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[Review of The Conjure Woman]

THE CONJURE WOMAN, by Charles W. Chesnutt. Houghton, Mifflin & Co.: Boston.

These tales deal mainly with the old war-time superstition prevalent among the negroes, known as "goopher," which quality, possessed only by a few, known as conjure men and women, would bring about any desired result, and many of the negroes believed firmly in this ignorant superstition. These seven conjure stories are amusing in extreme. They are all told in perfect negro dialect, and their very ridiculousness incites interest. Foremost among the seven stories is the Conjure Revenge, reprinted from a recent edition of Overland Monthly. To all who enjoy an occasional negro dialect story, this little book can be thoroughly recommended.