The Last Galley. By Sir Arthur Co - npn Doyle. (Smith, Elder,
and Co. 138.)—The ten stories in the first half of this book are ecauserned with. events in. the ancient world, and each sketch brings 'before the reader's mind a vivid picture of how life was lived in the days with which it deals. We cannot, however, quite make out what Sir Arthur Conan Dcryle means by saying that the attempt bass never before been made in fiction to give the actual facts of history illustrated by fictitious characters and converse, tone. It seems to the present writer that this is just what. the writers of historical romance have always done, the great instance, a course, being Scott, who seldom introduces a real historical personage as his central figure. The main theme of his novels and romances is almost always historically true, though the names of his heroes and heroine* will not be found in beak& of history. Sir
Arthur Conan Doyle, of course, only deals with each of his subjeets very briefly. He tarns the lantern of fiction for a moment. on one particular phase of life in the ancient world and illuminates it for the space of a flash. The later stories in the book are chiefly modern and more of the kind to which we are accustomed from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's pen.
Previous page
