Life — February 5, 1903 — page 8: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

was hardly to be expected that the second novel in Frank Norris's trilogy of The Wheat should equal The Octopus, yet in spite of this realization The Pit is a disappointment. In the Cali- fornia story, the impotence of the human atoms before the imper- sonal power of the Octopus, ly discerned, became little by little omnievident and une as justified by its own grandeur. In The Pit, the current of the action is clogged and interrupted by petty detail, till the roar of the maelstrom of the Pit is drowned by the nearer bickerings of a mere love story. (Doubleday, Page and Company.) To the curiously inclined follower of fiction, a story of Rome by a native writer of acknowledged ability like Matilde Serao offers interesting opportunities of comparison with Marion Crawford, and with the twin bids for fame of Miss Corelli and Mr. Caine, The Conquest of Mme, Serao’s peculiar style, a broad effect produced by y detailed pictures, and fully equals her Neapolitan (Harper and me is in a series of minute stories in strength and interest. Brothers. $1.50.) Mr. Crossland's The Unspeakable Scot has roused the Highlander in one Angus MeNeill, led The Egregious English Poor Scotland at least deserved of humor, To of the es their rous exactitude of the P. Putnam's da volume is the result achampion with some sens Mr. MeN however, the fav English are no joke, and he enumer failings with the pd hopelessly matter of fact. (G. Sons.) An analysis of social and commercial condi- tions and an exam of Our Benerolen exceptionably readable, th neither a worshipper of statistics hand, nor a weaver of theories on t hor yet without a realization of the nor of facts yare. (The Macmillan pany. $l a three-handred-page Duffie Boylan of the story of Joseph It is chiefly noticeabie for the emphasis it places, by contrast, his coat of many upon the superb literary value of ever written, (G.W of the most perfect short ste ham Company.) Jesse Lynch Willi i New York Sketches, calls our atten ity of to- f the observer and day from the view-point A MAN’S CONQUEST. «T WONDER,” said Castleton to himself, as he made his preparations to leave town, ‘‘ just what is going to happen tome? Will she have me or not?” There is probably no more really happier period in a man’s life than when, having fallen desperately in love, he is on the eve of proposing, and is doubtful of the result. The very uncertainty of his fate appeals to that spirit of adventure which every true man carries about in his heart—a souvenir of past ages : and the constant alter- nation between delight and despair produces that thorough elimination of other considerations and that utter absorp- tion of mind and heart, which lift the victim into an epic world in which he is the colossal figure. Castleton felt all this very keenly as he threw his things’ together to get ready for Mrs. Pinkerly’s house party at the artist, inst from the ad of to the city of t «-point of the antiquary. book gives us an inkling of how much we ily with unseeing eyes. (Charles Serib- J.B. Rerfoot, pass d ner's Sons. $2.00.) SNAPSHOTS IN HADES. THE DEPARTMENT WHERE PUNISHMENT 18 METED OUT TO THE WORLD'S NERVESHATTERING NOISE MAKERS—INCLUDING STRE YORK ELEVATED RAILROAD. HAWKERS, AND THE INVENTOR OP THE AIR BRAKE USED ON THE NEW comicbooks.com