The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-09-18
SOME NEW BOOKs.
Another New American Novel.

who would write II they starved forit No won
der that such literature has become classical
| Now, literature is in greit part composed by
people who are, or fear to be, hungry and write
for II d; who desire wealth, and write for 1t ; who
crave hattery, and write br It. they cudgel
their brains that they may stun their readers
II IL no marvel that their WORKS have, not nfre-
| quently, the attraction Of no,ety-often such
novelty as draws the crowd to view monstrosi-
ty, a two-headed calf, a goat With six legs, a
woman with serpent-like extremiies, man who
habitually walks on all fours ano has the face
of a swine.
Almost every trade has it's rues, It's fixed
| standards OF excellences, Its modeIs, its APP
prenticeships. IL lie In many respects unfor-
tunate that novel writing has come ttbe busl-
ness without the development Of principles by
which those employed In 1t may b, guided.
Not only have no canons been broughtto light
and generally promulgated, but laws TINT were
sufficiently obvious have been lost. Tn want
of discrimination and laxity Of thoughtwhich
seem TO prevail In politics and moral, APP
pear to have invaded the world OF literature
| Definitions are lost or disregarded, standard re-
jected or falsined, distinctions dimmed or de-
stroyed. Any versler Is a poet, any compile OF
the commonplace Of life, or OF harbreadth "
capes, or Of unnatural villainies, is a novolis
The general want OF distinct ideas. of vigorou.
discriminating thought, Of lofty and fixed stand
ards, is noticeable In the books OF a large portion
Of the professed novel writer's. II is perceived In
the absence Of noble ideals, In the want Of pure
motives, In the lack Of upright and unyielding
principles, illustrated in characters. 1t is OBJ
served also in the deficiency OF artistic qualities,
| In the want OF form, color and tone, In the alb
sence OF proper style and choice diction. what.
ever It's purpose, the novel should be a work Of
art. The men who preferred hunger to the re-
preston Of their creative impulses instinctiyely
produced artistic works. hut with many who
are engaged In writing novels expressly for the
market, tho art instinct is wanting. For this
class. especially to neglect the study oftheir pro-
fession is inexcusable. Sucn preparation is not
disdained by men Of genius. Forty years ago
Lord Lytton said:
For the formation OF my story ! studied with
no slight attention the great works Of my pre-
deceseors, and attempted to derive from that
study certain rules aud canOns to serve me "A
guido; and, II some OF my younger contempO-
raries, whom could name, would only conde-
scend to take the same preliminary pains that
did am sure that the result would be much
more brilliant. 1t often happens to me to
be consulted by persons about to ATTEMPT nc
ton, and invariably Ind that they imae Inc they
have only 20 sit down and write. They forget
that art does not come 10y inspiration, and that
the novelist dealing constantly with contrast ana
| effect, must, IN the widest aud deepest sense Of
the word study to be an artist. Tney paint pic
lures for posterlty without having learnt to
draw.
The new novel, called The Cdldcrcood Sc
eret, written by VIRGINIA w. JOHNSON, and
lately published by Harper Brothers, Is Ike a
work Of art, in so far "a the roughly made and
loosely jonted skeleton OF plot can render II
such. This plot may be readily understood
It's parts arranged in something like logical
order, but the artlculatlons seem to have been
made by Joiner's bunehng apprentice; now
they hardly come together, now they overlap
The drawing is bad, the proportions not Away
seemly. The whole structure Is sctaggy. The
book is moderately interesting; out the story 1;
too spasmodic to hold the reader spell-bound
or steadily to enchain his attention. No subtil,
charm OF fancy envelopes him, no magic Of styl,
) fascnates him, no melodlous dlction enchanu
; him. He is moved by no generous enthusiasm
| thrilled by no grandeur. melted by no pathos
The author seems to have aimed ut theatri a
effects while lacking either the ability or tn,
knowledge to make such effects, properly pre-
pared, tell her story. In a narrative style sh
appe rs to reach for dramatic results. Sh'
| labors TO appear strong, and her visible efor
| suggests only weakness. The consequence OF al
this Is a general want OF smoothness and har
mony.
Inc outlines Of form In this book ar
perhaps well enough. Few, II ANY, supetnu
Gus percentages appear. But the outline
= not well llled up. and as for coloTing, properl
7 speaking there Is none Of IL. A cold. unsym
pathetic, rather repellant glare Is all that b
courtesy might be called color. or shadin
there is an absolute lack. The 1aring patche
never glide into each other Tone is entlrel
{ wanting So, obviously, Il contrast, In an
artistic sense. The work shows no salts
factory reason for Its existence. Its char
aoters would be commonplace but 70
, almost painfully forced exageerations whlc
stand out with papable inconsistency. Most O
than uurqngOnnblV hard and had a
two are eoodsh, but not idealLed, not especi III
noble, not at all heroic In the higher style q
heroism. With the exception OF these, all ar
:, grovelling, base, INSCRIPTIONS money worship
" pers. The tendency of the story is TO lower III
readers respect for human nature, II, indeed, h
: can persuade himself that the characters are
y any sense real types OF the classes 10 which the
y belong and OF tho society in which they NOV,
= Doubtless the author designed II TO be a NOR,
y work, but she seems To have MISGUIDED the
means for the desired end. The effect upon N
reader is, In the wider sense. demoralizing.
does nothing To tone uD the mind, TO excit
-. wholesome aspirations, to present models OF re
. excellence, ~ stimulate an active zeal for VIII
> lovely and OF good report, to show its reader
q that "sorrow and silence are strong; paten
endurance Is God-like," and to induce them {
patiently bear all things for what Ia generou,
and, noble and right. Probably the author 81
I tended that her work should produce some sue
!. effect; but II SO, she somehow failed 10 reac
the desired result. When something made Is
work OF art, that very fact furnishes "a sullcicu
c warrant for rs existence II not work II ri
D II should manifest some other title 20 be and II
d other save a truly benevolent purpose CARRIE
n into active operation, should be esteemed salts
e factory.
= We have no desire 10 treat this author wit
s. special severity. Her book Is quite a. good
l. large portion Of the class To winch Il belongs
q In many respects It L. superior TO some Of then
y She knows how to write tho English lanluaG
"A Grammatcallyi If not remarkably elegant, h'
o dction Is In the main clear and correct. Wit
70 deeper study and more care In doing her wuI
she could dehneate characters graphically n
shows dramatic Instincts that might he pron
" ably developed But, like many another Al
II seems TO have imagined that to mako a nov
10 she had "only TO sit down and write" At be-
Il her book may amusc an idle reader; work
l. art delights and ennobes.
II the deure Of muddy fiction which SWEEP
over the land cannot be stayed, At least let some
" thtp., Io dana IA uurifv it-fp uurifX 10 ia II