The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-11-12
WEDNESDAY MORNING, NOV. 12.
American Fiction.

The American story-tellers who cultivate
taste, who exhibit fastidiousness and artistic
finish are commonly without large constitu-
encies of readers And yet, in singular con-
trast with this is the fact that English novel
lists Of tie first class arc very widely read IN
America. This being true, the conclusion is
inevitable that native authors OF Superior cui-
tare are ret neglected because they aim too
high. A lublc that devours tens OF thousands
of new novel by George Eliot, or William
Black, or Thomas Hardy, shows its capacity to
rise to the level of the most fastidious of the
Boston penmen. There is a rude, sentimental
multitude that delight in the coarse and STIR
ring rcmances Of Southwcrth ard Holmes, and
another multitude IN keen sympathy with the
very best works Of English writers, but only
comparatively small group OF people that
heartily appreciate the productions OF home
authors such as James and Howells. We in
America present the singular spectacle of a
public with decided literary tastes, one very
much given TO the perusal of books, without
writers with a conspicuous hold on its symra-
thies. We are speaking here distinctly of nov-
elists; we have TWO or three poets that are
read in almost every household, and essayists
and historians that Americans proudly ac-
knowledge and sometimes study; but we have
no novelist with anything like genuine hold
unon the people. 1t is asserted that the nov
els of Mrs. Holmes are very popular In the
Southwest, but here they are read only by
young people of very veallsh tsstes The re-
iigious novels of Mr.. Roe have many admirers
among a class of the community who consider
the ordinary secular novel improper reading
for earnest-minded people, but they are scarce
ly known to the wider body of readers. Lit
crary folk, and certain groups of people who
always take a place by the side of literary
leaders whether they understand or not, talk
very zealously of Mr.. Henry James, Jr., and
measure other peoples culture by their esti-
mate of this writer's books. They are very
good books indeed, very noticeable for keen
insight into character, and for refined subtlty;
but refinement and subtilty are never enough
alone to command wide suffrages. The noun
tain stream is clear and sparkling, and full of
beauty, but it is the broad, deep sea that en-
compasses. OF the pleasant and sparkling lit
erary rivulets we have, perhaps enough and
hence we now long for the majesty and power
of the deep-for books that shall have finish
and taste without losing the pulse of humans
ty, that shall stir our passions and our sympa-
thies profoundly without transcendlnS the
bounds of nature or the laws of art. Our bet
ter writers seem to be frightened at the turbu-
lence of actual life and the pass ons OF earnest
men and women; they play on the verge OF the
great expenses of life. dallying with trifies,
Analysing queer specimens, asking us to ad-
mire them because they have dissected blade
of grass, and lamenting because the world
casts but a half glance at their pretty toys. 1t
is simply impossible that these writers should
find acceptance with the general public.
There are English novelists that have all their
refinement with a large measure of real power,
with strong sympathies, with deeper currents
of feeling, aud these writers must inevitably
be preferred to our own writers so long as the
latter prefer intellectual legerdemain to ear
nest purpose, and are content to address their
tasteful nothings to elcl otherl and their little
parlor circles rather than write for the great
world at large.-Appleton's journal.