Yarns from the Southwest and an Irish Stylist

THE glory of Donn Byrne may carry this little book to a fame which it could never achieve from a lesser man. "Stories Without Women" was first published in 1915 while Byrne was writing vicariously for such magazines as "Smart Set" and "Romance." It was not favorably received at the time and the publishers allowed it to pass rather silently out of print.

"Stories Without Women" has the hall marks of adolescence strongly upon it. The fragility of phrase and the delicate tracing that is so large a part of "Messer Marco Polo" is not to be found here. In their place is only a rather obvious striving after effect. Where Byrne usually relies upon the grace of his style he now turns to situations for his strength. And the result is not impressive.

"The Wake" is perhaps the best of the collection. The plot is more tenuous than the others in the book, so Byrne is thrown entirely upon his own power of phraseology to carry if off successfully. It is here that we find him most like the Byrne of "The Wind Bloweth," or "Hangman's House."

There are others too that one might mention, but further commentary is really unnecessary. Byrne is at his best only when his style can dominate the story, and when most of these sketches were written he had formed no definite style. The book is interesting because it shows the author at a certain stage of his development. The occasional flashes of brilliance are harbingers of what was to follow, but they are so occasional that they preclude any save the enjoyment of analysis.