A Lapy am Gnexw Groves—By Sylvia Thomipton. Basil Blackwell, Oxford.
This is the first novel by Mis Thompson that we have read and we! are not at all sure that we wish to read any more, Judging by the Press notices quoted on the fly-lent of the same author's "The Rough Grossing" Miss Thompson Knack of writing unpleasant books, Lat it be said at once that "A Lady in Green Gloves" is extremely well written and the observations and description are penetrating and vivid. Moreover, there is none of the ruthless dwelling id jects once taboo, which the average modern novel so depressing, 0 But the book is Jess none the curiously disagreeable. It is less story than a series of descriptions, of people who are presumably more or less typical of the restless and unhappy Phase through which Eng-Innd is passing. Thus we have Lady, Leyland, who "looked like a dissipat= ed white horse," and the repulsive crew who hang about her; also luncheon party with the modern artistic set at Oxford; is it really, possible that any young men nowa-days make up their faces with powder and paint? If s¢ Tes said about them, the better. The young. woman of the modern day, for whom the best treatment would be a good spanking, a course of cold mutton and rice pudding and plenty of hard work of any sort that could not minister to her vanity. It is certainly something to write a book which annoys the reader, far better than boring him. Miss' Thompson is undoubtedly a clever writer, but one wishes she would deal with pleasanter people. There is no lack of such in her latest story, intended no doubt as a contrast with the unreal, other sort, but they are wooden and 'THe Suamsurss Iunocent—By Max well Laurie, T, Werner Laurie, La, The lady. whose adventures give the title to this book is one of those quite improbably beautiful and noble young women who deliberately do, or rather set out to do, the most impossible things precisely because she wishes to assert to the world at large that she is superior to all ordinary laws and that whatever she does must be right, because her own conscience is clear and her reputation, to her way of thinking above the possibility of reproach, There is a bathing scene towards the end which strikes 0: imply incredible. If it was possible, the observations of a woman of" the lower orders who unexpectedly comes upon the scene (page 226), strike one-as being entirely deserved and
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.