The New York herald., 1875-06-07
ENGLISH BOOKS.

LONDON, May %, 1875.
great principle OF compensation penetrates
universal nature, and II the dulness OF stagnation
reigns in Parliament there is good deal or
energy and activity observable in the world Of
contemporary literature. or writing books there
Is no end, and In the novelties which the pup
lishers advertisement columns announce there
is as yet no decrease. The season or 1875 may
NOT nave given us any work OF immortal worth
anything which we might rank with the histories
OF Macauiay or Froude, or with the masterpieces
or Ihackeray or Dickens-but 1t has been prolific
in the supply ofnoves and miscellaneous treatlses
whose average merit Is decidedly above the COM
mon, and that is as much as one has right to ex-
pect To rnese productions In order. and TO begin
with
NOVELS.
Next week win witness the publication OF
ouida's new fiction 'sSigna"-a title which conveys
neither more nor less character or the book
than ordinary titles usually do. may venture TO
remark In advance OF It's appearance that ''signan
is an Italian story. and tnat IL will be found 20
abound in those peninsuar experiences which its
author mas collected IN the course OF her different
visits to Italy and which she Is collecting now at
Florence for hch fair cisy she has for while
changed her apartments at the Langham Hotel,
with the cduserieS fntes cigarettes permises, for
which she was the hosprabe habit Of issuing her
Mondays and Thursdays invitations. Tne two nov
els which have made the most decided hit during
the present year are Mr. Blackmore's "AIce Lor-
raineu and Mr.. Blacks ''Three Feathersn These
two gentlemen may be regarded as The lead
ers and even founders OF . distinct school
in current fiction. They initiated and
they ntinue by their example 10 stimulate the
reaction against the artificial novel OF society,
against the atmosphere heavy with elaborate per-
fumes TO which George Laurence ana his most
faithful disciple, Ouids. introduced us-the i'm
possible guardsman and the Rilded courtesan.
Instead OF muscular melodramatic heroes. one
half coxcomb and the other hall Haymarket
bully, Messrs. Blackmore ana Black give us honest
Englshmen or scotchmen, nesn aud blood
creatures. who eau exist apart from the iascina-
tions OF the den,,-monde and are possessed by no
invinc,ble yearnng for champagne and Bur
gundy. Instead OF Messa,tnas and ''laoies
with white camellias" We have specimens
or glrlhood and womanhood such as ac-
tually exist on the Scotch Highlands or
in the wales or Devon. There Is no tragical de-
nouement, no high-colored word painting OF
suggestvely erotlc scenes. Nevertheless power is
not sacrificed purity, nor Is truth purchased at
the cost or picturesqnensss. Both Mr. Blackmore
and Mr.. Black are writer's emInently picturesque
and powerful Mr.. Black is trlne 100 pictur-
esaue, and pcssws lnordInate amount Of care
on the portrayal or his landscape. The sketch
when finished is very beautiful and perfect a. a
work or art; but it is almost TOO good for MS
characters. That is the ensct LETT upon the mind
alter reading the "Threc Featncrs.- ttls may
explain derived IRON the crest OF the Duchy
o; Cornwall, the novel itself being .
Cornish story. Mr.. BlacEmore is a more mascu.
line writer, with much wider grasp OF thought
and lar deeper knowledge Of human nature, as
his "Alice Lorraine mad ne never written Lorna
Dooner would be sufficient 70 show. Both books
deserve TO be read for their own inherent merits;
Dut 10 the critical student their chief interest
arises from the tact that they are the most able
representatives we have OF literature OF fiction
which, although IL may be q healthy protest
against mischievous class or books. admits OF no
degrees OF merit IL must either be excellent, as
Messrs. Blacks and Blackmore's novels are, or
1t win be intoeraby weak and altogether Insipld.
as Is the case with the novels OF their imitators.
with these exceptions, there Is scarcely another
novel OF marked merit before the puDic. have,
however, Juss read two 70 which a certain amount
o interest or Importance attaches not In virtue OF
their contents, but Of their authors-the vikings
OF tne Bal.ic,r by Dr. DasenL and "Janet Don.
cas;er.r by Mrs. MlIcent Garrett FawcetL Dr.
Dasent Is az accomplished scandinavian scholar,
and an admirable leader writer In the Times.
But a novel is a thing which lie never could
manage. which ne never will, and which ne makes
great mistake to attempt. Tnis Is not the nrst
aIlure that Or. Dasent has perpsfratsd. A few
years ago he wrote IN the Belgrdrtd magazine
'sThree 70 One,n the most ntmsy romance which
Mas appeared even in that periodical. Thcn
ne mas penaed another WORK tnat Is called move
Annals Of an Eventful Lle.n These books are
witnouta single qualification which novel should
have. They lack plot, incident, movement; tneir
dialogues duh farces, nat; their descriptio ms
drag there Is neither observation o. lie nor study
OF character Each of'thesc NUTS Dr. Dasent has
exaggerated In his "yiSIngs u the Baltic" lie
mas given himself no trouble about his s.ory, he
has not even been at the pains TO bring historical
pcrsonages into distinct relief NO ono can have
read as widely as Dr. Dasent ana nave devoted
so much attention TO a special topic without hav-
ing acquired certain amount oi knowledge.
Wnat Or. Dasent has now done IS 70 PICK up bis
stuly shavsngs, 50 20 speak, and to oner them 70