21 NOVEMBER 1903, Page 8

The Crimson Fairy Book. Edited by Andrew Lang. (Lorgmans and

Co. 6s.)—This is, as usual, a pretty book, and, as usual also, admirably illustrated. Now and then we are inclined to think that the stories chosen are not as good as they were, and that

there is a good deal of repetition—variants are more interesting to the scientific investigator than to the ordinary reader—but it would be ungracious to make any serious criticism where so much trouble has been taken, and where the result is, on the whole, so satisfactory. When we take the average of gift-books —the comic, the sentimental, the didactic—and see how this ranks among them, we can hardly find fault. There are still many colours for Mr. Lang to take his titles from, and he has not by any means outstayed his welcome.