THE PLAYS OF WILLIAM DOUGLAS HOME (Heinemann, 35s.). HIS is not a complete edi HIS is not a complete edi tion n of Mr. Home's plays, but certainly it includes his most successful ones. " Now Barabbas . . ." is the play which made his name as a leading playwright; its sincerity shines through the prison bars of its theme to make it an important milestone in the theatre.
" The Chiltern Hundreds" and "The Reluctant Debutante" are two of the most successful English comedies needing no further mention. "The Thistle and the Rose" is a serious historical venture on King James IV of Scotland.
"The Bad Samaritan " is a play which was badly served by its West End production, as the author himself also points out in his interesting preface to the volume. The theme of the play, that of a young man, the son of a Dean in the Church of England, who eventually becomes a Catholic priest, is written with great feeling for theatre. and can be recommended to any enterprising
theatrical venture. 0.11.
MAISIE WARD'S "Gilbert Keith Chesterton " seems to he the natural introduction to the latest series of new Penguins which includes many of the most popular books of Chesterton and Belloc.
The G.K.C. books at half-acrown each include "The Flying Inn," "The Man Who Was Thursday," a volume of Essays and Poems" and two "Father Browns."
The Bellocs give us perhaps his two best books, " The Path to Rome" and " The Cruise of the Nona," Essays selected by J. B. Morton, " Collected Verse " and some Cautionary Talcs.
Maisie Ward's life of G.K.C. is 35. 6d. Few collections of cheaplypriced books are likely to prove more healthy and enlightening reading than all these and we trust that they will spread far and wide to fresh readers.