherring, Charles A.Western Tibet and the British border land. *$6. Longmans.
Mr. Sherring’s book has grown out of a political mission for the Indian government upon which he was sent for the purpose of looking up this country and estimating its resources and commercial possibilities. “Unlike the many volumes dealing with Tibet and Lhassa that have been appearing the past two or three years, since the British expedition reached and entered the ‘heaven’ of Hindus and Buddhists, the present one treats popularly of the ‘holy lore’ most sacred to Tibetans, the legends and myths of Western Tibet, and the customs and manners of the people. The author writes from personal experience and study.” (N. Y. Times.) Numerous illustrations add to the interest of the book.
“The qualification of the author for his task is a long and close acquaintance with the tribes of British India upon the Tibetan borderland; but he labours under the double disadvantage of having no previous knowledge of Tibet, save that derived from books, and no acquaintance with the language. Moreover, Mr. Sherring is apt to be led astray by his own learning.”
Sherwood, Margaret Pollock.Coming of the tide. †$1.50. Houghton.
Miss Sherwood “tells the story of a summer on the Maine coast whither the heroine, a Southern girl, goes to forget a great sorrow. The plot, which is very simple, involves a study in heredity. The hero, a dreamy philosopher, is morbidly conscious of his inheritance of ancestral traits and ancestral quarrels. But the girl from Virginia makes him feel the joy of living, and understand the song of the tides.”—Dial.
“There is, however, enough merit in the book to justify the belief that the author may write a much better novel when she has acquired more restraint.”
“The charm of the book lies largely in Miss Sherwood’s delicate humor, delightful fancy, and carefully finished, but never coldly classic, style.”
“It is not quite so taking as her earlier romances probably because there is an intrusion of real things; and it is a little overloaded with description; but it is done with ... delicacy and refinement.”
Shirazi, J. K. M.Life of Omar Al-Khayyámi. **$1.50. McClurg.
“Mr. Shirazi has made an interesting book out of a subject that at first sight seems to have been done to death.”
“The biography is interestingly written, and is at variance in some minor points of western interpretation of the conditions under which Omar wrote. It cannot be regarded as a contribution of permanent value to the literature on this subject, but it is profitable reading.”
Shorter, Clement King.Charlotte Brontë and her sisters. **$1. Scribner.
“It is disappointing to read a Brontë life that, however accurate and complete, is of cyclopediac aloofness and reserve.”
“Altogether, Mr. Shorter has produced such an excellently concise handbook of “Brontëism” that it is hardly possible to conceive of a better taking its place in popular favour.”
Shorter, Dora Sigerson (Mrs. Clement King Shorter).Story and song of Black Roderick.†$1. Harper.
The Black Earl Roderick for policy’s sake weds the Little Bride, and she dies because of her failure to win his love. Such is the burden of the first part of a quaint story told in verse and prose in whose second part the Little Bride’s soul, by self-sacrifice, saves that of Roderick.
“The whole story is mediaeval in tone, very daintily told, and full of tender grace.”
“A specimen of that somewhat difficult style of narrative, not altogether satisfactory.”
“It is inspired by recollection and study, not by genuine faith and feeling; and whether we are right or wrong as to the model which Mrs. Shorter had in mind, the praise of her story must be limited to the praise of the clever imitation.”
“It is like her former books, and like most books of poetry, tenuous.” Percy Vincent Donovan.
Shroy, John L.Be a good boy; good bye. J: L. Shroy, 1738 Diamond st., Phil. [Lippincott.]
A book of poems dedicated to “Mother” whose charge, “Be a good boy; good-bye” has been the author’s motto thru life. The poems are mostly reminiscent with such themes as Fourth of July, the country circus, apple-blossom time, sugared bread and running barefoot.
Shuckburgh, Evelyn Shirley.Greece from the coming of the Hellenes to A. D. 14. **$1.35. Putnam.
The first of the two volumes on Grecian history which Dr. Shuckburgh has been asked to contribute to the “Story of the nations” series. “In accordance with better ideas of relative importance, the emphasis is thrown upon political, intellectual, and artistic development rather than the vicissitudes of military operations.” (Nation.)
