Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-08-10
NEW BOOKS.
Reade's sensation-"A Terrible Temp.
tatIOn.'

tatAOn.H
The novelist, who by many il consid-
cred to fill the place vacated by the death
OF the llustrious Dickens, has sensations
allied his high calling and stopped to the
l slums where q, WIN, REYNOLDS and Dumas
and Paul de Koek reveled. He has given
to the world, in his last work, ga Terrible
Temptation an insight into things that
heretofore, by writer's of his class,
have besn yelled to the public eye,
or, if referred to, only suggestively,
as something that, while it ex-
lists, should only be known to those whose
experiences in life or whose destiny or
fate it liz to be of the unfortunate Glasses
tina can't get away from them. The OPEN
ing chapters are devoted to a descrip-
ton of the "den" of q leading
member of the d~emi-1t0gde of London,
who is painted for vi in an appetiZing
sort OF way, her surroundings according
exactly with the style of one who is the
hero of the novel, and is presented as one
Of the wealthiest baronets of England.
Rhoda Somerset repents her of her fast
life, marries a squire, becomes as noted
for goodness as before she was for the
opposite, and inally-is introduced in the
closing chapter of the work ss q street
preacher, q sort of Lady Huntingdon,
only q little more so. We have no Objec-
ton to the book, because it shows US a
painted Jszebel, who has become q pale
and studious Christian, whose anxieties
for her own soul have given place for q
crying anxiety for the souls of others;
but we do object that, without any other
purpose than to serve as a trick
of the noVelist's trade, a poor, weak
member Of the demi monde should be
called up out of her indecent life-not
to point a moral, for we do not 30 much
as read of any process of repentance-but
to sdorn a tale that all through is brimful
of illusions that are tolerable only in
medical works, Indispensable ~handbOoks
on midwiferY-R tale that is based on
bastardy in high and low places, that has
little to redeem 1t from utter condemna-
ton, as prurient beyond any ordinary
low-lived English novel. Reside has
stained his reputation. No the
nameless subjects were a terrible temp
tation" to him He should have proven
his strength, taken example of the
great Dickens, and sOa-ed above the con-
sideration of hat which those who like
the stuff can read in the Nea0gGte CAL
endGr or the Days Doiags, papers that it s
well known are published for the benefit
of the abandoned and such as are walk
ing along the slippery path that leads
downward to a hell as bad as any that
Dante painted. This Rhoda Somerset is
contrasted with Miss Bella Bruce, after
ward Lady Bassett, but there is 80 much
more positiveness In the Somerset, that
the simple gentlewOman, all unused to
the world, is but a shadow to this fiashy, /
hsring creature who glarss in a semi
wild way and fills all the senses because
she wills it, and is daring and bold
enough to want to. Even at the last,
when she comes to preach, we are re-
minded of her white hand and of her
presence, no longer bold and bad, but as
having the face and voice of an angel.
She begins with The first plot and she
comes in as the last and worst is
unfolding Itself as the Terrible Tempta-
that gives a name to a book that
of the Prince of Wales and Lady
Mordaunt, and all that "blOOded" stock
whose only hold upon society is that they
lead to the devil that fashion and folly
worship. We pass by the vanity, the
nsuseating vanity of this successor of
Dickens, az he paints his workshop and
sour" author, n tells of his mode of
work and how he does with terrible
temptations. We can pardon sven this
OVerweening vanity in a man of Reade's
but we cannot his letting him
self down from his high estate to pan
der to the vile appetites of the vi
lest, and in cOuleur de rose paint that
life which above all others is most
Objectionable in fallen woman, as
It is the one wherein soiled
doves can easiest and most slylY poison
aL1O gCAI vi 9AO ~ VI " LII I
hey are tolerated. No young girl should
be permitted to read this book, because
here is but n or two pages of it that
nay be read proftably, and these contain
he sermon of Mrs. Marsh, nee Somerset, {
IN charity" We have no mantle of
for Resde. His Terrible Temp
alton " is bold and bad, with few re-
ieeming traits, with nothing to recon-
it but its authors name. The lead |
male characters are all bad; even the
minister VINO is introduced is charged :
With bastardy. Lady Bassett and Mrs, !
3Rssett (of whom we catch a glimpse once :
n swhile), and their children, are the re- I
lesming humsnities of the book, which 1
We sincerely regret ever found q
ervedly high standing as EUery
II is a bad book in any q
spect. Even its attack upon the {
'mRdhouse" system of England does not 4
elieve it. Badness predOminstes. No
it will prove a terrible temptation c
0 many, and many will succumb and read \
The author will probably make more \
money by it than by any other of his \
Ooks; but that viii only prove what is Z
y old rs AdRm-Our pron6ness TO evil. '
.et US sum up the dTdm0tiS persona of
his book: Rhoda Somerset, a 'prin-
ess of the d-enli-mOnde; Sir Charles 0
very wealthy and bIdSe fast man; b
fr. Richard Bsssett, also very fast, a Il
DOL, deep-designing villain; then a
here is Polly Somerset, sister of Rhoda u
servant thereto, who has q son by
Bassett which the said Richard 2
inted was the child of the Rev. Mr.. An Il
clio, q priest of the Anglican persuasion; b
len there are p~oachers, gypsies and il
,icky lawyers, and the bastard of Polly,
HON Resde paints as the elimination of o.
IL villainies and rascslities. These are A
10 strong characters; the weak ones q
have already named as those
lat redeem land only a very little) Il
lis novel, which deals too much with life 81
il may be found, If sought for, in out u
fthe-WaY and very bad places.