21 JULY 1928, Page 44

BLISS AT EVENING. By Robert Hartley. (Alston Rivers. 7s. 6d.)—It

would be regrettable if, amid the vast output of clever and flashy fiction, this quiet and unobtrusive novel should miss the attention it deserves. It is the leisurely chronicle of three generations of the Reid family, beginning in 1876 with Robin, a small farmer, and ending with his two grandsons, who, becoming prosperous manufacturers, not only redeem the wasted character of their father; the second Robin, but bring about a reconciliation between him and hii admirable spouse. The story is rarely exciting. But it is a real slice of life, presented with imaginative sympathy, humour, and pictorial skill.