“A work of some literary merit, but one pregnant with mischief through restating old misconceptions in graceful language. And yet there is an urgent need for somebody ... to animate a scholarly summary of recent work with the breath of a genial personality.” W. S. Ferguson.
“The author’s learning is successfully devoted to enabling the reader to obtain a firm grasp of the events narrated rather than to perplexing him with discussion.”
“The narrative is well written and in this respect is superior to several of the recent volumes of this series.”
“The remarkable feature of the book is its comprehensive brevity.”
“While no more scholarly than Bury or Bristol, is more readable. There are several other minor slips which detract from the pleasant impression made by the book as a whole.”
“The sketch of the history of Greek literature seems inaptly tacked on at the end of the book of which it is the least satisfactory part.”
“The narrative reads easily, and has the merits of a consecutive and well-proportioned story.”
“Dr. Shuckburgh’s volume was needed to supplement Professor Harrison’s ‘Greece’ in the ‘Story of the nations’ series, because the latter volume covered so much ground that not any of it could be covered thoroughly.”
“The book deserves a welcome on its own merits. It is an able and scholarly production, and provides us with a very interesting sketch of one of the most important periods of the world’s history.”
Sichel, Edith.Catherine de’ Medici and the French reformation. *$3. Dutton.
“The gifted writer ... presents, here, the results of much research in out-of-the-way paths, and much plodding through old memoirs, documents and books, which have received but little recognition from the historians who have aimed at a comprehensive narrative of the times. She has made good use of her materials.”
“A book which will give great pleasure to a wide circle of readers.” E. Armstrong.
Sichel, Edith Helen.Life and letters of Alfred Ainger. *$3.50. Dutton.
The chief interest of this work is derived from the correspondence of Canon Ainger with such men as Horace Smith, Du Maurier, Edmund Gosse, Sidney Lee, Swinburne and others. There are chapters on the different periods of his life, his literary work, his work as lecturer, preacher, critic, his canonical duties, his humor, and his friendships in literature.
“A charming biography of one of the few wits of our time.”
“Miss Sichel has done her work well on the whole; in dealing with the correspondence, however she has not always shown discretion. The volume is furnished with a four-page ‘Index;’ from which the more important topics and names appear to have been carefully excluded.”
“Miss Sichel has given a vivid delineation of a winsome personality. In evident sympathy with her subject, she writes in a way to enlist the reader’s sympathy also.” Percy F. Bicknell.
Reviewed by Henry C. Beeching.
“Miss Sichel has armed herself with so many documents, she has printed such masses of correspondence, and quotations, and confirmatory opinions, as almost to obscure the image she would evoke before us.”
“She might, too, have left a clearer-cut impression by more rigid exercise of her editorial prerogatives in the matter of the correspondence, not all of which seems worthy of preservation. Taken as a whole, her volume is not an unworthy memorial.” H. Addington Bruce.
Sidgwick, Arthur, and Sidgwick, Eleanor Mildred (Mrs. Arthur Sidgwick).Henry Sidgwick—a memoir. *$4. Macmillan.
“Henry Sidgwick represented the most modern type of University teacher, the type which is closely in touch with all sides of national life and exercises an influence far beyond the lecture-room. He was a distinguished professor, a successful administrator, a writer of good books, but above all things he was a personality from whom radiated a subtle attraction which many felt and few could wholly describe.... It is almost impossible to reproduce for those who did not know him the charm of his character and the peculiar distinction of his mind. His books do not show it, and the tributes of friends are mere evidence for what cannot be glibly summarized. On the whole, the editors of this Memoir seem to have chosen the wisest path, and made their books a series of extracts from his letters and journals, connected with the bare minimum of narrative.”—Spec.
“This is a long and baffling life of an extremely interesting man. The impression produced by the whole [is] one of commonplace.”
Reviewed by Wm. Everett.
“Is of deep interest and value both to those who had the great privilege of knowing him, and to others. It is perhaps not too much to say that the book does not contain a page, or even a paragraph which is not interesting.” E. E. C. Jones.
“Many of [the letters] are not greatly above the level of ordinary epistolary communications, and may disclose little of what was actually going on in their author’s life.”
Reviewed by H. Addington Bruce.
