The Sun.
London, England, 1869-04-08 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

Erick T7torburn ; A Novel. Three Vols.

Hurst

and Blackett.

If " E;ick Thorburn " is a first work, as from
the absence of any name upon the title-page, and
from other reasons, we are led to infer, it promises
well for the future success of its author. The cha-
racter of Erick Thorburn, who is by no means of
the ordinary stamp of novel hero, is very cleverly
conceived and very skilfully delineated. Erick
possesses no brilliant qualifications or superficial
adornments ; his chief characteristics are his plain
common sense and his determined perseverance in
what he believes to be his duty. Maurice O'Keefe,
the schoolfellow of Erick, called, from his girlish
appearance and curling locks, by the familiar appel-
lation of " Fan," is weak and amiable, and from their
school-days until the close of their companionship
is in every way a contrast to his friend. The strong
affection which, in their early days, exists between
"Fan" and " Thor," although sorely tried by adverse
circumstances, and fora time diminished by alien
influences, is never destroyed, and revives with its
old tendencies in the parting hour. We never
have the heart to " sroil a story" by detailing its
plot. We shall not therefore reveal the mystery
which overshadows the life of Erick Thorburn,
and tries the tender heart cf poor Evy Carew, a
sweet little heroine, with whom the novelist has
been somewhat severe. A year or two of proba-
tion might have sufficed for all the purposes of the
story. The long and weary waiting to which
these lovers are subjected is not only painful to
themselves, but (far worse!) tedious to the reader.
This want of concentration in the interest of
the plot is, however, excusable, if, as we imagine,
" Erick Thorburn" is a first work ; and if so, as we
have already observed, it affords ample promise of
future excellence and future success on the part of
its writer. The overwhelming flood which de-
vastates the country towards the close of the narra-
tive is very effectively described; but as it recalls to
the mind of the reader that terrible episode in
" The Mill on the Floss," in which Maggie and her
brother found an undivided death, its introduction
is somewhat unfortunate. A happier ending, how-
ever, rewards the patience of Erick Thorburn,
and (no matter what evils have gone before) " all
is well that ends well."

Lorna Doone; A Romance of Exmoor. By R. D.
Blackmore, author of " Cradock Nowell." Three
Vols. Sampson, Low, Son, and Marston.
From some innate love of the terrible and myste-
rious, such as renders " Jack, the Giant Killer," a
favourite in the nursery, the histories of highway-
men and robbers seem to possess some marvellous
power of attraction. While the names of better
men are " willingly let die," tradition tenderly
cherishes the recollection of Robin Hood and
Claude Duval, and others of equally respectable
celebrity. Among the chronicles of the West of
England are records of the terrible Doones, a band
of robbers, who lived by the right of might, and
scattered terror and dismay through all the country
round. The narration of their doings and mis-
doings,which is given in these volumes, is supposed
to be related by one who actually took part
in the events which he describes, John Ridds,
yeoman, and churchwarden of the parish of
Oare, in the county of Somerset. The story is
written in a very interesting and attractive style,
and quite realises to the reader's mini the time
and scene to which it relates. Among the first re-
collections of his childhood, John Ridds describes
the murder of his father by the terrible Doones,
and his mother's melancholy pilgrimage to the
very home of the assassins. There we have a
glimpse of the venerable and courtly Sir Ensor
Doone, the father and chieftain of the robbers.
Himself a gentleman by birth, and brought up to
better things, Sir Ensor having incurred the pe-
nalty of outlawry, had established himself in the
forest of Bagworthy, and brought up his sons and
grandsons like the Ishmaelites of old, with
their hand against every man, and in conse-
quence with the hand of every man against them.
In the midst of this savage race, like the enchanted
princess of a fairy tale, lived the gentle, lovely
Lorna, whose chequered history is recorded in this
chronicle. Lorna Doone has found a worthy cham-
pion and historian in honest John Ridds, and the
latter has found a fitting exponent of his opinions
in the person of Mr. Blackmore. From its very dis-
similarity to the ordinary run of novels, this
romance of Exmoor will prove attractive to the
novel-reader.