“Defines very clearly the essential qualities of the best ancient,
mediæval, renaissance and modern frescoes, describes the colours used,
the preparation of the walls and methods of execution in the past and
present. The author gives reproductions, including several in colour, of
typical examples both of fresco-bromo or true fresco and spirit-fresco,
devoting considerable space to a searching examination of the present
state of the masterpieces of Giotto, Fra Angelico, Benozzo Gozzoli,
Perugino, Raphael, Ghirlandajo, Pinturicchio, and Michael Angelo that
are still ‘in situ.’”—Int. Studio.
* * * * *
“This book resembles in its first part many similar attempts to explain
the process of fresco painting, differing from them, if at all, in being
more thorough and practical. The second half hardly rises above the
guide-book standard, while we cannot agree with Mr. Ward in thinking the
time ripe for a general revival of fresco painting.”
+ − =Ath.= 1909, 2: 244. Ag. 28. 370w.
“Useful book.”
+ =Int. Studio.= 38: 245. S. ’09. 180w.
=Int. Studio.= 39: sup. 24. N. ’09. 100w.
=Ward, Josephine Mary (Hope-Scott) (Mrs. Wilfrid Philip Ward).=^{[11]}
Great possessions. **$1.35. Putnam.
9–27448.
A novel that is called the English “House of mirth.” The story opens
with the melodramatic circumstances of a distinguished Londoner’s
leaving, contrary to law and equity, the bulk of his property not to his
wife but to a woman in Florence. It portrays social London at close
range, affords a picture of a presentation at court and of lesser
conventions of fashionable society, and abounds in clever
characterization of London types.
* * * * *
“A book of unusual charm and interest.”
+ =Ath.= 1909, 2: 421. O. 9. 160w.
“The best work in the book is the part of it which is most detached from
its project and least dependent on the working-out of a plot.”
+ − =Sat. R.= 108: 571. N. 6, ’09. 520w.
“The book is not without blemishes in construction, but they are venial
drawbacks which in no way detract from its distinction of thought, its
charm of expression, and its originality of characterisation.”
+ − =Spec.= 103: 794. N. 13, ’09. 770w.
=Ward, Mary Augusta (Mrs. Thomas Humphry Ward).=^{[6]} Marriage à la
mode. (Eng. title. Daphne.) **$1.20. Doubleday.
9–13541.
A novel which deals with the marriage between a beautiful, wealthy,
self-confident American girl and an impecunious Englishman. Mrs. Ward’s
purpose is that of treating English and American character and social
customs from the point of view of differing national standards. The
young woman fosters a jealous frenzy, which a grain of common sense
might have averted, and she turns to the American divorce courts for the
dissolution of her marriage. The ease with which it is acquired mocks
the English sense of outraged justice, until the scales fall from
Daphne’s eyes and she sees that a crude state law has confused her moral
values and falsified her conscience but had not quite brutalized her.
How she attempts to restore the “mutilated divine” within her self is
told in the closing pages.
* * * * *
“Mrs. Ward’s story does not give us the impression of time and care
spent on it which her earlier novels do; in fact, we are disappointed
with it.”
− =Ath.= 1909, 1: 669. Je. 5. 200w.
“The book is superficial in thought and weak in execution, as thin in
intellectual content as in art.”
− =Atlan.= 104: 683. N. ’09. 600w.
“It is an irritating book for the American reader.” H. W. Boynton.
− + =Bookm.= 29: 537. Jl. ’09. 1400w.
Reviewed by A. Schade van Westrum.
=Bookm.= 30: 339. D. ’09. 50w.
“We feel that Mrs. Ward has been more intent to point the moral than to
adorn the tale.”
− =Cath. World.= 89: 823. S. ’09. 400w.
“It is hardly more than a sketch in dimensions, and bears many evidences
of flagging powers and hasty composition.” W: M. Payne.
− =Dial.= 47: 46. Jl. 16, ’09. 220w.
