L (continued 2)
Reading edition
“The humor lacks something of the spontaneity of his former work.”
+ − A. L. A. Bkl. 6: 91. N. ’09. ✠
N. Y. Times. 14: 650. O. 23, ’09. 60w.
“It is a simple tale of simple people, in whom, nevertheless, runs the red blood that makes plain, every-day life a strong story in the hands of a strong writer.”
+ N. Y. Times. 14: 751. N. 27, ’09. 180w.
“Is rich in Cape Cod character, and Keziah’s shrewd remarks on human nature are keenly amusing.”
+ Outlook. 93: 361. O. 16, ’09. 30w.
Lincoln, Joseph Crosby.[6] Our village. **$1.50. Appleton.
9–11524.
A group of sketches with the author’s familiar Cape Cod setting. They are as follows: Our house; A Cape Cod clambake; The old maids; The school picnic; Our oldest inhabitant; Teacher; A Christmas memory. “Dreamy stories of foreign-bound vessels that never returned, romances that were nipped in the bud, and oft-repeated yarns of ancient mariners are among the author’s recollections.” (Lit. D.)
A. L. A. Bkl. 5: 188. Je. ’09.
“An interesting memory book of New England customs and scenes, and should be very popular 270with readers who are familiar with the New England of a former generation.”
+ Ind. 66: 1344. Je. 17, ’09. 60w.
+ Lit. D. 38: 902. My. 22, ’09. 150w.
+ N. Y. Times. 14: 292. My. 8, ’09. 130w.
Lindsay, C. H. A. Forbes-. Washington: the city and the seat of government. (Photogravure illustrated books.) $3. Winston.
8–27374.
“History and description, and sufficiently minute details concerning our governmental machinery, are relieved with numerous agreeably tinted photographic views of principal buildings and places of interest. The pages that treat of journalism in Washington, the educational institutions of the city, the Library of Congress, and other matters relating to learning and literature, are especially inviting. The chapter on the social life of the capital is also good reading, but (best of praise) too short.”—Dial.
“A compact, useful, and also ornamental volume.”
+ Dial. 45: 462. D. 16, ’08. 170w.
“The author has managed to put into a comparatively small book a mass of information which is at once accurate and attractively propounded.”
+ Lit. D. 37: 900. D. 12, ’08. 200w.
“The ground has been recently travelled over by other writers, who are more entertaining and less inaccurate than is the present author.”
− Nation. 87: 548. D. 3, ’08. 350w.
+ N. Y. Times. 14: 17. Ja. 9, ’09. 180w.
“An interesting volume.”
+ Outlook. 91: 21. Ja. 2, ’09. 150w.
Lindsey, William.[10] Severed mantle. *$1.35. Houghton.
9–27996.
Provence in the time of the troubadours is re-created in this volume. In the story of Raimbault, the lad who adopts the severed mantle of his patron Saint Martin, to remind him of his vow to live a life of love and purity, the author has shown that the troubadour of the twelfth century took life earnestly and dreamed great dreams. He carries the boy through hardship and adventure but leaves him true to himself, and true to his dual not divided, allegiance to God and to his lady.
“Mr. Lindsey has successfully reproduced the life of this period with its atmosphere of mystery and intrigue, love and mysticism.”
+ Lit. D. 39: 962. N. 27, ’09. 250w.
“There are not a few traces of the tyro in the present performance. It is a creditable ‘tour de force,’ but it is far from a masterpiece. Whatever the book has of intrinsic interest is due to Mr. Lindsey’s happy bits of translation from the Provençal song of the period.”
+ − Nation. 89: 573. D. 9, ’09. 400w.
“In all these passes you may follow young Raimbault, knight of the old romance. He is merely a modern copy, of course, but the copy is not ill-done.”
+ N. Y. Times. 14: 622. O. 23, ’09. 430w.
Lipman, Jacob Goodale. Bacteria in relation to country life. (Rural science ser.) **$1.50. Macmillan.
8–27113.
A discussion of bacteria, their structure and growth, their connection with the problem of health and comfort, and their uses in relation to air and water, sewage, soil fertility, barnyard manure, milk and dairy products, food preservations, and fermentation.
“An excellent, semi-technical treatise, pronounced by an expert the best yet published.”
+ A. L. A. Bkl. 5: 17. Ja. ’09.
+ Nation. 88: 230. Mr. 4, ’09. 230w.
“It may be recommended to all those who desire to obtain a general knowledge of the functions of bacteria and the important ‘rôle’ they play in relation to daily life, while the intelligent agriculturist will find a large amount of Information which should aid him in his work.” R. T. Hewlett.
+ Nature. 81: 63. Jl. 15. ’09. 670w.
“Very thorough and painstaking account.”
+ R. of Rs. 39: 127. Ja. ’09. 130w.
Spec. 102: sup. 158. Ja. 30, ’09. 110w.
Lloyd, Alfred Henry. Will to doubt: an essay in philosophy for the general thinker. (Ethical lib.) *$1.25. Macmillan.
8–13764.
“This book which ‘might be described as an introduction to philosophy,’ though it is ‘addressed quite as much to the general reader or rather to the general thinker, as to the prospective student of technical philosophy,’ is an attempt to show that ‘the contradictions, duplicity, and vacillation’ of the human experience, by preventing any ‘fatal digression’ from reality, enable us through our doubts ‘to believe in the very things we doubt’; and that ‘doubt is essential to real belief.’” (Int. J. Ethics.) “The largest portion of the book is given up to an examination, first of the ordinary, then of the scientific views, and the usual confusions and contradictions inherent in experience are set forth.” (Philos. R.)
“A masterly essay in philosophy written by one who is evidently thoroughly at home in philosophic thinking. He aims to appeal to the general reader as well as the student of philosophy, and there is a freshness and individuality about his style that is attractive; but the discussion is too fundamental and abstract, and the reasoning too close, and the philosophical view-point too new to allow the book to be of great value to any but the trained student.” W. C. Keirstead.
+ Am. J. Theol. 13: 314. Ap. ’09. 750w.
“Some assumptions, which play no unimportant part in the argument of the book, receive no satisfactory examination, and no reasons are given for supposing them to be true. This defect, coupled with a plentiful use of some unintelligible distinctions, and the lack of definition of the meaning, and consequently in the use of some words, make the book exceedingly obscure and unconvincing, and as ‘an introduction to philosophy’ practically worthless. So many of its assertions may mean so many different things.” A. R. Ainsworth.
− Int. J. Ethics. 19: 259. Ja. ’09. 400w.
“The whole book is interesting, and I confess to a pretty general sympathy with the doctrines expressed therein. I would mention the treatment of contradiction and of the continued life of humanity as especially good. On the other hand, I seriously doubt whether this book will prove illuminating to the general thinker not already trained in philosophy.” J. A. Leighton.
+ − J. Philos. 5: 665. N. 19, ’08. 770w.
“Prof. Lloyd’s argument is interesting, and is ably, if not always convincingly, developed, but suffers from his somewhat perverse and strained efforts after brilliance of style.”
+ − Nature. 77: 534. Ap. 9, ’08. 250w.
“Though often interesting, and sometimes suggestive, must nevertheless be characterized as lacking in clearness of statement and in accuracy of reasoning. One great virtue, however, must be conceded to it; it is not stereotyped, and even in its faults, which are great, it avoids the academic commonplaces.” G. N. Dolson.
− + Philos. R. 17: 668. N. ’08. 470w.
Lloyd, Arthur.[5] Every-day Japan. *$4. Cassell.
9–15392.
A thoro acquaintance with Japan during twenty-five years of residence there renders the author’s account intimate and authoritative. 271He enumerates the conditioning elements in the national development, naming loyalty as the great national asset; discusses the national policy; sketches Japanese characteristics and leads the reader to form an intelligent opinion upon the handling of Japanese problems.
“A good corrective to the many volumes by superficial observers.”
+ A. L. A. Bkl. 6: 17. S. ’09.
Nation. 88: 420. Ap. 22, ’09. 220w.
“No one could be more kindly, more sympathetic, more appreciative of all that is best in the national character and most attractive in the national life: But he is not blind to Japanese faults.”
+ Spec. 102: 504. Mr. 27, ’09. 440w.
Loane, M.[7] Englishman’s castle. $2. Longmans. W9–152.
A volume of essays founded upon practical experience of the author’s work as nurse among the poor—“a record of her ‘cases,’ interspersed with the morals to be drawn from them.” “They are pictures of the home life of the underpaid and the unemployed who make up a very large percentage of the English people, and they show a great prevalence of want and wretchedness throughout the country. One of the lessons they convey to the intelligent reader is that the conditions in which the industrial classes of England are placed are full of peril to the country, and that the future of the country probably depends quite as much on what shall happen to its working people as upon any other influence to which it shall be subjected.” (N. Y. Times.)
A. L. A. Bkl. 5: 173. Je. ’09.
“New light on old questions is always welcome, and it is precisely this that Miss Loane is able to supply.”
+ Ath. 1909, 2: 152. Ag. 7. 240w.
