Romance Merriman, Henry Seton: In Kedar's Tents. V1. 19 Aug 2009

[crutledge]

Hugh Stowell Scott (1863? - 1903) was a novelist (under the pseudonym of Henry Seton Merriman). He was an underwriter in Lloyd's, but having a strong literary bent, latterly devoted himself to writing novels, many of which had great popularity. They include The Slave of the Lamp (1892), The Sowers (generally considered his best) (1896), In Kedar's Tents (1897), Roden's Corner (1898), Isle of Unrest (1900), The Velvet Glove (1901), The Vultures (1902), and Barlasch of the Guard (1903). He worked with great care, and his best books hold a high place in modern fiction. He was unusually modest and retiring in character.

Excerpt
It is in the staging of her comedies that fate shows herself superior to mere human invention. While we, with careful regard to scenery, place our conventional puppets on the stage and bid them play their old old parts in a manner as ancient, she rings up the curtain and starts a tragedy on a scene that has obviously been set by the carpenter for a farce. She deals out the parts with a fine inconsistency, and the jolly-faced little man is cast to play Romeo, while the poetic youth with lantern jaw and an impaired digestion finds no Juliet to match his love.

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[CO'Neil]

I just recently read this book (via manybooks.net) and it was terrific. Started out in England, but soon shifted to Spain ca. 1830(?), which for me did not bode too well.

I stand corrected, however. Merriman's own publishers made a point of printing only tales set in the British Isles, due to lack of reader interest in exotic locales, but they too, had to acknowledge that he was right -- his stories sure did sell, and no wonder.

To say Merriman had a strong literary bent is to understate the case, and this story is my personal favorite of his.

Check it out!

Chris