“Our only complaint is that in the earlier chapters there are too many quotations so scrappy as to have little value, and too many examples of what is a common stage of development in young men at college. Throughout the book also there is a little too much University politics. But, taken as a whole, the book is one of high value, and absorbing interest.”
Sidgwick, Cecily (Ullman) (Mrs. Alfred Sidgwick).Professor’s legacy. †$1.50. Holt.
“It is better than most of its kind, in being rather carefully done, the characters being drawn with a care that makes them seem real.” Frederic Taber Cooper.
“An agreeable composition of nicely-adjusted parts.” Wm. M. Payne.
“A very German story.”
Sidgwick, Henry.Miscellaneous essays and addresses. *$3.25. Macmillan.
Reviewed by E. A. Taylor.
“In fact so admirable is the form of these ‘Essays and addresses’ that it is scarcely too much to say that they merited republication as models of style quite apart from the undoubted timeliness of nearly every one of the discussions which they contain.” Henry R. Seager.
Sidgwick, Henry.Philosophy of Kant, and other philosophical lectures and essays. *$3.25. Macmillan.
“The lectures on Kant, Green and Spencer contain an unusually clear account of the most striking metaphysical doctrines of these philosophers.” G. E. Moore.
“He appears to be too apt to emphasize apparent contradictions, without considering how far the changes in expression are due to the development of the writer’s thought. Notwithstanding this defect, however, there can be no doubt that the criticisms are extremely valuable.” J. S. Mackenzie.
“Personally, I should, I think, be inclined to regard the lectures which deal with the ‘analytic’ as the best, and those which discuss the ‘antinomies’ as the weakest part of the course.” A. E. Taylor.
“From beginning to end his attitude is critical and destructive.”
Sienkiewicz, Henryk.On the field of glory: a historical novel of the time of King John Sobieski; tr. from the Polish original by Jeremiah Curtin. †$1.50. Little.
The scenes of Mr. Sienkiewicz’s latest story are laid in Poland during the reign of King John Sobieski, just before the Turkish invasion in 1682 to 1683. It concerns the romance of Panna Anulka and Pan Yotsek, an impecunious scion of a noble house. The guardian of the heroine, a strong-headed Polish nobleman determines to marry his ward, but dies on the eve of their betrothal. The fibre of the story is woven amid brawls and duels, lawlessness, riot and drunkenness: yet on the plane of this early barbarity are expressed fine notions of honor, loyalty and patriotism which are elements in Poland’s spiritual harvest.
Reviewed by Amy C. Rich.
“The translation lacks ease, and must be called indifferent.”
“Although the story has this background of patriotic expectancy, it is in reality a story of private interest, a love-story of freshness and charm, a story of strange manners and exciting adventures.” Wm. M. Payne.
“Whoever has read and liked Sienkiewicz’s trilogy of historical romance is advised to read ‘On the field of glory.’ There is the family likeness of authorship. The translation is made with Mr. Curtin’s accustomed brilliancy, flecked by an occasional blur.”
“M. Sienkiewicz, unlike some lesser writers, does not find his great powers trammeled by the telling of a thoroughly pure, healthful tale.” M. Gordon Pryor Rice.
“Mr. Jeremiah Curtin has translated the book with his usual faithfulness and sympathy with the author’s genius.”
“The action is rapid and the pictures veracious.”
“We cannot altogether concur in the eulogy of this historical novel offered in the ‘Publisher’s preface.’ The translation runs easily.”
“The book is full of adventures related with all the author’s picturesqueness of detail and vigour of outline; but the plot has no very great coherence, and the story cannot be called very pleasant reading.”
Silberrad, Una Lucy.Curayl. †$1.50. Doubleday.
“Beatrice Curayl has married Sir William Goyte for his money and her father’s convenience. She longs to break the bargain between herself and her despised and despicable husband, but is restrained by the advice of a stranger, Anthony Luttrell, who reminds her that ‘it is not gentlemanly for either party to cry off.’ Then comes the epidemic, and Sir William’s refusal to help the tenants drives Beatrice to offer her personal assistance to the little band of volunteers who are fighting the fever. She finds Luttrell in command, adored and obeyed by all.... The developments of the finer side of Beatrice’s nature, from the moment she realises that sordid motives alone prompted her to marry Sir William to the end of her purgation show that Miss Silberrad is capable of doing strong and skillful work, as wholesome as it is clever.”—Acad.