“Miss Loane’s book makes a pretty thorough exposition of the people with whom she deals. Nobody in England knows this people better than she does, nobody has studied them at closer range and with greater intelligence, and nobody has written about them in a more effective fashion. She sets before the statesmen and philanthropists of England the real inwardness of their greatest problem.”
+ N. Y. Times. 14: 389. Je. 19, ’09. 550w.
“A human document which supplies the concrete instances demanded to enforce the general principles laid down by Mrs. Bosanquet. It is a pure accident that the two books have appeared together, and yet one is so exactly complementary of the other that it is difficult not to feel that the genius of accident determined to strike a shrewd blow against the cult of pauperism.”
+ Spec. 102: 422. Mr. 13, ’09. 1100w.
Locke, James.[10] Plotting of Frances Ware. †$1.50. Moffat.
9–14414.
A story of political intrigue against the Russian government. There appears on the scene of a Harvard archeologist’s researches, way off in Turkestan, an escaped convict. The scientist and his sister befriend the refugee who in turn draws the girl, all unconscious of crime, into his plots. He weds her, involves her heavily in his scheme, and finally himself falls victim to treachery while the wife is saved by the British consul.
“A swiftly moving straightforward story, not too harrowing to the feelings.”
+ A. L. A. Bkl. 6: 91. N. ’09.
“It makes a straightforward and highly interesting story, swift and logical in movement, and not too harrowing to our feelings.” W: M. Payne.
+ Dial. 47: 181. S. 16, ’09. 250w.
“[The heroine] is fairly enmeshed in a tangle of plotting and counter-plotting and criss-cross intriguing, which the author has contrived with a good deal of cunning. But he does not seem to possess many other of the novelist’s qualifications.”
− + N. Y. Times. 14: 329. My. 22, ’09. 200w.
Locke, William John. Septimus. †$1.50. Lane.
9–562.
The keynote of this story is a “sort of grownup Simple Simon solemnly carrying water in a sieve, so to speak, and makes you rather proud of him for so doing.” (Bookm.) He is an eccentric young Englishman, a mathematician, an inventor and an impractical, tender hearted visionary. As for the woman of the tale—“she is really the modern young woman. And perhaps you have seen her learn the lesson of life—exchange the goddess for the woman. It is a marvelous change, and so far as the memory of the present writer runs has not been attempted before as Mr. Locke has attempted it.” (N. Y. Times.)
“A quaintly humorous story of far more than ordinary literary merit.”
+ A. L. A. Bkl. 5: 54. F. ’09. ✠
“It is all Mr. Locke’s huge joke, and it is good fun.”
+ Ath. 1909, 1: 193. F. 13. 250w.
+ Atlan. 103: 711. My. ’09. 1100w.
“Let us place it unhesitatingly above such earlier books as ‘Derelicts,’ and ‘Where love is,’ but just as surely below ‘The morals of Marcus Ordeyne,’ and ‘The beloved vagabond.’” F: T. Cooper.
+ Bookm. 28: 594. F. ’09. 1550w.
“The satisfaction which we get from this, as from Mr. Locke’s other recent novels, is intellectual rather than emotional, and is of the keenest sort.” W: M. Payne.
+ Dial. 46: 263. Ap. 16, ’09. 310w.
“It is even better than some of his very early productions. But the present tendency is to proclaim it as a sort of masterpiece, a crowning glory around the pinnacle of his recently achieved fame. A good many people of fair average intelligence will take this contention seriously. And that will be an infinite pity.” Philip Tillinghast.
+ Forum. 41: 180. F. ’09. 2500w.
“His creations are whimsical to a degree, the situations bizarre, yet we love them too much to laugh at them; his people are eccentric in their goodness and in their weakness, but they are not absurd, and we succumb at once to the elusive but very enchaining charm of Septimus.’”
+ Ind. 66: 699. Ap. 1, ’09. 300w.
“It all makes up a pleasant fantasia, perhaps, rather than a novel in the ‘strenuous’ sense now commonly attached to the term; and for this, one is inclined to say, so much the better.”
+ Nation. 88: 117. F. 4, ’09. 440w.
“An achievement which marks him as the successor of Du Maurier and the heir—along with that other wise man, William de Morgan—of the mantle of Thackeray.” H. I. Brock.
+ N. Y. Times. 14: 36. Ja. 16, ’09. 970w.
N. Y. Times. 14: 376. Je. 12, ’09. 200w.
“Once more Mr. William J. Locke has given us one of his slight, but very engrossing, tales.”
+ No. Am. 189: 783. My. ’09. 180w.
“The book as a whole is perhaps a little lighter and less thoroughly worked out than ‘The beloved vagabond,’ but it is a rare romance, most delightful even when closest to the fantastical, abounding in cheerfulness, surprising in its turns of wit and action, and quietly optimistic in its kindliness and its recognition of the unselfish side of humanity.”
+ Outlook. 91: 107. Ja. 16, ’09. 300w.
“‘Septimus’ affords so much real entertainment that the reader will hardly be inclined to cavil at some disappointments.”
+ − Sat. R. 107: 211. F. 13, ’09. 950w.
272“We find Mr. Locke an unequal artist. He is an idealist, but he is afflicted with spasms of unnecessary realism.”
+ − Spec. 102: 135. Ja. 23, ’09. 900w.
Lodge, George Cabot.[8] Herakles [dramatic poem]. **$1.25. Houghton.
8–33151.
A poetic drama constructed about Herakles, his madness, his labors and the deliverance of Prometheus. “It is not so much a stage-play, but rather a poem, which the poet has chosen to cast in dramatic form.” (Dial.)
“The poem as read is satisfying to the lover of noble thought and lovely imagery. Whether it be really a dramatic development, I cannot be so sure; but still the drama is a remarkable achievement, and one of which we may well be proud.” E: E. Hale, jr.
+ Dial. 47: 69. Ag. 1, ’09. 650w.
Ind. 65: 1174. N. 19, ’08. 30w.
“Here also is the smell of the academic lamp. The blank verse moves with dignity, but the poet is stirred by memories of Hellenic legends, not by life. The Hellenic dramatists felt life in the legends—we in this piece get the glamour only.”
+ − N. Y. Times. 13: 801. D. 26, ’08. 80w.
Lodge, Sir Oliver Joseph.[6] Ether of space. **75c. Harper.
9–13944.
A new volume in Harper’s “Library of living thoughts” which gives in compact form the conclusions of Sir Oliver Lodge’s investigation of the nature and properties of the ultra-material luminiferous medium. His chapters scientifically lead up to and justify the idea of the reality and substantiality, and vast though as yet largely unrecognized importance, of the ether of space.
“A clear, succinct account, written for readers having a knowledge of the elements of physics.”
+ A. L. A. Bkl. 6: 78. N. ’09.
“Nobody can write in a way better suited to the popular comprehension than Sir Oliver Lodge, when he chooses, and the little book before us is a model of clear exposition.”
+ − Ath. 1909, 2: 158. Ag. 7. 580w.
“It may be unreservedly commended.”
+ Educ. R. 38: 206. S. ’09. 70w.
“A most entertaining book on the fascinating branch of physics he terms ‘The ether of space.’ The book furnishes much material for thought, and has been handled in an entertaining as well as scholarly manner.” Mary Proctor.
+ N. Y. Times. 14: 397. Je. 26, ’09. 1400w.
+ Sat. R. 107: sup. 5. My. 22, ’09. 70w.
Lodge, Sir Oliver Joseph. Immortality of the soul. (Eng. title, Man and the universe.) *$1. Ball pub.
8–29637.
Descriptive note in December, 1908.
Reviewed by St. George Stock.
Hibbert J. 7: 451. Ja. ’09. 1600w.
“We believe that the average man, in whose throat the dogmatism of both sides has begun to stick, will read the book with gratitude, not as offering a solution of the difficulty, but as letting in light.”
+ Spec. 101: 996. D. 12, ’08. 1050w.
Lodge, Sir Oliver Joseph. Science and immortality. **$2. Moffat.
8–28409.
A group of essays which discuss the persistence of personality after death proving the immortality of the soul by scientific evidence. The book is divided into four parts: Science and faith; Corporate worship and service; The immortality of the soul; Science and Christianity.
Reviewed by D. C. Macintosh.
Am. J. Theol. 13: 632. O. ’09. 600w.
“His opinions are of much interest and will afford help and inspiration to many.”
+ A. L. A. Bkl. 5: 17. Ja. ’09.
“There is nothing notably new in the way of argument, and much of it comes suspiciously near to what may be termed special pleading.”
− Dial. 46: 22. Ja. 1, ’09. 400w.
“His complete failure to exemplify the ideals of scientific method, and to satisfy the cravings of the intelligent among the audience to which he appeals, must be evident to one who reads the book itself, even without careful analysis and without special search for the basis of the author’s conclusions.” H. R. M.
− Nation. 87: 657. D. 31, ’08. 1700w.
“It very promptly appears, of course, that the author is prepared to accept as evidence in the case certain so-called ‘occult experiences’ which most other scientists reject offhand. The book as a whole is stimulating to the thoughtful and open minded, and if it fails to appeal either to orthodox scientist or orthodox religionist it is in the nature of these two that they should be deaf to appeals.”
