The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-05-24

REVIRw or VIEW B0OKs

HOn ne acmeVeu IN MS younger DAYS rs tne
author of several third-rate novels which
would have been forgotten long ago if their
author had not made distinguished mark
in politics and filed some of the highest
Offices under the British Government The
two most remarkable things about his new
attempt in the field of fiction are that cool,
cunning, and far-sighted man like Disraei
should be willing to subject himself to the
eaustic criticisms that intelligent
readers cannot but bestow upon such
a performance as "Lothair;" and, secondly,
that the leading journals of England and
America should be able to find anything in it
worthy of the lavish praises that have been
bestowed upon it on both sides of the At
lantic. 1t is possible to account for this last
mystery, however, on the supposition that
the professional critics did not take the
trouble to read the book, as indeed they
scarcely could have done, as most of the re-
views appeared within few hours OF its pub
lication. If 'Tothair" had been written by
some obscure scribbler, and not by promi-
nent British politician and ex-Premier, it
would have been dismissed with half dozen
lines by most of the journals that are
now lauding it to the skies, and it would
have been forgotten even by the
patrons of the circulating libraries within six
months. Being the work of an eminent
public man and an ex-Premier, it is, of
course, entitled to more respectful treatment
than this, and really 'Lothair" is worth read
ing, if only to find out what an intolerably
poor and fashy novel British ex-Premier
can produce. Mr.. Disraei never wrote a
novel in his life that was worthy of perusal
on its own account, and 'Lothair" is his most
Indifferent performance.
The plot is designed to expose the machina-
tions of the Catholic Church in England, and
is an exposition of the fine old Tory Church
and State doctrine of which Mr.. Disrael is
one of the principal champions on the floor
of the House of Commons. The hero is
supposed, on good grounds, to represent the
young and wealthy Marquis of Butte, whose
conversion to the Roman creed created such
sensation few years ago, and the other
principal personages are labelled by the Eng
lish reviewers with the names of prominent
men and women of the day. Mr.. Disraeli
describes only high life, the very highest
kind of highest life-so high, indeed, that we
have great doubts whether anything like it
exists on this poor, miserable earth of ours
or anywhere else than in the imaginations of
flashy story-writers. To be sure, Mr.. Dis
raeli has had opportunities for studying the
personal appearance, the habits, and the
habitations of the British aristocracy such as
are accorded to but few story writer's; but
admitting all this, there is such an extra
ordinary bigness about the houses such
more than than Oriental gorgeousness about
the furniture such bloodedness about the
horses, and such a superfne refinement
about the dukes and duchesses, the earls and
eountesses and all the other high-born peo-
pIe who figure in 'Lothair," that we cannot
resist the impression that Mr.. Disraeli never
saw anything of the kind in either England,
Scotland, Wales, or Ireland, or anywhere else
but in his own excited Imagination. This
sort of thing answers very well for hereaders
of the sensation story papers, but MIR. Dis
raell in his 'Lothair" addresses different
kind of audience, and as he is no novice in
the art of novel-making, we have right to
expect something better from him. Even
this super-gorgeousness Of description, how
ever, might be excused if there was some
substantial merit behind it, but, with the ex-
ception of occasional brilliant passages, where
the politician and man of the world are shown
rather than the novelist, there is really
nothing in 'Lothair" that will redeem it from
utter condemnation as a work of art.
Very different from the above is "Ham-
mer and Anvil" by Friedrich Spielhagen,
published by Leypoldt Holt, which we have
received from Claxton, Remsen & Haffel-
finger. With this author novel-making is
really fine art, and his productions will
have permanent interest that no extraneous
circumstances can ever give to those of the
brilliant British politician. Spielhagen has
brightness of wit and humor and vivacity
of style that are somewhat remarkable in a
German, combined with high moral pur-
pose and prsdisposition for metaphysical
speculation and refined mental analysis that
are characteristic of the best German style of
writing. In "Hammer and Anvil the pro-
blem of capital and labor is considered, and
although it is not obtruded extensively, the
whole purpose of the book is to indicate q
solution of the great social problem of the
day upon broad basis of humanity. These
things, however, are subordinated in great
degree, and the novel is interesting on ac
count of its characters rather than for its
plot, which is rather vague and shadowy.
The characters are drawn with that mas
terly skill for which Spielhagen is remarka
BILE, and which places him in the front ranl
of the novelists of the day. None but an
artist of genius could have indicated with I
few decided but delicate touches such a char