“Here, as in former novels, the author gives us pleasant proof of her duality as a storyteller; but construction is not one of her strong points.”
“This cannot, in the common acceptation of the term, be called a ‘good story,’ because it has not the requirements—plentiful incident and growing excitement.”
Reviewed by Frederic Taber Cooper.
“The worst fault lies in the excess of brutality—as far as artistic effect is concerned—with which the unspeakable Sir William Goyt and the equally detestable Delmar are endowed.”
“Were the character drawing more subtle we should not so much resent the book’s stuffiness but it is for the most part superficial and conventional.”
“Is a very good little novel of the minor order, and throughout holds the interest.”
“‘Curayl’ the reader is inclined to believe, is a very superior novel, but one which requires the most careful and thoughtful reading to be appreciated fully.”
“An ill-constructed plot.”
“The story is successful in as far as it engages the attention of the reader, though, perhaps, a doubt may be permitted as to whether it is quite up to the literary standard which Miss Silberrad has set for herself in her previous work.”
Sill, Edward Rowland.Poetical works. $1.50. Houghton.
This complete edition of Mr. Sill’s poems, chronologically arranged, makes its appearance in the “Household series” of standard English and American poets.
“An edition of Edward Rowland Sill’s poems in a single inexpensive volume has long been a desideratum. There may be some question about the additions, for in case of a minor poet the half is commonly better than the whole; there certainly can be no intelligent question about the illustrations which were far better omitted.”
“In his desire to give us much of the as yet unpublished work the editor has doubtless had in mind an edition for the student rather than the lover of Sill. This is perhaps a mistake, for Sill will have many lovers, but few students. His brief introductory note is a model of sane criticism, written with becoming sympathy and regard.” Christian Gauss.
Sill, Louise Morgan.In sun or shade. **$1.50. Harper.
The thought of infinite and invincible energy gives character to Mrs. Sill’s poetry, whether it be the buoyancy of responsibility, the faith of hero worship, the lessons of bird and flower, or the perfection of love in its great limitless reaches. Whether in “sun or shade” she urges mankind to live, to act.
“There is not a morally unwholesome line in her whole work. The book, therefore, is one which the author may well feel proud of having produced and the reader thankful to possess.”
“We are indebted to her for much that is lovely, tender, and charming,—and, often, for a wise note of womanly wisdom.” Edith M. Thomas.
Reviewed by Wm. M. Payne.
“Although there is much in her book that is rather dull, occasionally ... she strikes a fairly searching chord.”
“Few have written anything very much better in serious poetry than Louise Morgan Sill, and the poems are well arranged.”
Simpson, Evelyn Blantyre.Robert Louis Stevenson. *75c. Luce, J: W.
“A ten minute life of the novelist,” the second volume in the “Spirit of the age series.” The illustrations are four portraits of Stevenson, including the one painted by Count Nerli in Samoa.
“There is little new in Miss Simpson’s book.”
Simpson, Frederick Moore.History of architectural development. 3v. *$4. Longmans.
“Professor Simpson’s book ... is the first of three volumes destined to treat of all the historic styles from Egyptian to the Renaissance, and they are intended to form part of a newseries of books on architecture.... He deals exclusively with the great historic styles, wisely leaving aside the mazes of Hindoo, Chinese, and other exotic art. His work is an excellent example of the modern method of regarding architectural history as a continuous whole.”—Spec.
“Having studied all the authorities and weighed all the evidence, he gives a well-reasoned and balanced opinion on each disputed point. The book is therefore pre-eminently a safe guide for the beginner.”
“For the most part we have sound criticism, forcibly set forth. Slips are rare.”
“For reasonably mature beginners, who intend to make a serious study of architecture, we know of no work which seems so well fitted to give them a general view of the development of the subject without undue time being spent on the aesthetical phases which can readily be supplied by teachers or more fanciful books.”
“His writing is lucid and concise.”
Simpson, W. J.Treatise on plague. *$5. Macmillan.