+ − N. Y. Times. 13: 569. O. 17, ’08. 2100w.
“An extremely valuable contribution to the literature of the present important crisis in modern thought.”
+ N. Y. Times. 13: 627. O. 24, ’08. 40w.
“The value of Sir Oliver’s admirable volume ... does not lie in any striking originality of thought, but in the fact of its existence as a rational mediation between science and religion.” G. C. Mars.
+ No. Am. 189: 458. Mr. ’09. 2100w.
“The book is throughout suggestive, and ought to be of real help to those who are puzzled how to preserve their spiritual faith in an era whose advancing knowledge has done so much to destroy their old creeds.”
+ Outlook. 91: 151. Ja. 23, ’09. 770w.
Loliée, Frédéric.[11] Life of an empress (Eugénie de Montijo); English version by Bryan O’Donnell. *$4. Dodd.
9–8738.
A biography of Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III, facts for which have been gained from people who knew her, from letters and diaries.
“The claim to original information that the French author makes in his preface must be viewed with a critical eye. A great many mistakes are to be noted; and about many other passages there is much to be said by way of doubt.”
− Ath. 1908, 2: 678. N. 28. 1150w.
N. Y. Times. 14: 657. O. 23, ’09. 40w.
Lombroso, Cesare.[11] After death—what? Spiritistic phenomena and their interpretation; rendered into English by William S. Kennedy. **$2.50. Small.
9–28193.
In entering the field of spiritistic and psychic phenomena after an “honorable career” in criminal anthropology that placed him to the forefront of social pathologists, the author’s momentary hesitation, due to prejudice, gave way to candid conviction that there was truth to be revealed and that it was his duty to reveal it. He surveys the whole field of spiritistic phenomena from their first appearance in savage tribes and early civilized races down to present-day races. He treats of telepathy, clairvoyance, auto-suggestion, mesmerism, premonition, identity, doubles, haunted houses, tricks and biology of the spirits.
“He is deservedly regarded as a singularly original and independent thinker, of absolute intellectual fearlessness, and possessing a happy facility for rendering his views in a language understandable by the untrained mind. All these traits are in evidence in his latest book, dealing with a subject of more universal interest than any of which he has formerly written. The more carefully one reads his book, the stronger must the impression grow 273that the marvels which he recounts with such boundless enthusiasm are in reality the work not of an intermediary between this world and the next, but of an uncommonly clever and resourceful trickster.” H. A. Bruce.
+ − Bookm. 30: 258. N. ’09. 1350w.
“A volume which, considered logically or charitably, should receive the solace of neglect. Presents through three hundred and fifty pages an amazing exhibition of credulity, which it is difficult to reconcile with the author’s unassailed reputation, and his recognized contributions to complex aspects of modern science.” Joseph Jastrow.
− Dial. 47: 284. O. 16, ’09. 1600w.
“It is unfortunate that a lack of logical connection characterizes the book—the chapters following one another in no definite order; while the translation is mediocre, and there are a number of errors noticeable in the spelling of proper names. These faults aside, the book has very decided interest. The book is filled with ‘cases’ that are of interest, and will repay a careful perusal.”
+ − Lit. D. 39: 538. O. 2, ’09. 450w.
“Without any prejudice one wonders after a reading of this book whether the author did not give undue credence to many of the stories here set forth. The reviewer is sorry that after a careful reading of this latest contribution to spiritistic literature he fails still to be convinced that many or most of these extraordinary happenings are not clever tricks of deception.”
− N. Y. Times. 14: 621. O. 23, ’09. 1100w.
“The book is interesting, entertaining, even at times amusing, but it is not convincing.”
− + Outlook. 93: 830. D. 11, ’09. 390w.
R. of Rs. 40: 763. D. ’09. 120w.
London, Jack.[10] Martin Eden. $1.50. Macmillan.
9–22752.
When twenty-one, Martin, uncouth and untutored, a sailor round the world before the mast, rescues a San Francisco society man from a street assault, he is brought into this man’s home and there learns of books, poetry, and the ideal things of life. Held to his task by his love for a girl who seems the embodiment of taste and culture, he battles against all odds, wrests from the world an education and tries to wrest from it a living by writing of the things which life has shown him and with which his brain is seething. But the way is hard and his tools are crude, his friends, his tradesmen, and at last even his love turn from him because he cannot become a conventional money getter. Then comes a dazzling literary success. At once they flock about him and offer all they refused him in the days of need. But his disillusionment is complete and in his bitterness he weakly throws away all that his strength has won.
A. L. A. Bkl. 6: 92. N. ’09.
“This lack of comprehension of his own limitations is the conspicuous fault of his latest volume. The fault lies not so much with the plot, which is of the thinnest, as with a distorted perspective of life.” F: T. Cooper.
− Bookm. 30: 279. N. ’09. 1100w.
“It is unfortunate that Mr. London could not invest his hero with the attributes that awaken sympathy, so that we might at least mourn the abrupt termination of his career.” W: M. Payne.
− Dial. 47: 386. N. 16, ’09. 630w.
“It seems best to accept this story not as real history, but as an earnest and truthful record of what Mr. London might have been if he had been Martin Eden instead of being limited by himself. Whatever the readers of this story may think of Mr. London’s views of life, the passionless courage with which he sets down the failure of such views to satisfy the eternally human heart commands respect for him.”
− + Ind. 67: 980. O. 28, ’09. 1650w.
“Such of the reading mob that may be attracted to his history are likely to discern a good deal of autobiography therein, and to be stirred piquantly by its daring adumbrations of various well-known proper names.”
− Nation. 89: 406. O. 28, ’09. 650w.
“Aside from any value in this connection as a human document, what the book chiefly shows is that Mr. London, who writes so eloquently about the ‘primordial beast’ and seems to our far from primordial eyes to understand something about the beast in question, is quite at sea when he tries to write about that ordinary society which is variously described as decent, as respectable, as cultured, or as good, and, in his language, as bourgeois.”
− + N. Y. Times. 14: 631. O. 23, ’09. 750w.
“It is not a very sane or well-balanced book, but there is much wholesome truth in it.” H. W. Boynton.
+ − N. Y. Times. 14: 633. O. 23, ’09. 250w.
“Is, to be entirely frank, tedious.”
− Outlook. 93: 361. O. 16, ’09. 40w.
Long, Charles Massie.[5] Virginia county names. *$1.50. Neale.
8–36778.
An analysis of the county nomenclature of Virginia showing how its one hundred counties were named.
“Dr. Long has written a very entertaining story in tracing the names of the Virginia counties.”
+ N. Y. Times. 14: 285. My. 8, ’09. 180w.
“Dr. Long shows in an interesting way how these names reflect to a certain extent the thoughts and feelings of historic Virginians.”
+ R. of Rs. 40: 383. S. ’09. 80w.
Long, John Luther. Felice. †$1. Moffat.
8–28990.
A story of the Italian quarter of Philadelphia in which the father of hungry children steals bread, is arrested, and in time finds a friend and champion in Martinos, a barber, who secures the prisoner’s release and becomes his patron saint.
“It is told with much delicacy and sympathy, and has a pleasing foreign atmosphere.”
+ A. L. A. Bkl. 5: 25. Ja. ’09. ✠
“We do not recall that the word Christmas is employed in the story of ‘Felice,’ but the atmosphere of that blessed and somewhat emotional season is about it.”
+ Nation. 88: 67. Ja. 21, ’09. 200w.
“Mr. Long has evidently been at some pains to make this a dialect story, and that this fact is evident rather mars an otherwise delightful piece of work.”
+ − N. Y. Times. 14: 8. Ja. 2, ’09. 190w.
“The bare outline of the story does not convey in the least an idea of its moving pathos or its entertaining humor.”
+ Outlook. 90: 750. N. 28, ’08. 160w.
Longueville, Thomas.[5] Curious case of Lady Purbeck: a scandal of the 18th century; by the author of The life of Sir Kenelm Digby. $2. Longmans.
“The author of ‘The life of Sir Kenelm Digby’ has made a very vivacious tale out of the woes of the first (and last) Lady Purbeck, the wife of Buckingham’s brother, and the daughter of Sir Edward Coke and Lady Elizabeth, his spouse.... Poor Lady Purbeck, who was a very mild sinner with great excuses, was fated to become a public sacrifice to the moralities when notorious offenders walked about unabashed.”—Spec.
“The doing of this piece of investigation must have been a pleasure, the reading of it is not uninteresting. But there are many questions better worth while.”
+ − Am. Hist. R. 15: 178. O. ’09. 360w.
274“It must be confessed that his later chapters are somewhat lacking in personal interest.” F. C. M.
+ − Eng. Hist. R. 24: 617. Jl. ’09. 200w.
+ N. Y. Times. 14: 304. My. 15, ’09. 400w.
“Fascinating volume.”
+ Sat. R. 107: 536. Ap. 24, ’09. 420w.
“The slight tale was well worth telling when the writer possesses such a gift of crisp and precise English.”
+ Spec. 102: 578. Ap. 10, ’09. 300w.
