The native Virginian. [volume] (Orange Court House, Va.) 1867-187?, 1869-05-07
ORANGE COURT HOUSE, VA. FRIDAY MORNING MAY 4 1866
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"THE AMAZOH."

A novel, by Franz Dingelstedt: trans
lated from the German by j. NJ. Hart
New York: e. p. Putnam and Son
1868.
AS the translator Of this novel is des.
tined to make name in American lit
erature, we viii premise by stating
that he is the only son of John 8. Hart
l., l.. D., formerly Principal Of the
High School in Philadelphia, now OF
the State Normal School 1T Trenton
N. j. His full name is j James Morgan
Hart, so called after his relative, the
late Mr. James Morgan, formerly enc
| of the most prOmiaent citizens OF
Lynchburg in tins State,
Mr. Hart went regularly through the
public schools of Philadelphia, Begin
ming at the bottom round of the ladder
i'll the Primary, at the age of SIX, and
eliminating at the top round at the
head of the High School at the age of
IL. He then went to Princeton Col
lege and graduated there in his goth
year. Afterwards he went abroad and
studied ia France and Germany (chief-
ly of the latter) nearly five years, TAX
| ing his degree of Doctor or Laws on er-
| animation at the University OF Gettin-
gen. Returning to his native land, he
studied law at the Columbia Law
School IN New York, and began prac-
tlce there. But, his rare linguistic at
tainments being known, he received
last Fall the appointment of Assistant
Professor of French and German in
cornell University at Ithaca, N. Y,
where he now is. He has written oc-
casionally for the Magazines, and trans
lated last summer for Putnam the nov
ell which are about TO notice briefly -
He has just finished another transla-
ton, Which will shortly be published.
We may infer that he has fairly enter
ed the field of letters, not for pastime
but as a pursuit, in which we doubt not
a bright career awaits him. The day
ia not distant, we trust, when, abandon
ing transiations, he will give the pub
lie, whose favor he has already won,
something Of his own.
OF the novel itself there can be but
one opinion. U6sr Land aat Nicer says
1t is ''unquestionably the most charm
ing novel that has appeared for. some
time"--an opinion in which the press of
Germany and America generally con-
cur. 1t takes us into entirely new
scenes. The spasm OF French, the
sameness of English aud the flatncss
of American novels is replaced by the
vivaeity, freshness, originality and nat
uralness of world hitherto unknown
to us. An artist, An actress, diplo-
matist, a banker and bankers daugh-
ter-these are the main characters
and the interplay of their loves at
cross purposes imparts to the simple
plot an absorbing aud sustained inter-
est, which deepens and increases until
Il eliminates in an old-fashioned and
exceedingly happy termination. One
closes the book witt an exclamation of
content and sigh for more which the
author promises to give in good time.
Competent critics pronounce the trans
lation "faithful and spirited" The lit
tie book is Brought out with Putnam's
good taste, in cloth OF green and gold,
and makes pretty addition to the Ii
brary. where it we'll deserves place.
for it is one of those novels which you
may read again and again with pleas
ure and with profit.