“He has not the pen of a vigorous and interesting writer, but, on the whole, he has performed the task with judgment and skill; and his book may be taken as a compendious statement of all that is known or reasonably surmised about plague up to the present time.”
Sinclair, May.Audrey Craven.†$1.50. Holt.
“The story of the moral havoc wrought in the lives of men by a woman without a heart.... An early novel in a new edition.” (Lit. D.) “Audrey herself is a distinct creation, dominating the story even more than is the wont of heroines. Beside her, her lovers are shadowy.... Having yielded her heart in rapid succession to the child of nature, to the painter, to the writer, to the austere divine, she ends as the wife of the dullard.” (N. Y. Times.)
“The author is not without the defects of her qualities; and while these do not seriously mar the beauty of her work as a whole, they are not unapparent to critical admirers of an author whose novels may be said to make waste paper of most of the fiction of a season.”
“While remarkable in quality, is immature. The interest of the story never flags, but it has its thin places. The writer’s powers are well in evidence, but not yet held firmly in hand.”
“While ‘Audrey Craven’ is not well rounded out and lacks breadth of treatment and firm grasp on the reader’s attention, it shows very clearly the intelligent quality and the subtle knowledge of character that are applied in ‘The divine fire’ to a more complex play of motive and action, and to a far more striking situation.”
“Lacks dramatic power and real human interest.”
Sinclair, May.Divine fire.$1.50. Holt.
Sinclair, May.Superseded.$1.25. Holt.
Little Miss Quincey, the pathetic old-maid teacher of mathematics, who has withered away under her daily drudgery and has never known youth or life, is the real heroine of this sad little story altho the personality of Rhoda, beautiful and brilliant, overshadows and eclipses her, and altho happiness, love and her beloved Mr. Cautley all pass her by. For “Nature has made up for any little extra outlay in one direction by cruel pinching in another.... Nature had indulged in Rhoda Vivian and she was making Miss Quincey pay.”
“Is one of the books which ought not to be missed.” Frederic Taber Cooper.
“There are real pathos in the book and considerable underlying humor.”
“She may be trusted at all events to be at once penetrating and human.”
“As a character study and in point of workmanship it is quite on a level, however with ‘Divine fire,’ although it has neither the range, substance, nor imaginative power of that story. A pathetic little tale told with the most delicate feeling.”
Sinclair, May.Tysons (Mr. and Mrs. Nevill Tyson.).$1.50. Dodge, B. W.
“There is novelty in the conception of Mr. and Mrs. Nevill Tyson, as strangely assorted a pair as ever foregathered between the covers of a novel.... Nevill Tyson ... is a man of plebeian birth and cosmopolitan education, a sentimental brute with a veneer of cleverness and polish.... Thrust by accident into the position of an English country gentleman, he commits the fatal error of marrying a pretty girl who is universally regarded as a fool.... She loves her husband with a devotion so complete as to blind him and others to its true nature. For him she sacrifices first her child and finally her life. His return for her devotion is to desert her, to accuse her of infidelity, and to leave her again to die heart-broken while he finds a hero’s death in Africa.”—Bookm.
“It is a clever, original, distinctive first novel.” Edward Clark Marsh.
“The sketch makes a vivid impression upon the reader’s mind, despite its faults.”
“The story, powerful as it is, is too ‘unpleasant’ to commend itself to the wider reading public.”
Sinclair, Upton Beall, jr.Jungle.†$1.50. Doubleday.
Chicago in its worst industrial phases is the scene of Mr. Sinclair’s story. His hero is a sturdy Lithuanian who, with a little colony of fellow countrymen, including the frail Ona whom he would wed, settles in the Packingtown district. It is first as a wage-earner—the victim of foremen’s immoral practices and of real estate sharks’ trickery—that Jurgis Rudkus struggles; worsted in his battle, and yielding to exhaustion and hopelessness, he becomes a tramp, a common thief, a highwayman, a beggar. Temporary respite comes with the protection offered by a corrupt political machine whose bosses secure him work. He looked out on “a world in which nothing counted but brutal might, an order devised by those who possessed it for the subjugation of those who did not.” Finally the “saving grace” of socialism is balm for his industrial grievances, and here the author expatiates upon the salutary virtues of socialism.
