Mr. John Strood. By Percy White. (A. Constable and Co.
68.)—This is an exceedingly clever book, but it is also exception- ally irritating. It is written in what one may call the oblique style of tuuTative, the figure of the hero, Lawrence Livers, being
depicted by his private secretary, Mr. John Strood. The enter- tainment of the book is the gradual discovery by the reader of the character of Mr. John Strood, and it must be confessed that Mr. White has caused this gentleman, in a very subtle manner, to write himself down an ass. None of the characters in the book, as depicted by Mr. Strood, being in the least attractive, a feeling of irritation inevitably arises in the reader's mind that he should have wasted his time in reading about so unsatisfactory a set of people. At the same time, Mr. White must be con- gratulated on the clever performance of an exceedingly difficult feat. Still, like Dr. Johnson, the reader will be tempted to exclaim, "Difficult, Sir ? I would it had been impossible."
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