“It is too offensive and bigoted not to attract attention. In it will be
found the least flattering, most insulting estimate of American
womanhood that has yet been offered to the public.”
− =Ind.= 66: 1295. Je. 10, ’09. 1200w.
“Its forceful appeal compensates largely for lack of style.”
+ − =Lit. D.= 39: 107. Jl. 17, ’09. 200w.
“The disconcerting thing to the American reader is that she apparently
regards her Daphne as in some sense typical of our womenkind.”
− =Nation.= 88: 631. Je. 24, ’09. 600w.
“Pulling the wires for a high-bred Englishwoman seated beside her tea
table, she is mistress of her puppet show. The result is fine art. When
she undertakes to make the American young woman who has brought herself
up go through the appropriate motions she achieves burlesque.”
+ − =N. Y. Times.= 14: 380. Je. 12, ’09. 200w.
“It is because Mrs. Ward has put her cart before her horse, perhaps,
that she has fallen so far below her usual standard as a story writer.”
− =N. Y. Times.= 14: 386. Je. 19, ’09. 900w.
Reviewed by H. W. Boynton.
=N. Y. Times.= 14: 623. O. 23, ’09. 160w.
“In construction and style ‘Marriage à la mode’ falls distinctly below
the level of most of its predecessors. The story is distinctly
melodramatic.”
+ − =Outlook.= 92: 348. Je. 12, ’09. 220w.
“The whole thing might have been done on a higher plane, less
crudely—should have been so done by this distinguished commentator on
human affairs.” H. W. Boynton.
− + =Putnam’s.= 6: 494. Jl. ’09. 520w.
“The story is, in fact, a rather slow-moving discussion of some of the
fundamental differences between American and English character and
social customs.”
− =R. of Rs.= 40: 124. Jl. ’09. 200w.
“This is by far the best-written novel which Mrs. Humphry Ward has given
us, though there is no plot and the characterisation of everybody but
Daphne is rather sketchy. The book may shock those who make the mistake
of regarding the Americans as a civilised people.”
+ − =Sat. R.= 107: 787. Je. 19, ’09. 950w.
“Is not a cheerful book. It is, in fact, an extremely painful story.”
+ − =Spec.= 102: 823. My. 22, ’09. 1000w.
=Ward, Wilfrid Philip.= Ten personal studies. *$3. Longmans.
9–5493.
Analyses of the characters of the following men “from the standpoint of
a conservative and a Catholic”: J. A. Balfour; T. H. Delane; R. H.
Hutton; Sir J. Knowles; Henry Sidgwick; Lord Lytton; Father Ryder; Sir
M. E. Grant Duff; Leo XIII; Cardinal Wiseman; John Henry Newman;
Cardinals Newman and Manning.
* * * * *
“The weakest of these essays is the first, on Mr. Balfour. The other
‘personal’ studies will add to Mr. Wilfrid Ward’s reputation, even if
the personal element does not always amount to much.”
+ − =Ath.= 1909, 1: 671. Je. 5. 340w.
=Cath. World.= 88: 679. F. ’09. 1000w.
“It is difficult to decide which study is the most fascinating.” Wilfred
Wilberforce.
+ =Cath. World.= 90: 193. N. ’09. 4200w.
“The study of Cardinal Newman is especially good.”
+ =N. Y. Times.= 14: 22. Ja. 9, ’09. 150w.
“A personal sketch of Mr. Balfour solely in a tariff reform milieu must
be unsatisfactory because it is so imperfect, however interesting it may
be as a résumé of a chapter of current politics.”
+ − =Sat. R.= 107: 278. F. 27, ’09. 520w.
“Mr. Ward is never trite or obtuse, and he has that friendly warmth and
appreciation which are always acceptable in contemporary criticism.”
+ =Spec.= 102: 542. Ap. 3, ’09. 500w.
=Ware, J. Redding.=^{[8]} Passing English of the Victorian era: a
dictionary of heterodox English, slang and phrase. (Standard
reference lib.) *$3. Dutton.