4 APRIL 1868, Page 19

Jeanie's Quiet Life. By the Author of St. Olave's. 3

vols. (Hurst and Blackett.)—Jeanie's life is so very quiet that we hear scarcely any- thing about it, and what we do hear is somewhat insipid. If any of our readers have the courage to begin with the second half of the second volume and read on from thence, disregarding the first volume and a half in Coto, they will, perhaps, find reason to dissent from this verdict. But if they begin at the beginning we doubt if they will reach the point we have indicated. Almost all the first half of the novel is taken up with a tiresome landlady who has a sniff of a rather peculiar kind, and is a burning and shining light in some sect or other. Had she sniffed once and stated her character once she would be amusing. As it is she is very tedious. However, after 450 pages of introduction and Mrs. Mallinson, the author of Jeanie's Quiet Life is good enough to begin the story. There are one or two hints at the story even in the earlier part, and there are certainly some charming bits of description throughout. But we are disappointed with the work as a whole, and very much dis- appointed with some of it. What is good in it is not sufficiently good to make amends for the rest, though without the rest it would have been good enough to insure itself a favourable reception.