New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-08-04
Nesp2lork 0ailp Gribnne
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

MARY LYNDON; On. REVELATIONS OF LIFE. 12no.,
pp. $685. Strloger and Townsend.
The introduction into this volume OF several
living characters by usme, or under very
transparent Disguise, prevents 1t feom being re-
earoed merely as a work of the Imagination.
Ii reads more like the romance ofbiography, for
which succession of strange, out-of-tAe-wiy
fscts has served for basis. The herOlae,
Mary Lyndon, according to the confessions here
presented, is a person of remarkable te npera-
mfnt and tastes, Of decided and often erratic
individuality, with little respect for the usages
of society aud none at all for public opinion,
sipgulary destitute of the reserve which 10
usually regarded a. the lrst element OF discre-
tion, and attached 20 her own convictions and
views of life <ith an energy in proportion TO
the peculiar and painful experience by which
they have been reached Her career, for the
most part, has been protest against social 10
sttutions from whose pressure the marks of
suffering have been Impressed upon her nature.
Hence, persons whose experience has been OF a
contrary character to her own Will mad little
sympathy with the frank and Overlooking reye-
latloDs of this volume, while the staunch de-
tenders Of things as they are csnno, fail to be
scapdalzed at her ill-concealet hostiity to IN IS,
Of the fixtures which they consider essential 10
the preservation Of the existing social fabric.
Still. the earnest feeling which aDimates almost
every page, tpe frequett passages of powerful de-
scJiption, and the displays of a bold and even
audscious spiritiR which ths writer delights Will
attract attention 70 her WORK, even among read
err who would naturally be rePsll' Dc It's pro o.
ineDt the cries aud inc ale ltions. The mtia faults
of the book are nev table 20 the class of compO-
si.ion TO which it belongs. Autooiograp ~,
whether actual OF fictitious, with rare ex:-p-
tiops, cstDot escape the faint OF eg0tism aud
sef-exsggeratlon Trivial circu distances, which
are fcne ly cherished b. the writer on Accent
Of some dim aud subtle ASSOCIATION With personal
experience, make no appeal 90 the iaterest or
the resaer, ana are apt to be irreverestly set
ssice as tedious aIdsuperAlous. SO, TO, a d.
tailed description Of otfi,r- Of the hesff, which
are all the world 20 two perscDs, are of little
moment 20 The world N general, and the toca-
meDts Illustrating hem, BIO Eeyer significant anf
precious 10 the parties cJucerneo, are pised over
with Indifference or perhaps With mocssry 81
the geBeIslr seer, sccoriipg ss Re Is apithe'c
or miscolevous. The present volume is GER
tsiny open 10 criticism % this ground, although
The intensity Of conception and fervor OF lan-
gnsge which cha 'ecterlze The nAsra'ise ~.ll go
far toward dcisg away Ene obj-ctloa. IL offen
thus commands toe sympathy OF "a reader, 40 -
ever syerse be msy be 10 the practice Of calling
on maIkitd in a macs 10 listen TO confessions
which would seem 90 belong ~ he confderces Of
friendship.
The story Of Mary Lyndon is soon tod. She
FIR. saw the light in hard favored Nes-Ea-
gland yillsg.-a grim, repuI.ise-Iooking little
place, built on hot sabdy pl,lD, with not plae
OF shrub oak lef. from the primitive forest as ;