“Is one of the strongest and most powerful voices of protest against a great wrong that has appeared in America.”
“It is a book that holds the attention by its vividness, earnestness, and simplicity.”
“It is impossible to withhold admiration of Mr. Sinclair’s enthusiasm; and yet many socialists will regret his mistaken advocacy of their cause. His reasoning is so false, his disregard of human nature so naive, his statement of facts so biased, his conclusions so perverted, that the effect can be only to disgust many honest, sensible folk with the very terms he uses so glibly.” Edward Clark Marsh.
“Mr. Sinclair’s horrors are not typical, and his indecencies of speech are not tolerable in any book that has claims to consideration as literature. In all the essential qualities of good fiction this book is conspicuously lacking.” Wm. M. Payne.
“Tho overdrawn from a literary standpoint and almost surely exaggerated as to facts, is a powerful and harrowing narrative. ‘The jungle’ may do some harm; also it will surely do much good.”
“We are afraid Mr. Sinclair has not been divinely appointed to be a deliverer of Labor lying prostrate. Somehow, in his tones the ear continuously catches the false note. He has been at pains to ‘get up’ his facts thoroughly, and his realism is often striking. But he seems to write not from the heart but from the head.”
“Upton Sinclair’s style is probably the best expression of Zolaesque that we have in English fiction.”
Reviewed by Louise Collier Willcox.
“Mr. Sinclair’s indictment of the employing classes would have been more convincing if it were less hysterical.”
“Mr. Sinclair’s bias ... has led him to indiscretions of the head rather than of the heart.”
“When a story reveals so much of artistic penetration and power as does ‘The jungle’ one keenly regrets what seems like unfairness in point of view. The very brutality of the book is likely to cause it to be talked about.”
“We are inclined to believe that more enlightenment is to be gained from ‘The jungle’ than from Mr. Lawson’s ‘Frenzied finance.’”
Sinclair, William A.Aftermath of slavery: a study of the condition and environment of the American negro; with an introd. by T: Wentworth Higginson. **$1.50. Small.
“The over-zealous critic might point out many faults in the work. It is not well-digested, there are some overstatements, and much padding in the way of poetry and quotations from easily-accessible sources. And yet the book is of great value. It is alive. It is throbbing.” W. E. Burghardt Du Bois.
“To the student of social problems the book is of great value, not as a repository of facts, for the facts in it are badly warped, but simply as a ‘human document.’ As voicing the sentiments, then, of the class of influential negro radicals that book has a distinct value.” Walter L. Fleming.
Singer, Hans W.Dante Gabriel Rossetti. *$1. Scribner.
The life and art of Rossetti receive enthusiastic treatment in this volume which also contains an account of Pre-Raphaelitism and a list of Rossetti’s principal works in both public and private collections. Reproductions of a dozen of his best pictures are given with a portrait of the artist-poet.
“The sketch, in the main, contains several interesting observations and some facts, but little that is new. It merely attempts to popularize knowledge.” Wm. T. Brewster.
“In Dr. Hans Singer he has at last found a sympathetic German critic.”
“The little book is distinctly below the standard of the series.”
Singer, Hans W.James McNeill Whistler. *$1. Scribner.
“This volume in the “Langham series of art monographs” treats of the absence of reverence in the American painter’s disputes with Ruskin, Taylor, Oscar Wilde, Eden, and others; his ‘Gentle art of making enemies,’ his ‘art,’ his principal paintings, etchings, lithographs, etc.; Whistler’s Thames, Venice, and Dutch sets; his hostility to critics and theory of criticism; ‘Ten o’clock,’ and Whistler’s theory of art. Mr. Singer shows the artist’s ‘unpleasant traits’ in order to enable the reader to better understand Whistler’s work as a painter of pictures.... The half-tone illustrations are sixteen in number and present the most familiar of Whistler’s paintings and sketches.” (N. Y. Times.)
“Is rather an inconsequent little book, for which not a great deal of praise is to be said.”
Singleton, Esther, comp. Holland as seen and described by famous writers. **$1.60. Dodd.
