The Stevenson Reader. (Chatto and Windus.)—This volume is interestin g as
evidence, if not of the fact that Stevenson is already a classic, of the very strong belief on the part of a great number of his admirers that he has attained this position. Consist- ing of selected passages from all his works, poetry as well as prose, it may be described as the " essence " or the "extract" of Stevenson. Mr. Lloyd Osbourne, who has done the work of "selection," has special qualifications for it, as of course he was familiar with his stepfather's views as to the comparative value of his books. In any case the selection has been made with much wisdom. It is impossible, no doubt, to give the cream of Stevenson's eerie thinking about the eternities and immensities that are to be found all around us. To obtain that, one must not only read but brood over his essays, and those digressions in his romances which are essays in disguise. But the quotations given in this volume give a very fair idea of Stevenson's style, of his powers as a poet, and of his capacity as a literary " bonnie fighter," especially on the deck of a pirate ship. Doubt- less this " Reader " is intended primarily for schools, but many passages are given from Stevenson's essays—a notable case is his estimate of Thoreau—and from the more "old-fashioned" of his poems upon children, which can best be appreciated, and indeed can only be understood, by adults.
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