The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-08-08
LITERATURE.
REVIEW OF NEW BOOKS.

has appeared no fiction for years which has pro.
dUced such profound impression, to which
more attention has been attracted, of which
more has been written; and there has hardly ever
been book on the merits of which there Is so
general unanimity of opinion. All Join in
pronouncine IL a novel OF undoubted power Of
style at once the most difficult, yet the most
finished known to literature, and to write which
required superior ability. We will, therefore,
be understood when we devote considerable
space to its examination.
George Eliot first appeared before the real.
ing world in adam Bede," issued some eight
years since. From the moment of its appear.
ance she took foremost place among the novel
lists OF The day. She inaugurated a new sch )o
of fiction, a school which arose Just in time to
save ali novels from prescription. The reader
was sick of the sentimentaity of the works of
Byron and Scott; he was disgusted with the
too broad humor of the imi'ators of Fielding
and Smollett, while the sensational, never in
much repute, had degenerated into nothing but
elaborate ioot-notes TO the "Newgate Calendar"
We feel 40 hesita ion in saying that Mrs. Lewis
is the savior Of the novel; Had she not ap-
peared, we would have been disgusted, because OF
the excellence of Dickens and ThaCkeray, with
all their ialacies, and either have fallen into the
stupid propriety of Crollope, or thrown ourselves
into the arms of the questionable Mrs. Wood
and Miss Braddon. But "Adam Bede" prevented
such necessity, and introduced a style OF
fiction as legitimate as the most standard works
of history, and as exquisite as the works of Sir
Walter Scott, when hrst they took England by
storm.
In George Eliots writings we have series of
pnch distinct
blended as to form group having relative
position, and woven together by the thread OF
events. Each character has an exact importance
in the book. There is no sudden introduction
of new hero, who, after attracting attention
for a while, disappears utterly, to make place
for another with whom the reader is unac.
quainted We start with certain set of per-
sOnages; we follow them throughout the work.
We see those whose outlines are boldly marked,
and have more merit because .of their being in
the background. In iact as the Round Table
enthusiastically observes, Mrs NJ. Lewis resem.
bles Shakespeare in her power of delineation.
1t is from this characteristic action on the part
of each of the members of the drdmattS perSOng
that we feel not only an interest, even and con-
sistent throughout bIt also admiration for
George Eliot above all other writers.
nary novels we would hesitate to give the plot,
lest we should destroy the readers interest. But
nosuch feelings influence "Fellx Holt" Whoever
reads the work in order 10 be absorbed with the
dramatic ehect, had better close it at once
Whoever seeks to real a novel at once artistic
and adherng closely to characteristic delinea.
tion, let him read it with care, and he will not
find his attention tagging because we give an
outline OF the story.
Harold Transome, heir to Transome Court
TTeby y-Magna, in Loamshire, returns in hIs
thlrty-flth Year from the East, whittier as a
younger son he had gone to make his fortune;
and happening back at the eve of the general
election which fol owed close upon the Reform
bill, resolves 70 stand as radical candidate iof
the county. But canvass, especially where a
vigorous opposition is anticipated, requires the
adjunct OF a skilful agent; and Harold there
tore keeps in check the INVESTIGATION he is
eager to make inlo the management of the
family estate by Matthew Jermyn, his mOthers
solicitor, because this legal gentleman appears
TO be the man most available for electioneerng
purposes. Meanwhile the political excitement
is thlckening Philip Debarry is the Tory caudl
date Of TreOy-Magna The Whig interest, in
the mining quarter of SproXton, has its repre-
sentative III MI HarSlln. Inefe are question
able meetings at Chubb's tavern, in the coal
district, where Johnson, a Transome sub.
agent, is at work stirring up the mate
rails for riot. There are also consuta.
tions, public and private, in the county town,
in which ChurChmen and Dissenters freely
mngle while among the latter few are more
interested than the Rev, Mr.. Lyon, of Chapel
Yard To his quiet home, full of Indignation
at the sham arguments OF the hustings, comes
Felix Holt son of the quack doctor, who has
flung his fathers prescriptions out of the win
dow, and resolves to support his widowed
mother by matchmaking and teaching school,
rather than live longer on the sale of cheating
compounds. Thlther comes also Mistress Holt,
with querulous complaints of her sons folly;
while in and out OF the dIngy little tenement we
catch stray glimpses OF the Joyous chd-ike
beauty OF Esther, the pastors daughter. This
lovely girl, so different in her aaiUe ways and
lady-hke carriage from all her homely sur
roundings, puzzles Felix, aggravates him, and
finally leads him into attempting to infuse more
OF seriousness into her nature. There is, in fact,
amystery about Esther
The quaint Dissenting minister had had one
romance A lrenchwoman who, years before,
had crossed the Channel in search of the father
OF her chIld-lost in the vicissitudcs of the con-
hnental war-chancel to fall under the good
mans care, and on news of the death Of her hus.
band in London, was induced out of gratitude
if not from positive liking, to marry her kind
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