Loomis, Charles Battell. Holiday touch, and other tales of undaunted Americans. †$1.25. Holt.
8–29333.
Descriptive note in December, 1908.
“They touch life lightly and at queer angles, but always with good humor and optimism.”
+ A. L. A. Bkl. 5: 55. F. ’09.
“They are little tales of life all the year around, warranted to please the most unpleasant man at any season. Mr. Loomis has a cork genius that floats his imagination high above the weariness of this world while laying his scenes in the midst of it.”
+ Ind. 66: 639. Mr. 25, ’09. 250w.
“He who reads them will laugh many times.”
+ N. Y. Times. 14: 7. Ja. 2, ’09. 110w.
Loomis, Charles Battell. Just Irish. $1. Badger, R: G.
9–10469.
An account of Mr. Loomis’s travels in Ireland, intended as such, not as amusement. Considerable local color is given by incidents, but the book is more a recital of facts than readers of “Cheerful Americans” might expect. The facts given pertain chiefly to the social, rather than the industrial condition of the Irish of to-day. There is no attempt to exploit Irish ways for the amusement of the rest of us—the tone being thoroly sympathetic and appreciative.
“Slight, humorous sketches of travel experiences.”
+ A. L. A. Bkl. 6: 17. S. ’09. ✠
“He makes no profession of serious dissertation; he writes only to amuse. The various scenes of Irish life which fell under his notice, the people with whom he came in contact, the experiences which befell him, are told in his breezy, jocular style with good effect.”
+ Cath. World. 89: 395. Je. ’09. 600w.
“Mr. Loomis had a perfectly good time in Ireland, and he loves to talk about it. Moreover, every one who gets the book will love to read about it, for though the author complains that he did not find that ready wit and repartee in the Irish which he had expected, he keeps his own sense of fun.”
+ N. Y. Times. 14: 303. My. 15, ’09. 670w.
Loomis, Charles Battell.[12] Little Maude and her mamma. †50c. Doubleday.
9–28267.
Three humorous, bedtime stories in which little Maude and her mamma figure respectively in a runaway, a shipwreck and a fire. Poise on the part of the child, together with the mother’s ready acquiescence, to a point approaching imbecility gives the story its humorous touch.
Lorenz, Rev. Edmund Simon.[8] Practical church music: a discussion of purposes, methods and plans. **$1.50. Revell.
9–10979.
“A compact, well-written encyclopedia which can be made of practical value if studied by pastors, choir leaders and music committees. Members of choirs might profit by reading such chapters as treat of church solos, choir rehearsals, and the serious import of the service which they lead. The first appendix gives a list of books helpful in the study of church music and of hymns, the second devotes more than a dozen pages to titles of chosen music for choir and solo use, and the third gives outlines and subjects for song sermons and services.”—Ind.
“Is specially praiseworthy because, from cover to cover, the author never forgets that church music should be an act of worship; at the same time he is broad enough, while discriminating against rubbish, to value in its place the ‘gospel song.’”
+ Ind. 67: 145. Jl. 15, ’09. 200w.
“Mr. Lorenz knows very well what he is talking about. He is not troubled with many artistic scruples in his discussion of church music, and he has taken pains to clear himself of any old-fashioned ideas about dignity and ideals. From the author’s point of view his book is highly successful.”
+ N. Y. Times. 14: 464. Jl. 31, ’09: 670w.
“If we disagree with every position Mr. Lorenz takes up as regards church music it is by no means to assert that his book might not have a value for others who would agree. We can only say that we should carefully avoid the church which should adopt it as a handbook.”
− No. Am. 190: 267. Ag. ’09. 150w.
Lorenzini, Carlo. Adventures every child should know: the marvellous adventures of Pinocchio; ed. by Mary E. Burt; from an original translation by Augustus G. Caprani. (Every child should know ser.) **90c. Doubleday.
9–4295.
An immortal Italian classic for children which relates the adventures of the little wooden puppet, Pinocchio. “The book is an allegory, and an incentive to action and thought, a guide to self-control, self government, self-determination.... It is a child’s book, a teacher’s book, a parents’ assistant, a guide to common sense, a book of fun, a serious book, a fairy-tale, a treatise on ethics.” (Translator’s note.)
“Its concise style and picture words are well calculated to hold the attention of children. A few scenes in the book, however, might be considered too gruesome for the child mind.”
+ − N. Y. Times. 14: 192. Ap. 3, ’09. 270w.
Lorenzini, Carlo (C. Collodi, pseud.).[10] Pinocchio: the adventures of a little wooden boy; tr. by Joseph Walker. †$1. Crowell.
9–24941.
A new translation of this captivating Italian juvenile story, for which the translator has prepared a brief introduction including a word about the author and an outline of the allegory.
Lorraine, Rupert.[7] Woman and the sword. 75c. McClurg.
A swashbuckling romance set in the times of the Thirty years’ war in which the action centers about the rescue of a spirited English girl from the clutches of a villainous Austrian count who had taken advantage of her moment of pique to abduct her. Her rescuer is a middle aged soldier of fortune who traverses nearly the half of Europe to end the girl’s misery and to punish the crime-sodden count.
“A stirring tale.”
+ Ath. 1908, 2: 538. O. 31. 120w.
“The story as a whole, like so many of its school, is read with interest, and—perhaps ungratefully—ridiculed in the cold light of later judgment.”
+ − Nation. 89: 238. S. 9, ’09. 180w.
“While it is frankly written to pass the time for the idle reader, it is neither common place in workmanship nor negligible in material.”
+ N. Y. Times. 14: 451. Jl. 24, ’09. 250w.
Louis, Henry.[9] Dressing of minerals. *$8.50. Longmans.
GS9–359.
“Gives an account of the theory and practice of the dressing of minerals (including 275coal), which will prove useful to mining engineers and metallurgists, to manufacturers who supply the necessary appliances, and especially to students who are preparing for either of these professions. The author has drawn upon the very large amount of practical work which has been done by manufacturers of apparatus, and numerous excellently illustrated descriptions of standard machines and devices are included.”—Engin. D.
+ Engin. D. 6: 55. Jl. ’09. 250w.
“An excellent treatise on this very important subject, and on which the literature is so meagre. The work should commend itself as a reference both to the student and the practical worker in ore dressing and coal washing. The book offers many valuable suggestions to its readers, and while it is not complete, it is of sufficient scope and sufficient detail to commend itself readily and to merit the attention of any one interested in mineral dressing operations.” W. G. Haldane.
+ Engin. N. 62: sup. 26. S. 16, ’09. 800w.
“A book which will prove of much value to students of mining engineering.”
+ Engin. Rec. 60: 503. O. 30, ’09. 600w.
“The book is well written and interesting, more especially, perhaps, in those parts that deal with theoretical considerations which relate to the construction of the machines.”
+ − Nature. 81: 91. Jl. 22, ’09. 1000w.
Lounsbury, Thomas Raynesford.[10] English spelling and spelling reform. **$1.50. Harper.
9–26304.
The author bids his readers take issue with the state of mind that recommends the old spelling only on account of custom and prejudice, that defends it thru ignorance, that makes it an object of veneration thru superstition. His volume is a plea for spelling reform in which he collects, combines and “puts in a form easily comprehensible by the general reader, the widely scattered facts that go to show the character and characteristics of English orthography,” and brings out “with distinction the deep-seated disease under which it labors.”
“The tone of the book is aggressive and the author’s temper far from judicial, but it is, nevertheless, a learned, spirited and amusing work.”
+ − A. L. A. Bkl. 6: 120. D. ’09.
“We have said that Dr. Lounsbury’s volume is contentious, aggressive, destructive. It is certainly one which no opponent of simplified spelling can afford to ignore. But it has value and interest quite apart from its contention. It is full of construction. And there is not a dull page in it.”
+ N. Y. Times. 14: 644. O. 23, ’09. 720w.
“The entire subject is treated consecutively and with great clarity of style.”
+ R. of Rs. 40: 639. N. ’09. 100w.
Lovell, Ingraham, pseud.[11] Margarita’s soul: the romantic recollections of a man of fifty. †$1.50. Lane.
9–26806.
The story of a young savage and her training. “Our author has shown himself ingenious in providing a special sort of savage, a girl of mingled Italian, New England, and Virginia blood, who has been kept sedulously ignorant of civilization by a recluse father. The real interest of the story lies, of course, in the totally unexpected things which Margarita does in circumstances in which civilization provides a formula which everybody else obeys with mechanical precision. Margarita does not know the formula. Therefore, when Margarita is kissed—or when Margarita is lonely—or when Margarita is hungry or angry—Margarita is worth watching.” (N. Y. Times.)
“Altogether, however, ‘Margarita’s soul’ is a book for which we ought to be grateful. It is off the beaten track, refreshingly new and earnest and tenderly strong. The best thing about the book is its originality. It owes no conscious debt to any other author.” F: T. Cooper.
+ − Bookm. 30: 384. D. ’09. 850w.
“Makes unusually pleasant reading for those who do not mind a discursive and reminiscent treatment.”
