Book Review

By "Liber."

Only two important books have come to our notice in recent months. "Great men Who Have met me," by Mr. Heyting, is remarkable for its range of imagination and its ambitious character. In one place the author describes, in his straightforward style, an interesting discussion he had with Lenin on the subject of one's delivery in addressing meetings of students. The author contended that, from his experience, the most impressive voice for delivery was one modelled as nearly as possible on the mellow and undulating tones of a young puppy, this being especially successful if accompanied by the knowing wag of the head peculiar to such animals. The great Russian, however, maintained that a medium-sized hand-bomb was far less trouble, and was much more effective, anyway. He went so far, indeed, as to offer to demonstrate on a mob of armed students in the street, but, unfortunately, Mr. Heyting had an engagement with the Pope and was unable to stay.

On another occasion he decided, upon the advice of the Shah of Persia, to cultivate a number of small hairs on his upper Up, the Shah maintaining that with proper treatment the appearance of maturity and intellectuality could be produced. We understand that this decision has profoundly influenced the author's life. Lovers of fiction will find the book vivid and entertaining. Mr. Heyting is said to be at work already on his new book, "Great men Who Very Nearly met me."

Mr. McWilliam's new book, "He Fell Among Thieves," or "The Reverses of a Good man," is in the nature of an autobiography. It depicts in sincere and unbiassed style the adventures of the author from his earliest days, and narrates how he had the misfortune to fall in with an unscrupulous society of nefarious heretics, claiming for themselves the right of Free Discussion on all subjects whatsoever. The author modestly describes his heroic but futile edeavours to expose the false and immoral nature of this society, whose members were hardened beyond all hope of conversion, and treated him with the utmost brutality. It appears that these unspeakable ones were actually in the habit of making statements with no foundation of fact! On challenging these, he was met with a storm of ridicule and abuse, so vehement that he had no opportunity of producing the required proofs, which, of course, he had carefully locked up in his travelling bag. Finding it impossible to bring the pressure of truth to bear on these irrevocable people, he managed to make his escape back to the civilized world, bearing his scars as proofs of the indignities he had suffered.

The pathos of the book makes a stirring appeal. It resounds with a wealth of simple piety, tempered, however, with a broad tolerance and a disposition ever ready to forgive.