OTHER NOVELS.—Mainzpring : the Growth of a Soul. By V.
H. Friedlaender. (Collins. 7s. 6d. net.)—A long first novel in which the heroine after many vicissitudes comes to the con- clusion that, contrary to Bacon's opinion of literature, art is of more importance than life. The book wculd be the better for compression, but the study of the heroine's character is interesting, if not absolutely convincing.—The Camomile. By Catherine Carswell. (Chatto and Windus. 7s. 6d. net.)— This also is a story about the female artist. The author calls it " An Invention." The most original part, is the study of everyday life in Glasgow, but the reader will feel by no means sure that the heroine's literary talent was any more distinguished than her pianoforte playing. The Veneerings. By Sir Harry Johnston. (Chatto and Windus. 8s. 6d. net.)—The Veneerings is intended as a kind of sequel to Our Mutual Friend. Granted that the masterpieces of great writers are fair game for such purposes, it is quite entertaining to read Sir Harry Johnston on the possible developments in the characters and fortunes of the Harmons, Lammles, Podsnaps and so forth. That the spirit that informed Dickens is entirely absent from the work of his would-be successor, though unfortu- nate, is nobody's fault.—The Return of Alfred. By the Author of Patricia Brent, Spinster. (Herbert Jenkins. 7s. 6d. net.)—The adventures of a young man who tries to escape from a hot corner and only lands himself in the middle of the fire. He becomes saddled with someone else's identity and question- able past, and the difficulties from which he finally extricates himself are described with a certain amount of pleasant humour.
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