A novelist who can hold the interest equally of both women and men is an exception. Mr. Otis" first book, "Hearts are Trumps," brought him into prominence as a writer of fiction, disclosing as it did a new American author who possesses the narrative faculty and the dramatic instinct.
In his new book, "The Man and the Dragon," Mr. Otis has written an even stronger story of contemporary American life. Through the center of his plot runs the glinting gold thread of a charming love story, strong, dramatic, virile. The groundwork depicts the struggle of the young editor of the _Carthage News_ against a political boss on the one hand, and a ring of traction magnates on the other, unfolding with telling penetration and grasp one of the most vital problems facing this country to-day.
Those who have followed recent political events will find the defeat of political manipulators in congressional districts reflected in "The Man and the Dragon."