The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-09-02
SOME NEW hooks.


bo. morris. of is own which nrc characteristics
nj ia writer. The mnlity and limitations Of
MI tolont con ho hest measured by comparing
ii, ,r,th t,yo If lila c,,,6.s.,s-Gustavc Droz
nnd Nnhoneo u,,d,t-,,ho share with him tho
,ri.n.',n ~ hoiu,, for ,he moment. especially
Ia f,.hi,,
Th.ro il no Doubt that The French novel has
onl.rgonc n rro.c-a of dccadcncs within The
r,nrorv of living renders. Both in England
md Er1ncc ,hroe porio,ls seem 10 hc marked
out Inv oa rtnin names. but in the former case the
piyns of docline orc not conspicuous. mlsht.
tndeod with some show of r,nsou Doe altogether
pninsoid. F.w pcrsons probably in our day
,voulJ rlace Tim ekcray or Dickens below Scott.
md thrro are not wautiu. those who would set
Oeoree Eliot above thcinn ALL. The reputation II
Bal1ac. on the other hand. has grown with time
md when his coun,rymcn would rank. not hc-
aldo him. hut nonr him. other mastsrs in this
rpcces Of literature they are fam to seek them
not among his successors. bu his coutempora-
rics. OF lhat galaxy To which tn author oi the
"Comcdie Humane George sand, Frederic
Boulic. ThcOphilc Gauticr. and the older
Dumas belonged. only Victor Hugo Is left
Even among those who may hS classcd
In the second period the greater part
havc retired from the field or hayo par
italy lost thcrhold upon the public ear. Dumas
the younger may be said to have abandoned the
novel for the drama. About gives his strength
g. journalism. OF lat years Feydeau has been
inactive nor have any Of his subs 'qucnt books
had the Gclut OF " Fanny md Daniel Gabo-
rou is dead and Btot HIS fatally lost caste by
"Mc. Giraud.' Gus.nvc FMuD'rt whose
Madame BoyHry gaincaa certain SUI - un-
euualcd by any OF the writer's Just named, has
since ovnccd u singular storilIty, and his three
later ventures have quito failed to ron " his
EARLIER 4rifpaph frifllHf Il ~ M rrDitia
enough. but neither his Marriage dams lie
Monde" nor his recent story Les Am0urs de
Philippe has had or deserved. the vogue of
the Roman dun icunc hommc pauvrc thict
among the authors whose function il now il TO
maintain, with such powers ~ they possess, the
prestige Of the French novel. may be cited
Cherbuiez. Emile lola. AMI Tho three whom W.
would particularly consldcr-Droz, Daudci, and
Thcuret.
Tho works ~ These ,yrtors difYcr from the
masterpieces Of a former epo.h as the Dutch
school of PAINTING. differed from tho Flemish.
Bcset by a craving after novelty. and conscious
of an inability TO give u new. bold treatment 10
The old materials the authors last named de-
vote themselves to the study # some little group
OF (which they may call themselves discoveries.
There is no room upon their canvas for large
ideas. they are not at home ON the broad lines
of human nature. they do not seek the highway
OF the heart but rather lis cross roads and foot
paths. Neither OF them aims to invest his
personages with Importance az members
OF society. but on the contrary. tries to
Keep them individuals, to pin them down
"a naturalist pins an insect under
nc microscope AZ ,n'r i"'i.s' II ln''''lNp
nu',"y nSV q" VI ",''7'p ecu, - si"''''."i'
- u'c'i "lp'"'u Vi - "'''NV NV
~ 'nV'' " Wv.