Miss Singleton’s “Holland” is a book of extracts compiled upon the plan of her books on London, Paris, etc.—excerpts being taken from prominent writers’ works. The book is divided into six parts, as follows: The country and race, History, Descriptions, Manners and customs, Painting and statistics.
“It gives us expert description and criticism.... is therefore an admirable supplement to all the guide-books.”
Skae, Hilda T.Life of Mary, Queen of Scots. *$1.25. Lippincott.
“So many and so elaborately controversial have been most of the numerous works recently published upon Mary Stuart, that it is hardly possible not to welcome as a relief a little volume like this, which takes a very great deal—including Mary’s essential goodness—for granted, and tells the familiar old story in the spirit and language of romance.”—Spec.
“A narrative bringing out into strong relief the sentimental and pathetic features is what she provides.”
“She has constructed a pleasant readable book which even Mariolaters may find useful for reference purposes.”
Sladen, Douglas Brooke Wheelton.Sicilian marriage. †$1.50. Pott.
“Mr. Sladen says: ‘To make my story exciting I have crowded it with melodramatic events which really only come like angels’ visits.’ This quotation is an adequate description of ‘A Sicilian marriage’ and a characteristic example of Mr. Sladen’s style. His book is a fair specimen of the guide-book novel, which sandwiches history with love-scenes, and art-criticism with adventure.”—Sat. R.
“The characters are like the incidents, stereotyped and familiar.”
“A love story of much interest.”
“Mr. Sladen evidently knows a great deal about Sicily, but has not a very fortunate manner of imparting his information.”
“The story proper is not interesting, and the descriptions of the antiquities of Sicily would be really much more readable without the personages who move, rather stiffly, among the temples and museums.”
Slater, John Herbert.How to collect books. $2. Macmillan.
“This volume will be found to contain a feast of good things for every book collector.”
Slater, John Rothwell.Sources of Tyndale’s version of the Pentateuch. *50c. Univ. of Chicago press.
A monograph which discusses the circumstances under which Tyndale gained his knowledge of Hebrew, the sources he used in his version of the Pentateuch and to what extent his work was original, and the influence his version exerted upon later translations and upon English literature.
Slattery, Margaret.Talks with the training class; with introd. by Patterson Du Bois. 60c. Pilgrim press.
These talks designed for the teacher-training department in the Sunday-school are based upon the study of what the great teachers of the ages have given us, upon personal influence in actual teaching, and upon careful observation of the work for others.
“It contains nothing novel in interpretation, or even in statement, but is brief, concise, and suggestive.”
“The best manual for a training class we have seen.”
“The best modern psychology is brought to bear on religious instruction, with as much thoroness, coupled with good sense, as characterizes the best text-books on pedagogy.”
Slocum, Stephen Elmer and Hancock, Edward Lee.Text-book on the strength of materials. *$2. Ginn.
Both the theoretical and experimental phases of the subject are here presented making the work elementary enough for the use of students of a junior grade in technical and engineering schools.
Slosson, Margaret.How ferns grow. **$3. Holt.
Following a chapter in the “Development of the fern leaf” the author treats of eighteen individual fern species, and devotes a double-page illustration to each. The papers deal chiefly with the subject of cell-growth and kindred phenomena. “They scarcely touch upon the development of the form and venation of the leaf in each species, and in its individual aspects only, without reference to its relation to such development in other fern species.”
“We may confidently recommend the book to fern students.”
“The book is more of a contribution than its elaborate form would suggest.” J. M. C.
“Miss Slosson has conscientiously followed her subject, and some of her discoveries no doubt throw light upon the phytology of the group.”
“While valuable particularly to technical botanists, the work will be helpful to others.”
“It is to be regretted that through no fault of her own the nomenclature is open to criticism, but aside from the matter of names, the book can be heartily recommended.”
“This volume does not come within the popular scope but should have a place on the shelves of the botanist’s working library.” Mabel Osgood Wright.
Small, Albion Woodbury.General sociology: an exposition of the main development in sociological theory from Spencer to Ratzenhofer. *$4. Univ. of Chicago press.
“He has no system of his own to project, and therefore does not assail the work of other men with a devastating criticism. The book may be recommended to all who are not afraid to trust their today’s thinking as against their yesterday’s thought.” Edward Alsworth Ross.
