Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-11-29
THE GREATNESS OF VICTOR
HUGO.

T
The name Of Victor Hugo is one OF the
very few which attract universal atten-
ton in the world Of literature. His
great genius and his long life, his COM
mand, almost unrivaled, Of the springs
| OF human emotion, and even the Wild
ness and eccentricity which accompany
his powers, unite to excite the curiosity
at least of all readers to every work that
bears his name. The greatest of these
works are OF almost colossal pretensious,
and dwarf everything that can be put
by their side; know scarcely anything
in modern literature which would not
look pale in presence of Notre Dame and
Les MiseTd6tes. The very extravaganza
which mingles with the real greatness
Of these books gives to them a wild
msgniicence of outline which captivates
the imagination, even when it Offends
that straight-laced and not always in
fallible quality which we call good taste
his rules OF work are not As those Of
lesser men; he does not introduce US into
circle OF animated figures, and allow
US to share their life and thoughts for as
long q time as suiliees to elucidate their
story, which is the manner of most sue
cessful writers Of fiction. On the con-
tray, the spectator is put outside the
scene, and can do nothing but look on
breathlessly, while, amidst mist and
cloud, with illumination fiery or genial,
as the case may be, the great picture
rises before him, each actor detached and
separate, some in boldest relief, with
force which is often tremendous, and
always foTcibly dramatic. We see the
persOnages of his story all around, not
softening off into any background, or
confused by any secondary circUmstan-
ces, but distinct, complete as if cast in
bronze-which does not prevent them
from exhibiting now and then the most
delicate shades of tenderness, and which
in no way interferes with this authors
power Of representing children-one of
mis- greatest gifts. The babes are as dis
tinct as the heroes, every pearly curve
of them tender and sweet as rose leaves,
yet complete creatures, nowhere blurred
or indefinite, even in the most delicious
softness Of the execution. The only
work which We can recall which ex.
hibits mode of treatment similar to
that Of Hugo, is Calyle's French ReUOl1- !
ton; but the philosopher is scornfui of |
his puppets, and throws a certain tragic /
CLEAN Of Tidicule across even that lurid |
background OF despair and suffering, |
were Hugo is always deadly serious, |
and even by chance may stay as near |
the limits of the ridiculous as is given TO |
mortal man, with a sublime unconsci- |
business of that dangerous vicinity, The
Frenchman, we may add, is left alone |
in his greatness without any contempt !
raries. In his own country there is no |
one who can be so much as thought Of in |
any possible aspect Of rivalry. George |
Sand, though still now and then at far |
intervals putting forth some pale flower |
OF old age, cannot certainly enter into |
anything like competition with an old /
man whose works have all vigOr of 4
manhood still; and, OF me younger crop |
of writers whom the empire has trained, l
there is not one fit to tie the shoes Of /
either of these writers. Neither is there I
any one on our own side of the channel !
who can with any show of Justice be /
placed by Hugo's side-his genius is too I
national, his workmanship too charaC- /
teristic, to be cOntTasted with the calmeF |
inspirations of any Englishman; and, |
even on the other grounds, we know no !
except George Eliot may |
the bull be forgiven usD, who could |
fairly stand a comparison with him.
We do not think, indeed, there Is any
man living in whose productions the /
reader can see and feel the poetic pas
sion OF composition, of which we have
all heard, as he can in the works of |
that weak frenzy which pro-
duces washy floods of fine writing, but |
the nervous thrill of q force restrained
and managed with all the skill of
master, but yet carrying on the strain /
in spontaneous fire and fuilness beyond |
the reach Of mere. art. His subject, the
character he is unfolding, possesses the
writer-he throws himself upon it with
= glow and tervor of knowledge, with q
of delineation, which is not !
the mere exercise Of practiced powers,
put that with something indescribale,
something indeinable, adding to it,
swelling In every line and Transforming
very paragraph. The workmanship is
Iften wonderful; but it is not the work
which strikes us mOst-it is
he abundant, often wild, sometimes
INCLUDED and undisciplined, touch Of
yenius which inspires and expands and
.Xaggerates and dilates the words it is
to make use of-almOst fore
ng new meaning upon them by way
Il compulsiOn, to blazon its own mean
ng upon brain and sense whether they
vii or not. We know no literary work
# the age-we had almost said no in
work Of any kind-so possessed
md quivering with thie Undesirable
ut extraordinary DOWer