The Sun.
London, England, 1864-01-02 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

A IVoinan,s Ransom, By Frederick William
Robinson, author of " Grandmother's Money,"

&a. 3 vols. Hurst and Blackett.

A mania for excitement has unfortunately seized
upon the novel-writers and readers of the day, the
extravagant has taken the place of the natural, and
horror is regarded as the only legitimate element of
interest. To such an amount has this pernicious
influence extended, that even those fiction-writers
who had already distinguished themselves as truthful
painters of domestic life have been carried away by
the stream, and like the dog of the:fable who dropped
the substance for the shadow, have cast aside the
essentials to true success already within their grasp
in the hope of realising a shadowy popularity,which,
if attained by such means, could only prove evanes-
cent. Among this number we are sorry to find the
author of the popular novel of " Grandmother's
Money." His new work, "A Woman's Ransom,"
has actually been recommended to general admira-
tion as the Novel of Crime !—such an epithet being
undoubtedly in the present day an attractive dis-
tinction. Those, however, who may in consequence
turn to its pages as a delightful stimulant will be
also sadly disappointed. According to Lord Byron
( who was well qualified to give an opinion on the
matter, being himself a master in the delineation of
either character), Scott's Lord Marmion lacked the
essential elements of attraction, either good or bad,

being
" Not half a villain, and but half a knight I "

In like manner " A Woman's Ransom," while emu.
lating the horrible reputation of some of its con
temporaries, does not actually venture to realise its
own evil ambition. We hear of the elopement of
the wife of the bad hero of the book, but after
awhile it appears that the report is a falsehood
contrived by the husband himself, who is
the murderer of the unfortunate lady. An
interest is at length, after long and weary
delays, attracted by the supposed discovery
of the dead body, when, lo and behold, the lady is
alive, and no murder has actually been committed.
The character of Herbert Vaughan is a marvellous
compound of unnecessary criminality. He is evi-
dently'prepared to commit every evil under the sun,
and gives himself an immense deal of trouble to con-
coct and carry out schemes of Machiavellian dupli-
city without any adequate reason for their con-
trivance. The sister of this evil spirit,Mary Zitman,
is a young widow, who is left in possession of her
husband's large estates, on condition of her never
leaving the estate, or never taking another husband.
The brother contrives to enjoy the mastery of this
property, and takes every .possible precaution to
prevent his sister's second marriage. The situation
is so far well contrived, and the question of Mrs.
Zairian's emancipation from this state of thraldom,
which is preying upon her health, and unsettling
her nerves, gives its title to the book—,, A Woman's
Ransom." The character of Mrs. Zitman, which
at first promised well, degenerates as the story ad-
vances, and she becomes feeble and commonplace.
Far more interesting is old Mrs. Ray, the covetous
sister pf the deceased Mr. Zitman, and who is to
inherit the property on the death or marriage of
the youthful widow. This old lady is a compound
of avarice and cunning, and her character, disagree.
able as it is, is cleverly drawn. A powerful scene
occurs, when at last her seared conscience is touched
with a late remorse ; it is entitled