+ N. Y. Times. 14: 636. O. 23, ’09. 470w.
“Just because it is discursive and easy-going the book is emphatically enjoyable. We should be hard put to it to name a better American novel of the month.”
+ Outlook. 93: 514. O. 30, ’09. 140w.
Low, Alfred Maurice.[11] American people: a study in national psychology. **$2.25. Houghton.
9–28143.
The author traces the development of the American national consciousness from the earliest times to the revolution, showing the relation of historical facts to psychological progress in order to prove that the American people “have not sprung from the air but are, similar to all other highly developed races, the product of evolution”; in their case political and sociological. He observes that American is not merely a geographical expression, but the name of a country whose people present distinct. coherent, and highly individual traits and characteristics distinguishing them from all other people.
“From a Catholic point of view, Mr. Low’s work presents agreeable aspects.”
+ Cath. World. 90: 390. D. ’09. 600w.
“His spirit is admirable. His style lacks a little in sobriety, and still more in simplicity and logical order. There are minor errors or defects, regrettable only as interfering with the effect of careful and valuable work.”
+ − N. Y. Times. 14: 692. N. 6, ’09. 870w.
+ Outlook. 93: 649. N. 27, ’09. 150w.
R. of Rs. 40: 764. D. ’09. 90w.
Low, Will Hicok. Chronicle of friendships. **$3. Scribner.
8–30913.
Reminiscences of painters and men of letters associated with Paris and Barbizon forty years ago which reveal especially the friendship of Robert Louis Stevenson, his cousin, R. A. M. Stevenson, and the author.
“A work of unusual interest and great charm.”
+ A. L. A. Bkl. 5: 79. Mr. ’09.
“Mr. Low writes with admirable discretion and taste, and he writes extremely well to boot.”
+ Ath. 1909, 1: 125. Ja. 30. 920w.
+ Lit. D. 37: 902. D. 12, ’08. 60w.
“Many efforts have been made, both in fiction and in reminiscences, to paint the life of artists and of art students, but we know of none so successful as this.”
+ Nation. 87: 662. D. 31, ’08. 440w.
“Delightful book of reminiscences.”
+ N. Y. Times. 13: 686. N. 21, ’08. 1450w.
+ Spec. 102: 668. Ap. 24, ’09. 70w.
Lowe, Paul Emilius.[12] Electric railway troubles and how to find them. $1.50. Drake, F: J.
9–22202.
“Innumerable practical points, brought out only by the experience that a repairman or a motorman would be expected to gain, are combined in this volume with what an engineer would call bits of very elementary theory.... It may be best briefly described as a guide to the proper inspection, testing and repair of motors, controllers, lightning arresters, substation apparatus, and the minor electrical fittings of an electric car.”—Engin. N.
“The author has compiled in this volume considerable instructive information that will furnish 276the student with a guide in motor operation.”
+ Engin. D. 6: 247. S. ’09. 70w.
“The book is intended for mechanics and seems admirably to fill their needs. It is a welcome addition to books of this class, which in times past have too often been loosely compiled, or disjointedly written.”
+ Engin. N. 62: sup. 47. N. 18, ’09. 100w.
Lowell, Percival.[12] Evolution of worlds. *$2.50. Macmillan.
In substance, a course of lectures delivered before the Massachusetts institute of technology. In his eight chapters Professor Lowell traces the course of heavenly bodies from the darkness out of which they spring to the darkness to which they return. It is with the cycle of birth, growth and decay that he deals in chapters under the following headings: Birth of a solar system; Evidence of the initial catastrophe in our own place; The inner planets; The outer planets; Formation of planets; A planet’s history; Death of a world.
N. Y. Times. 14: 757. D. 4, ’09. 190w.
Lowell, Percival. Mars as the abode of life. *$2.50. Macmillan.
8–36795.
Eight lectures delivered at the Lowell institute in 1906. They “outline a new science, which the author calls a science of planetology, the history of the career of a planet considered as such, dealing as it does with the genesis and development of what we call a world.” (R. of Rs.) He makes application of the law of evolution as it has been and is operating on our own planet; he shows that the action of the sun in decreasing oceans and the density of air results in canals to utilize the “failing resources of water. In such a state as this Mr. Lowell believes the planet Mars now to be; the ‘canals’ seen there he thinks to be evidences of the handiwork of intelligent beings.” (Dial.)
A. L. A. Bkl. 5: 45. F. ’09.
“It would be impossible to condense what is said on the subject in the work before us, but we would strongly recommend those interested to read it for themselves. Personally we feel with Mr. Bryant—(‘History of astronomy,’ p. 215) that ‘the assumptions involved are so great that Prof. Lowell’s very plausible explanation can hardly be called convincing.’”
− + Ath. 1909, 2: 186. Ag. 14. 220w.
“The outward appearance of the book is just as delightful to the eye as its subject matter is to the mind.”
+ Dial. 46: 87. F. 1, ’09. 430w.
“A book which will prove to readers of intelligence more fascinating than any novel of the year.”
+ − Ind. 66: 260. F. 4, ’09. 880w.
“In the volume before us, which may be looked upon as a delightful essay on the birth and development of worlds, Prof. Lowell has presented us with a vein of thought which will appeal to a very wide circle of readers.”
+ Nature. 80: 212. Ap. 22, ’09. 1000w.
“It is only fair to say at once that Mr. Lowell’s book at once stirs the imagination and clears the subject marvelously of the clouds of misapprehension with which hasty discussion of his sensational seeming announcements has fogged it.”
+ N. Y. Times. 13: 781. D. 19, ’08. 2300w.
“The book is fascinatingly readable, and to the lay reader little short of convincing in its conclusions.”
+ Outlook. 91: 336. F. 13, ’09. 580w.
R. of Rs. 39: 253. F. ’09. 340w.
“It may be said that this book has not the dignity of a grand speculation. Possibly some of Professor Lowell’s quips and his cuts at the enemies of his theories are inappropriate, judged by the usual academic standard, but for ourselves we do not profess to lament the junction of raciness and profundity. There is room for men who carry their learning lightly.”
+ Spec. 102: 303. F. 20, ’09. 2100w.
Lowes, Emily Leigh. Chats on old lace and needlework. *$2. Stokes.
W9–1.
An informing book on the subject of laces giving historical, artistic, utilitarian and commercial points of interest. “Many of the book’s illustrations are derived from that wonderful storehouse of treasures, the South Kensington museum.” (Ind.)
“Not so valuable or satisfactory as the older, more expensive works, but will fill the needs of the average library both for history and identification purposes.”
+ − A. L. A. Bkl. 5: 79. Mr. ’09.
Reviewed by W. G. Bowdoin.
Ind. 65: 1460. D. 17, ’08. 80w.
“Is timely as well as filled with a recondite learning and a refinement of taste equally rare.”
+ Lit. D. 37: 904. D. 12, ’08. 200w.
“Its style is colloquial and its text is arranged with an eye to easy assimilation. The book belongs to the get-wise-quick class, but its size and arrangement make it a convenient handbook for household use, and as such it may be recommended.”
+ − Nation. 87: 586. D. 10, ’08. 200w.
+ Spec. 101: 414. S. 19, ’08. 280w.
Lowndes, Mrs. Marie A. Belloc-. Pulse of life: a story of a passing world. †$1.50. Dodd.
9–2771.
“The story deals with the tangle of evil and good within a small social circle, in present England. A group of men and women belonging to the Roman Catholic nobility are the actors, and the action is complicated by the introduction of a Russian element. The tale is of the world, emphatically worldly and of doubtful profit.” (Outlook.) “Like most women, the author is happiest in her portraits of women. The slight portrait of the trained nurse, with her professional interest, and real indifference, is one of the best things in the book, which shows throughout refinement and distinction.” (Ath.)
“This book has dignity and a certain amount of remote interest, but it is almost inhuman in its curious lack of spontaneity.”
+ − Ath. 1908, 1: 318. Mr. 14. 260w.
“Never was a book more unluckily named; the title serves as a perpetual reminder of just what this long, solid, carefully written novel lacks—the pulse of life.”
− + Nation. 88: 199. F. 25, ’09. 350w.
“An admirable example of what may be called well-bred fiction. It has elements of tragedy, of pathos, and of humor, but something of technical ability is wanting to give these various elements their proper emphasis and place. No lover of good fiction will fail to find enjoyment in its clever pages.”
+ − N. Y. Times. 14: 128. Mr. 6, ’09. 340w.
“There is much to interest the novel-reader but there is nothing to amuse him. The atmosphere is somber and the effect is unhappy, leaving the reader to ask, Of what use is it all?”
− + Outlook. 91: 533. Mr. 6, ’09. 120w.
“In spite of its many good points the book is not successful as an artistic whole. It is disjointed, the style is often diffuse and clumsy, and the realism is not the natural effect of lifelike description, but a quality consciously striven for by the author, even at the expense of some lapses from good taste.”
− + Spec. 100: 304. F. 22, ’08. 260w.
Lowndes, Mrs. Marie A. Belloc-.[9] Uttermost farthing. $1.25. Kennerley.
