Biarritz and the Basque Countries. By Count Henry Russell. (Stanford.)—Count
Henry Russell knows all about the Basque provinces and rapidly-rising Biarritz, and might, one would think, have written a pleasant book on these subjects. He has, however, given us instead one of the driest, most common-place of guide-books, of which class of literature he says, "They can afford to be simple, as long as they are true, and need not look solemn." Even as a guide-book, this is not fault- less ; it is vague on the head of hotels, and suspiciously laudatory ; it is profuse about Biarritz, and grudging about the Basque Country. In his avoidance of fine writing he falls into triteness, and in his resolution to be accurate he becomes petty. The book is undeniably valuable and useful to persons who either are at Biarritz, or who intend to go thither ; but it might easily, judging from the author's extensive knowledge of his subject, have been made attractive to the general reader, who, as it is, would be about as likely to read Bradshaw through.
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