Black Spirits and White. By Frances Eleanor Trollope. 3 vols.
(Bentley.)—The first half of the first volume of this novel gives a pro- mise which the remainder of it does not fulfil. It is not that the power of the writer fails, or that her execution grows careless. On the contrary, the story is carefully and vigorously written from beginning to end. Still the reader is disappointed. He has hoped that he has found a really clever and interesting tale. He• finds it clever, but it fails to interest. The writer takes us through a complicated narrative, which no one but a very determined novel-reader indeed can be expected to follow. The plots of the Spiritualist impostor are a very tedious affair indeed, and though the spirited sketches of character which abound throughout the three volumes do much to felieve it, still the general effect is depressing Miss Trollope is, of course, writing to meet a popular interest, and will find readers who are attracted by this speciality in her subject. In our opinion, it is a-trivial and wearisome topic, which prevents her from doing justice to uncommon powers.
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