A keen, self-controlled American diplomat and the cultured, neglected wife of an English millionaire have loved for years but repressed 277their feelings, then give way to them and leave Paris together for a week of secret happiness. En route the woman dies of heart disease and the complicated consequences which follow this tragic end tax to the utmost the resourcefulness of the diplomat, who lives an incredibly clever lie to save the woman’s honor.
“The passionate conventionality underlying this novel is justified by careful art and strong human interest.”
+ Ath. 1908, 2: 361. S. 26. 120w.
“The story is remarkably well written, with grave, restrained power and pathos and an emotional tensity that is sustained with no little skill at a high pitch to the end.”
+ N. Y. Times. 14: 523. S. 4, ’09. 300w.
Lownhaupt, Frederick. Investment bonds, their issue and their place in finance: a book for students, investors, and practical financiers. **$1.75. Putnam.
8–36725.
Descriptive note in December, 1908.
“Compares very favorably with Greene’s ‘Corporation finance,’ the standard work on this subject, and its less technical treatment adapts it better for the general reader, though it is of value to the trained man as well.”
+ A. L. A. Bkl. 5: 105. Ap. ’09. ✠
“In his discussion and illustrations the author displays a comprehensive and up-to-date knowledge of the facts of financial history.” T: W. Mitchell.
+ Ann. Am. Acad. 34: 210. Jl. ’09. 270w.
“It will make a strong appeal to that large class of young men who during the business hours of the day are busy with the routine of office and financial work, but who through reading are seeking a broader view and a better basis for the exercise of judgment—the young men who will fill a large part of the important business positions of the future.” F: A. Cleveland.
+ Econ. Bull. 2: 44. Ap. ’09. 300w.
“The treatment given to the subject in some parts is less effective than it would be if the textual matter were better organized; that is, it does not readily yield to analysis. These, however, are not serious defects. The informational value of the contribution must give it a permanent place in the literature of finance.” F: A. Cleveland.
+ − Engin. N. 61: sup. 6. Ja. 14, ’09. 310w.
“It is probably the best general treatment of the subject available, but it is to be regretted that the author has not attempted a more thorough discussion of some of the general principles involved.”
+ − J. Pol. Econ. 17: 168. Mr. ’09. 100w.
“Mr. Lownhaupt’s excellent little book is not comparable with competent financial advice—which includes much hardly to be put into print—and yet it may fill a useful niche in the library of a student, whether he is pursuing his course in academic shades or in the haunts of bulls and bears.”
+ N. Y. Times. 14: 136. Mr. 6, ’09. 200w.
Lucas, Sir Charles Prestwood.[5] Historical geography of the British colonies. 6v. v. 5, pt. 2. *$1.10. Oxford.
8–14683.
v. 5, pt. 2. Egerton, Hugh E. Canada: historical.
9–8767.
A history of Canada treated in three parts: Book 1 covers the pre-Union period to 1841, closing with a chapter on the early history of the Maritime provinces; Book 2 deals with the practical realization of the union of the two Canadas, now Ontario and Quebec, and the early operation of responsible government; Book 3 considers briefly the Dominion of Canada from 1871 to the present day.
“Professor Egerton has maintained an admirable proportion in his treatment of the field assigned him. A number of maps are distributed through the volume; but those purporting to represent the railways of the Dominion are most misleading. According to these there is in Canada but one railway and its connections—the Canadian Pacific railway.” Adam Short.
+ − Am. Hist. R. 14: 349. Ja. ’09. 800w. (Review of v. 5, pt. 2.)
“In his previous writings Mr. Egerton has been far from exhibiting close adherence to the received British view. In his book he is driven to a somewhat colourless statement of the orthodox Canadian view.”
+ − Ath. 1908, 2: 237. Ag. 29. 450w. (Review of v. 5, pt. 2.)
“He has written by far the best history of Canada available. It is clear, scholarly, comprehensive and well-informed. From a literary point of view, his general abstinence from comment and speculation is a distinct failing, while if the work is to be judged as a school-book, we imagine that boys would prefer the more glowing and discursive style of ‘picturesque’ historians of the old school, to that of these austere and encyclopædic pages.” T.
+ − Eng. Hist. R. 24: 409. Ap. ’09. 140w. (Review of v. 5, pt. 2.)
“To one who has a general idea of events in Canada in the last century and a half it will be an excellent guide.”
+ Sat. R. 106: 372. S. 19, ’08. 160w. (Review of v. 5, pt. 2.)
Lucas, Sir Charles Prestwood.[7] History of Canada, 1763–1812. *$4.15. Oxford.
9–16814.
“Deals with selected phases of North American history, from the inauguration of British government in Canada, after the treaty of Paris of 1763, to the close of Sir James Craig’s administration in June, 1811.” (Am. Hist. R.) “It is not so much a narrative of Canadian history as an analysis, exceedingly acute and scholarly, of the causes and consequences of certain events that mark the period.” (Nation.) “There are a couple of appendices: the first of which contains the text of the Treaty of 1783, and the second, which is a natural sequel, contains a summary of the proceedings connected with the settlement of the boundary between Canada and the United States. The volume is enriched by a number of excellent maps.” (Am. Hist. R.)
“From a literary point of view the volume is quite successful, the author is careful as to his facts and the narrative of events is simple, direct and interesting.”
+ Am. Hist. R. 14: 840. Jl. ’09. 820w.
A. L. A. Bkl. 6: 120. D. ’09.
“His ‘History of Canada’ not only deals adequately with a critical period in colonial history, but is also enlightening and convincing.” G. B. Hertz.
+ Eng. Hist. R. 24: 812. O. ’09. 760w.
“His work is sharply defined from all previous attempts to write a history of this period; it corrects a number of errors into which previous historians had been led, because they lacked the original documents now available.”
+ Nation. 89: 17. Jl. 1, ’09. 400w.
“Sir C. P. Lucas has enjoyed advantages in his official capacity which, even though he wrote less well than he does, would make his colonial histories valuable. Occasionally he packs his pages so full of facts that they leave little more impression on the mind than the reading of a dictionary of dates or a summary of geography.”
+ − Sat. R. 107: sup. 3. My. 22, ’09. 470w.
+ Spec. 102: 347. S. 4, ’09. 30w.
Lucas, Clarence. Story of musical form. *$1.25. Scribner.
9–35335.
An untechnical treatise. The author “begins by showing the necessity for form in music, and then treats of rhythm, melody, and scale, including exotic scales, tonic and dominant, and their implications, cadences, phrases, and sentences, 278which last involve a word on leading motives. He explains counterpoint, imitation, canon and fugue. Curiously enough, then, equal temperament is the next subject; it is a prelude to a brief discourse on harmony. The more detailed exposition of form is preceded by remarks on purity of style. Then Mr. Lucas describes song form, variation forms, rondo and sonata forms.” (N. Y. Times.)
+ A. L. A. Bkl. 5: 80. Mr. ’09. ✠
“Most books on musical forms are, unfortunately, so technical, so dry, so crammed with details, that the general reader shuns them. For this reason one must welcome Mr. Lucas’s volume.”
+ Nation. 88: 96. Ja. 28, ’09. 450w.
“He rambles on more or less entertainingly or suggestively, and says many interesting things; also, not unnaturally, some on which issue might be taken with him.”
+ − N. Y. Times. 14: 48. Ja. 23, ’09. 270w.
“It is written with such sprightliness and vivacity that it entertains while it instructs the reader; at the same time, it is so clear that it can hardly fail to direct the reader to paths in the domain of music which he never trod before.”
+ Outlook. 91: 292. F. 6, ’09. 240w.
Lucas, Edward Verrall.[10] One day and another [essays]. *$1.25. Macmillan.
9–35861.
The twenty-six kindly little essays upon everything under the sun which fill this little volume will make good pick-up reading for odd moments. You may choose what you will; roses, men and affairs, old tales, pigeons, dogs, literature or, now and again a bit of pleasant moralizing, the author has a word for every mood.
“Good for reading aloud.”
+ A. L. A. Bkl. 6: 78. N. ’09.
+ Dial. 47: 390. N. 16, ’09. 300w.
“Excellent as these exercises in fancy may be in themselves, a whole volume of them brings satiety.”
+ − Nation. 89: 546. D. 2, ’09. 350w.
“Mr. Lucas is at his best when he is chatting about some quaint book or character which he has met and delighted in, and which he is pretty sure that the reader has not met.”
+ N. Y. Times. 14: 706. N. 13, ’09. 500w.
“Most pleasantly humorous and friendly, is his new volume of essays.”
+ Outlook. 93: 514. O. 30, ’09. 70w.
“Censure would be beside the point, as there is nothing to censure. Serious appreciation would be equally out of place, as it would spoil the effect of these essays to take them too seriously. We have here pleasantness quintessentialised. It is a book to keep upon the table. If it were put up on the shelf, it would probably never get taken down, which would be the greatest of pities.”
+ Sat. R. 108: 510. O. 23, ’09. 120w.
Lucas, Edward Verrall, ed.[11] Some friends of mine: a rally of men. *$1.25. Macmillan.
9–27283.
