The New York herald., 1876-09-05
"DANIEL .DER0NDA.'
George Eliot's Last Novel Finished
Unsatisfactory.
DERONDA MARRIES MlRAH.
Gwendolin, in Sorrow, is Left in
Mourning.
THE NOVEL A FAILURE.

new book by George Eliot (Mrs G. H. Lewes)
great interest would be excited by the DIS
covery of new tragedy by Shakespeare Indeed. she
has been likcaed to Shakespeare, and other Eng
lish writer bears n resemblance to tho great
dranatisL Her works contain both dramatic purpose
and philosophical dscourse and there has been
of character who could equality with her
Shakespeare returned to nger In comfort about the
blacksmith snop of Stralford. Carlyle in this latter
respect does touch acuely tho quick OF human
lie beneath his acting iorms. Carlyle usually shows
his hero pushing toward one end. and he reveals the
original motive which caused that end. The act is
reflection of a single characteristic. George Eliot
ceeds in showing by constant analysis the antago
stic'forces IN character; giving now the lights
and now the shades 1rst tho reddenng Are and then
the smoude-ing embers and, as the Westminster says
OF her latest heroine, she devoes care to revealing
vary ing moods OF mind so that when tho crash comes
We may at least feel pity for OF the victims
Her characters like the Persian apples present both
their sweet and their sour sides. She Is masterly
artist There is no raggedness in her style She Is
prc-Raphaeite Her begsar is rs finely painted her
king. In Daniel Doronda" George Eliot has given
greater attention TO plot than she usually devotes TO
OF her novels, but she nowhere forsakes her old
manner Of subordinating plot to character. Tho
summation is not always dcvoutly to be wished by
maiden readers because IL is the natural result Of tenn
per OF mind In those who carry the burden Of her plot
to the end II her traveller takes the wrong road he
pays the penalty. The two leading characters in tho
new novel are Gwondolen Harleth and Daniel Deronda
TO the wayward, scish, beautiful Gwcndoen tho
greater part OF the book is devoted. 1t
opens with view OF her in green and
silver, and intimatos that Deronda is to
have influence her lie. The petted beauty Is
subject, however, to her own wiliul desires, aud
though ono cannot avoid liking her for certain grace
iuncss and strength OF character ono is compelled to
her rebel against her best and marry cold
young aristocrat, who, to her knowledge, has a
mistress anu several illegitimate children. She
marrcs because has lost competence and has not
bravery enough TO have herself and widowed mother
remain poor. Almost Immediately after marriage cir
cumstapces afford penalty for her rashncss. Grand
court her husband politely abuses hor she is per-
mtted by any outrage OF art to escape from tho cham
chosen husband, and she discovers that her
life and her heart have been conquered by Deronda-
Deronda himself lives with titled family, and he llvec
under the secret sting of not knowing tho names
lives OF his parents He loves study and physical
else. and tate throws HIM in tho way OF resculng
young Hobrew girl, who in search OF mother and
brother, has tried to drown herself He places her
under the charge OF some good friends, and she finds
herself loving him.
Gweudolen is always seeking Deronda for advice in
her sorrow feeling that though there is great gulf
between them, she will bridge it with dutfu pen
ance. Her husband, Grandcourt, takes her the
Meditcrannean and one day, while they sailing
alone, he is knocked overheard by the BOOM she
in her and dislike, is both petrided and SO
irresoute that she does not throw him rope in time
him from drowning. Meanwhile, Dcronda has
instincts that, Notwithstanding his English Christian
education and companionshp, direct HIM toward
Jewish thoughts In seeking the brother Of Mirah,
whom he rescues from the water, he discovers in him
poor Jew who is filed with grand thoughts
ing the spiritual welfare of his race and first interest
ing Doronda by force Of pity he fills him with his
views and leaves him as his successor. While under
tho influence of the jew he seeks and finds his
mother, Jewess who was famous singer, but
who by her second marriage the cold, heart.ess wife
OF Russian noble
The story cannot be described in a nero notice The
people to whom this article will be OF those
who read the books serialy In Harpers
The eighth and last book is going through the
press In the seventh book tho plot weakc ned, the
method of Grandcourt's death being unworthy Of so
great artist as George Eliot though the strength OF
her analysis nowhere weakened That book also gave
we'll drawn character OF Deronda's mother
The las, book, which We have Just received, is appro
prately called "Frut and Seed" Rex, Gwendolen's
cousin, good hearted college youth, whose love she
lightly refused. hears OF Grandcourts death and the
love which ho had not renounced but only buried with
sweet tenderness, finds reviving when the d OF tho
coffin to be removed The actors of the book all
make ready to gather around Gwcndolen and Deronda
though not without gong through philosophical
comment on tho pages OF the book than George
Eliots wisdom makes us patient to tolerate The
axoms are part OF the pleasure. however and have
much influence upon understanding of the plot
any Of the characters Besides George Eliot be
read In a day What George Eliot of man IL of
as much Importance as what shc makes him do His
consciousness as well as his figure comes TO US, and
we read with his mind az well with our own.
Grandcourt 10 his mcauness toward Gwen dolen has
made WILL which, in she has no child gives his
property to his illegitimatc son. with merely CON-
Portable sum TO her Dcronda is interested, above all
things. in certain chest OF documents, which, he
learned in his interview with his mother had been
left for him by his Hebrew grandfather student of
the literature and history of his race Deronda is
electrically delighted with his connection with the
Jews To most of the other people In
tho book who know nothing Of Deronda's
parentags II seems only right that now
that Gwendolen is free she should marry
Deronda Even Gwendolen herself, in her great PAIN
has gimpses OF this idea across the wide chasm which,
she feels really separates her from the she loves
The little Jcwess, Mrah, has news as this
comes TO her heart with shocking cruelty her Per-
haps Mrah humbly does not dare to know that she
loves peronda herself she worshps him. and dislikes
Gwcnaoen Blunt, heavy sorrow comes as . burden
TO her sweet soul In her snddcning emotion the
wicked, selfish father, who had tried make her tho
mistress OF rich rous, and from whom, In conse-
quencc, she had fed when she seeking her
mother and brother, comes upon the scene He tries
hor Ifa has nott n In
go into tho presence Of the studous son, but when
Mirah tells Mordecai the news, shadow fell upon the
young jew. Deronda arrives while Mlrah and Morde
cal are thinking of Their misfortune To them Deronda
reveals tha; he, too. is aJcw. He loves Mirah.
Meanwhile Gwendolcn, who knows that she Is mis-
cradle because she has been wicked, is home with
her mother. She has In her hcarl 10 seek another