_Cloth, 12mo, $1.35_
The central figure in this truthful picture of Irish home life is Mrs.
Martin--an exceedingly interesting character---a, steadfast,
self-reliant woman who through the exercise of common sense averts a
domestic tragedy and brings harmony into a troubled household. No less
an unusual creation, however, is James--"Mrs. Martin's Man." Intolerant,
overbearing but yet possessed of a certain romantic attractiveness, he
is one of the most commanding characterizations of recent fiction.
Mr. Ervine's style is agreeable; it is simple and full of the tang and
flavor of Irish speech, though there is little of the conventional
dialect usually connected with Irish stories. The theme is marked by an
absence of cant and conventionalism and by a love and wisdom for mankind
that are most pleasing.
Though this is Mr. Ervine's first novel, his plays depicting Irish
characters have been produced with considerable success at the Abbey
Theatre in Dublin. In "Mrs. Martin's Man" as in his dramas, he gives a
faithful portraiture of the simple folk of Erin.
"A story of remarkable power and workmanship."--_N. Y. Sun._
"An intimate picture of Irish life. Brings with it the force of an
overwhelming truth. It is not merely plausible, it is convincing from
its first word to its last"--_Boston Transcript._
"An almost perfect literary performance, and a most interesting and
unhackneyed story."--_N. Y. Globe._
"Far out of the usual groove of fiction.... One of the finest, most
sincere stories which have come this way for many a year."--_Brooklyn
Eagle._
"I have seldom read so spontaneously appealing a story of Irish life. It
breathes the frank open nature, the naive humor of Ulster in every line.
One could not imagine a more pathetic, yet withal noble figure than
Martha Martin."--_London Globe._