A companion volume to “The ladies’ pageant.” Mr. Lucas assembles for his “rally” men whom he groups under the following heads: Chance acquaintance; Urban humorists; The country gentlemen; Good servants; Two cricketers; The simple minds; Two borrowers; Human divines; The law; The healers; Nimrod’s heroes; The champions; The adventurers; Wild Irishmen; The masters; Monk and lover; Six painters; The poets; The talkers; Two book worms; Collectors; The patriots; Teachers of youth; The gentle; Last of all. Under each head he introduces sketches of men taken from the writings of literature from Plutarch’s time to the present.
“A large part of this material will be absolutely new to the average reader, who will find this volume, if the least witty, far from being the least interesting of the Lucas anthologies.”
+ Dial. 47: 465. D. 1, ’09. 160w.
“Mr. Lucas’s modest volume contains a fine collection of pages apt for reading aloud.”
+ Nation. 89: 576. D. 9, ’09. 230w.
“Full of amusement and instruction.”
+ N. Y. Times. 14: 659. O. 23, ’09. 10w.
“Is as pleasant a book as has come from the press for many a day. There is not a dull extract in it. It is like a gathering of entertaining and odd people, with every one of whom the reader would like to make acquaintance.”
+ Outlook. 93: 851. D. 18, ’09. 1250w.
Lucas, Edward Verrall.[9] Wanderer in Paris. *$1.75. Macmillan.
9–24643.
The unrestraint of the title is everywhere apparent in Mr. Lucas’s entertaining book. His impressions are those of an outsider in the recording of which there has been preserved the freshness of the first sensations; while from the point of authenticity, his wanderings afford material that will interest and instruct tourists who know their Paris well. The art galleries, curio shops and the external beauties of the city call his best descriptive powers into use.
“It presupposes some knowledge of history, literature and art, but is redeemed from guidebook aridity by the graceful personal touch.”
+ A. L. A. Bkl. 6: 78. N. ’09.
“In spite of too much quotation of Carlyle’s ‘French revolution,’ the book is readable, though defaced by a terrible number of misprints, French and English.”
+ − Ath. 1909. 2: 180. Ag. 14. 350w.
“To grasp and retain the very essence of the charm of the places he visits, and to convey an intimate sense of that quality to his readers,—this is the difficult task Mr. Lucas accomplishes. His books are not for the specialist, though the specialist should enjoy them; nor for the tourist’s valise, though they are in a sense guide-books, idealized guide-books. The catholic interests of their author embrace the diverse tastes of a multitude of readers.” M. A. Havens.
+ Dial. 47: 508. D. 16, ’09. 1650w.
“Mr. Lucas is the best possible guide for the super-traveler. He seems never to have forgotten anything that he has once read, and he has all his resources on tap at the right moment; yet one never feels a sense of suffocation from his profusion.”
+ Lit. D. 39: 636. O. 16, ’09. 250w.
“Here is joined to many of the useful services of the guide, the charm which belongs to mellow style and regnant humor.”
+ Nation. 89: 353. O. 14, ’09. 30w.
+ N. Y. Times. 14: 596. O. 9, ’09. 200w.
“Is a bit dull and insular and perfunctory and compares not well with, for instance, the ‘Walks’ of M. Georges Cain.”
− No. Am. 190: 840. D. ’09. 170w.
“He has keen insight, and his frequent ‘hittings off’ of French traits and French character and his occasional comparisons of Gallic and British are apt and telling.”
+ Outlook. 93: 514. O. 30, ’09. 250w.
+ R. of Rs. 40: 760. D. ’09. 140w.
“The cause of the book’s shortcomings may be perceived at a glance. To modern people there is nothing so strange in modern Paris that a mere description should entrance us. Paris Mr. Lucas has never ceased to look at as an outsider looks; he has not got to the secret of its charm, fascination and enchantment.”
− Sat. R. 108: 259. Ag. 28, ’09. 1250w.
279“Of course there are passages which will provoke any Englishman who knows Paris at all well to dissent, but it is to be remarked that all these deal with matters of opinion, not of fact. We have read a good deal about Paris, but nothing in the not too scientific spirit which has given us so much pleasure as this book. The illustrations by Mr. Dexter are very effective, in our opinion because they combine extreme clearness with a certain pallor in the brightness of the lighting in a manner truly characteristic of Paris.”
+ − Spec. 103: 239. Ag. 14, ’09. 2400w.
Lucas, St. John. Rose-winged hours. *$1.40. Longmans.
“An anthology intended as “a garland of familiar flowers.” Out of some two hundred and fifty pieces, forty-four come from Shakespeare, eighteen from Donne, fourteen from Sir Philip Sidney, thirteen from Campion, eight from Herrick, five from Michael Drayton, and four from Samuel Daniel. Of the moderns, the two Brownings are represented by twenty, W. S. Landor by nine, Shelley by seven, Wordsworth by five, and Tennyson by four pieces.” (Spec.)
“As an anthology the book is far above the average.”
+ Ath. 1908, 2: 815. D. 26. 160w.
Dial. 45: 464. D. 16, ’08. 90w.
“Many of the best things are here and none but the best. It would have been better to exclude altogether so small a handful of living poets if it was necessary to exclude a dozen others whom we could name.”
+ − Sat. R. 107: 144. Ja. 30, ’09. 100w.
“It is a very attractive selection.”
+ Spec. 101: 786. N. 14, ’08. 100w.
Lucy, Henry W:[7] Sixty years in the wilderness: some passages by the way. *$3. Dutton.
9–22718.
“The wilderness of Mr. Lucy’s title is the wilderness of brick and mortar and multitudinous human beings struggling for existence, fighting for fame and fortune.” (N. Y. Times.) “His specialty has been his reports of parliament.... He takes the right points and gives them just the proper prominence. And he is admirably equitable in his treatment of party matters. The virtue of English political life on which he enlarges in this volume, the personal friendliness which is unshaken by the storms of party, is exemplified by his method.... For a book dealing almost wholly with politicians, their ways and their doings, the element of political opinion is amazingly small.” (Spec.)
“We heartily commend this pleasant book.”
+ Ath. 1909, 1: 462. Ap. 17. 520w.
“Written in a brisk and effective style, though with many of the lapses and inelegances of the current journalistic manner, ‘Sixty years in the wilderness’ is likely to meet with such favor as to encourage the issue of a second volume.” P. F. Bicknell.
+ − Dial. 47: 91. Ag. 16, ’09. 1200w.
“Humor and lightness of touch are Mr. Lucy’s outstanding characteristics. It is these characteristics that will secure for Mr. Lucy’s autobiography its widest acceptance.”
+ Ind. 67: 365. Ag. 12, ’09. 850w.
“Good nature, a gentle humor, absence of bitterness or of style that bites—these are the qualities which the writer has long identified with his name, and they mark this latest book of his.”
+ Nation. 89: 52. Jl. 15, ’09. 90w.
“A cheerful book, and pleasant reading.”
+ N. Y. Times. 14: 405. Je. 26, ’09. 1300w.
“There are some passages, we must own, which it might have been better to omit. But the volume is eminently readable.”
+ − Spec. 102: 582. Ap. 10, ’09. 340w.
Lutz, Mrs. Grace (Livingston) Hill-.[10] Phoebe Deane. †$1.50. Lippincott.
9–25180.
When the fates endowed Phoebe Deane with a love of beauty and a delicate refinement that craved books, and a pleasant environment they offset their kindness by leaving her, orphaned in a New York state farm house, a drudge dependent on the bounty of her half brother and his sharp-tongued wife. The dismal life the young girl led here is pictured in an appealing and pathetic fashion, and when a wicked old widower, who is their neighbor, begins to persecute her with his attentions and she is made the object of false scandal to further his suit it seems that she must marry him and lose all hope of happiness. But the man who is worthy of her rescues her at the right moment and all is well. The time of the story is 1830, and there is a vague historical background.
“A pretty wholesome story of the frankly artificial kind.”
+ N. Y. Times. 14: 627. O. 23, ’09. 180w.
Lützow, Franz H. H. V.[8] Life and times of Master John Hus. *$4. Dutton.
9–23750.
A painstaking biography of Bohemia’s famous national hero, Jan Hus. “In this goodly volume of about four hundred stately octavo pages we have a picture of the real Hus drawn by a patriotic hand, impartially presented, with the opinions of friend and foe carefully analyzed, and all religious bias eliminated.” (Ath.)
“We hope that this book will find many readers; it is the record of a great and glorious life, the details of which have been unduly ignored by western Europe.”
+ Ath. 1909, 1: 666. Je. 5. 820w.
Ind. 67: 1140. My. 18, ’09. 110w.
“It is written in a spirit of ardent admiration for the man who stands in the author’s mind as the chief representative of their common fatherland, yet with admirable temper and evident anxiety to do justice to all reasonable opposition.”
+ Nation. 89: 436. N. 4, ’09. 620w.
“Had Count Lützow been less impartial, his work might be passed with slight notice. Writing in the spirit he has, it is hard to see how any reader can follow the narrative without a tribute to its logic and sense of justice.”