“Viewed by individual sections or chapters, the volume contains much of great value, particularly to the advanced student. Viewed as the whole, the volume is less satisfactory. It will be of little service to the beginner, for the style is involved and at times confusing.” Carl Kelsey.
“The dejected feeling that Prof. Small’s book produces is mainly because of one’s inability to convince one’s self that the author believes that, there is any real truth or importance in this wordy farrago.” Winthrop More Daniels.
“As a book on general sociology this is a valuable contribution to the literature on the subject. While the interpretation of human experience is sufficiently emphasized, sufficient stress is not laid upon the evolution of human society as a means of arriving at a correct estimate of the present structure and activities.” Frank W. Blackmar.
“His volume is rather for the student, perhaps we might say the advanced student, than for the interested but not especially prepared thinker on sociological problems.”
Reviewed by Edward Alsworth Ross.
Smet, Pierre-Jean de.Life, letters and travels of Father Pierre-Jean de Smet, S. J.; ed. by Hiram Martin Chittenden and Alfred Talbot Richardson. $15. Harper, F. P.
“The new matter alone is nearly equal in volume to everything heretofore published. [Major Chittenden’s] research work has been thoro and fruitful.”
Smiles, Samuel.Autobiography. *$4. Dutton.
“This last word from one whose writings have had a world-wide influence contains the features that gained instant popularity for its predecessors and invested them with such weight—the homely and sound philosophy, the appreciation of the possibilities of human nature, the unfailing sympathy for all seeking to better their condition by honest means, and the thorough readability.”—Outlook.
“Judiciously edited.”
“He tells it very well, with a practised pen guided by a sane and balanced judgment. It is an excellent autobiography, characteristically vigorous, cheerful, encouraging and wholesome.”
“His autobiography is a decidedly dull book. As an account of the man Smiles, except in this matter of vanity, the book is quite valueless.”
“His autobiography is, in fine, a delightful and significant human document.”
Smith, Alexander.Introduction to general inorganic chemistry. *$2.25. Century.
The work of one who understands the psychology of teaching. The first four chapters deal in an introductory manner with the general characteristics of chemical phenomena. The remainder of the text treats elements and their compounds. “These chapters deal largely with the simpler physical properties of matter and include a brief and clear exposition of the utility of scientific method; following closely are the usual methods of determining equivalents, use of symbols and various simple calculations.”—Bookm.
“He has certainly earned the gratitude of all teachers of chemistry in the clear and masterly manner in which he has presented his subject.”
“The book is doubtless the very best of its kind and will be found to be particularly strong on explanations in connection with the hypothesis of ions.” W. O. Walker.
“Is certainly a good book for good students, and as such is to be heartily welcomed.” H. L. Wells.
Smith, Anna Harris, ed. Longfellow calendar. **50c. Crowell.
A quotation from Longfellow for every day of the year.
Smith, Charlotte Curtis.Girls of Pineridge. †$1.50. Little.
All about an active band of girls, fast friends and loyal. Their flower hunts, patch-work parties, cooking bees, etc. show what child energy wholesomely directed can accomplish.
“The parrot ... that dovetails his remarks into the conversation so that they are perfectly relevant spoils an otherwise natural story of four wholesome little girls who are fond of nature and appreciate life in the woods.”
Smith, Rev. David.Days of His flesh: the earthly life of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. **$2.50. Armstrong.
“This book is intended to do for this generation what Farrar’s ‘Life of Christ’ did for the generation preceding.”
“It is clear, well-written, and not too much burdened by learned digression.”
Smith, Francis Hopkinson.Tides of Barnegat.†$1.50. Harper.
A strange commingling of irresponsibility and duty operates in Mr. Smith’s new story with its artistic and dramatic touches. The loyal, fine-spirited Jane Cobden gives up her doctor and with him her hope of happiness to guard her will o’ the wisp sister’s sin and to mother the child born out of wedlock. The sacrifice becomes a thing of splendid heroism, and furnishes the motif of a story which reflects in its characters the sturdy traits of shore folk, and in its out-of-door atmosphere the freshness and varying moods of the sea.