The Other Side. By Horace A. Vachell. (T. Nelson and
Sons. 2s. net.)—There is no mistaking the power and originality of this romance. It is described as "a Record of Certain Passages in the Life of a Genius." This genius is David Archdale, and his genius is in music. He has high ambitions to compose music that shall live, but he has a singular facility for work of a lower kind. He can throw off tunes "which a boy can whistle after healing them once," the ideal, it would seem, in a certain kind of composing. And the temptation comes with power ; the oratorio which he plans would be costly ; the popular music brings a continuous stream of gold. This is not unfamiliar, but the story is admirably told, and Mary, the wife, is singularly well drawn. Then comes in the romance. David is killed in a motor-car accident, killed, but comes back from "the other side." Comes back for what? To finish the oratorio ? That would be a commonplace motive. There is something higher,—what it is we will leave our readers to discover for themselves; they will not repent of doing it.
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