+ N. Y. Times. 14: 485. Ag. 14, ’09. 1000w.
“Though it suffers somewhat from repetition and amassed detail, is yet scholarly and reliable and is the best English life there is of Hus.”
+ − No. Am. 190: 559. O. ’09. 300w.
“A volume of standard worth.”
+ Outlook. 92: 917. Ag. 21, ’09. 320w.
“A learned historian, whose competence has been shown by earlier English works, he writes our language with ease and accuracy, though we would have wished that a more careful reading of the proofs had removed some slight blemishes and some errors in the printing of Bohemian names.”
+ − Sat. R. 108: 478. O. 16, ’09. 1950w.
“In this volume he has added to his reputation by placing before English readers a well-informed and pleasantly written account of one of the two episodes in the history of Bohemia which have special interest for this country, and both of which have stood in need of being retold in English from the Bohemian standpoint.”
+ Spec. 103: 202. Ag. 7, ’09. 1200w.
Lyman, William Denison.[8] Columbia river: its history, its myths, its scenery, its commerce. (American waterways.) **$3.50. Putnam.
9–15979.
Belongs to the “American waterways” series and gives an authoritative narrative of the series of events in the history of the Columbia and presents the remarkable scenic features from the headwaters to the mouth of the river.
A. L. A. Bkl. 6: 18. S. ’09.
“It is in all respects an excellent book.”
+ Ind. 67: 829. O. 7, ’09. 250w.
280“He writes with the historical sense. At the same time he has by no means neglected the scenic aspects of his subject.”
+ Lit. D. 39: 540. O. 2, ’09. 110w.
“For the most part, we find him trustworthy, and hold his book to be not only fascinating but thoroughly studied and packed with valuable knowledge.”
+ − Nation. 89: 207. S. 2, ’09. 170w.
“Prof. Lyman tells the story exceedingly well. He is very full and precise in his presentation of what may be called the early history of the Columbia valley.”
+ N. Y. Times. 14: 468. Jl. 31, ’09. 600w.
“We advise all visitors to the Seattle fair to familiarize themselves with Mr. Lyman’s book.”
+ R. of Rs. 40: 126. Jl. ’09. 160w.
Lynd, Robert.[11] Home life in Ireland. *8s. Mills and Boon.
A book written “with the laudable object of showing that the differences and contrasts and quarrels of Irishmen are not essential, as resulting from an ineradicable difference of race, but temporary and curable. Mr. Lynd has strong hopes that with the allaying of these causes of dissension the future of Ireland will be different from the past, and that a new patriotism will combine all the forces of the nation into a noble harmony by resolving the present discords.”—Ath.
“This is a book full of interesting gossip—in the main, too, a very fair book. In most of his estimates of classes we agree with Mr. Lynd; regarding the landlords we fancy that he has no great store of knowledge at first hand, and takes his cue from the political press.”
+ − Ath. 1909, 2: 488. O. 23. 830w.
“We naturally have said more about points of difference than about points of agreement; but our criticisms do not touch the real value of the book. It is the work of a close and interested observer. Keep the grain of salt at hand and all will be well.”
+ − Spec. 103: 652. O. 23, ’09. 480w.
Lynde, Francis. King of Arcadia. †$1.50. Scribner.
9–6573.
An enclosed valley in the middle Rockies is the scene of the story in which a young irrigation engineer, representing the interests of the farmer wars against a cattle king, a Virginian of true Southern type, who is greedy for the isolation of his vast tract of grazing land. The story grows into unity through the influences that are brought to bear upon the ambitious southerner to relinquish his selfish scheme and to transform his tract into a sure-enough kingdom of Arcadia, and the leisurely but definite progress sustained by the engineer in his wooing of the Arcadian king’s daughter.
“A dramatic, well told tale, full of adventure and mystery.”
+ A. L. A. Bkl. 6: 27. S. ’09. ✠
“It all makes an entertaining, good-humored, and perfectly superficial story, well supplied with dramatic incident, and told, for the most part, in a form of dialogue too smart to bear much relation to ordinary human speech.” W: M. Payne.
+ − Dial. 46: 264. Ap. 16, ’09. 240w.
“The sentiment does not go very deep, the characterization is on the surface, but the incidents are many, and the story has a wholesome atmosphere of activity, determination, courage and manliness.”
+ − Ind. 66: 764. Ap. 8, ’09. 200w.
“There is the breath of out-of-doors in every page, while the general tone of the novel is clean and wholesome.”
+ Lit. D. 38: 726. Ap. 24, ’09. 230w.
Lyndon, Lamar. Development and electrical distribution of water power. *$3. Wiley.
8–11462.
A book for engineers whose “object is to show the relations between the available water power, the works and machinery for developing it, and the final use to which the energy will be put. Accordingly, the author first explains the nature of the hydraulic development, including dams, canals and flumes and water-wheels; then the features of the electrical equipment, including dynamos, transformers, conductors, pole line, lightning protection, switching and controlling apparatus, and finally describes two foreign and seven American developments as typical of the results of the study.” (Engin. Rec.)
“Mr. Lyndon’s book possesses some features of novelty, and the work should be of particular interest to those engineers whose activities do not tend to give them knowledge and experience in the trend of hydraulic and electrical power developments.”
+ Engin. N. 60: sup. 74. Jl. 16, ’08. 330w.
“The volume brings together in compact form a large amount of information previously available only in technical journals.”
+ Engin. Rec. 59: 308. Mr. 13, ’09. 240w.
Lyon, Harris Merton. Sardonics: sixteen sketches. $1.25. Stuyvesant press.
9–12878.
A book of unpleasant sketches material for which, manipulated according to the school of realism, has been selected from wretched, degraded walks of New York life. “Take for instance such a story as the one bearing the laconic title, ‘In the Black-and-Tan.’ It pictures with such pitiless frankness the promiscuous, unclean, befuddled crowd who constituted a lively evening at Yellow Mamie’s, that you fairly smell the reek of whiskey and rank tobacco.” (Bookm.) “In a number of the stories, notably the opening one, ‘The father,’ in which a man who had deserted his wife and child tries years afterward to make things up with the son, there is clever sketching of character in broad outlines.” (N. Y. Times.)
“There is much strength, much grimness, and a good deal of irony packed away in these sixteen brief sketches, which in spite of a certain youthful crudeness, are more promising than the maturer work of many a successful writer. Mr. Lyon has something of the Maupassant attitude toward life.” F: T. Cooper.
+ − Bookm. 29: 79. Mr. ’09. 500w.
“They are faithful enough pictures of the fetid and sodden life that ferments and rots in the deeps of a big city, and they are written with considerable skill, although at times the straining after effect is too manifest.”
+ − N. Y. Times. 14: 28. Ja. 16, ’09. 150w.
Lyons, A. Neil.[9] Sixpenny pieces. †$1.50. Lane.
A story of “the lower phases of life from the consulting-room of an East End doctor. These tersely written sketches of the patients of Dr. Brink—an outspoken, kindly, and capable man, who contrives to make an income of 1,200 l. a year out of the modest sixpences his patients pay him—are full of humor and pathos, sometimes rather painful in their realism, but never wanting in sympathy and tolerance.”—Ath.
“He conveys the impression that he has lived among the people whom he describes, so intimate is his knowledge of their modes of thought and speech, so swift and certain is his touch in picturing their peculiarities.”
+ Ath. 1909, 2: 93. Jl. 24. 210w.
“The author’s deep sympathy never obviously expressed but all-pervading, his unusual power of observation, the humor and the penetration shown, make the book of unusual value, 281while the occasional over-audacity or flippancy of expression never for a moment conceals the seriousness of the work.”
+ Atlan. 104: 684. N. ’09. 240w.
“The reader can concern himself with the misery of it if he likes. Otherwise, the humor is the obvious thing. The stories are all cleverly written and show keen observation and a graphic pen.”
+ N. Y. Times. 14: 499. Ag. 21, ’09. 170w.
“He is an artist, yet his human concern for his material is always discernible under his occasionally relentless handling. For the few false notes in the book the poor in it are not responsible.”
+ − Sat. R. 108: 21. Jl. 3, ’09. 400w.
Lyons, Andrew W.[5] Grammar of lettering. *$2.50. Lippincott.
9–15107.
“We can commend this book very heartily to those who are interested in lettering on a large scale, such as sign-writing, mural inscriptions, etc. They will find in it not only a very clear account of the principles on which the form of letters depends, but also a practical course of construction in the actual writing, or rather painting, of the letters themselves, and a full account of the materials and implements to be used.”—Ath.
“More useful for sign-painters than for architects or art students.”
+ A. L. A. Bkl. 5: 173. Je. ’09.
“It should be in the library of every school of art and architecture in the country.”
+ Ath. 1909, 1: 21. Ja. 2. 140w.
“It is thus a book for the sign-writer and student in Trade schools, rather than for the art student and architect, who should be interested in the history and philology of the alphabet and of literal forms.”
+ Dial. 46: 332. My. 16, ’09. 100w.
“It is a useful volume in spite of the misnomer.”
+ N. Y. Times. 14: 243. Ap. 17, ’09. 90w.