Passing By. By - Maurice Baring. (Martin Seeker. 7s. 6d. net.)
—Considering Mr. Maurice Baring's usual method of writing, we must confess that the " 011endorfian " touch with which the Diary of Godfrey Mellor is given is a naturalistic tour de force. All the same, this way of telling a story in short, jerky sentences such as are jotted down in diaries is apt to become wearisome. Every now and then, instead of seeing events through the eyes of Mr. Godfrey Mellor, we are given a letter written by one of the characters in the diary to his cousin, which, being in a more flowing style, is certainly a relief. The whole book has a Roman Catholic bias, and sets forth the protection which that faith affords against the temptations of the modern world. Not only is the heroine a Roman Catholic, but the conversion of one of the minor characters is minutely described, and the grounds on which it has taken place analysed In fact, it may be said that the serious interest of the book is the exposition of the dogmas of the Roman Catholic Church. In the end the heroine fails to live up to her ideals, and we are led to suppose that nothing but the sudden illness and death of her husband saves her from an elopement. This is such a shock to her mind that she becomes a nun. The book is in extraordinary contrast to the usual work of Mr. Baring, and the reader, while admiring the author's dexterity in presenting the whole story objectively, will feel a little disappointed with the kind of entertainment provided. A book in which the method of writing is the most distinguished quality cannot be completely satisfying.
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