New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-12-24
AN ESTIMATE OF " GEORGE ELIOT"

HER PLACE AMONG NOVELlSrS IN THE SECOND
PERIOD or THE VICTORIAN AGE.
From Jvsfn MeCarthgs "HisOrV Of our Tfnss."
The fiction of this second period has one
really great name, and only The author OF Adam
Bede and the Mil on Floss stands literary
with Dickens and Thackeray and Charlotte BrOnte
George Eliot this author chooses 70 call herself.
undoubtedly great writer, merely writer Her
Her tastes seemed Their 10 lead her wholly into the
somewhat barren fields where Grrman metaphyslcs en-
10 the relief the confusion, OF German
Ineo,ogy. 'u tper sbe Secarne 10 a.is,,rT
editor aud worked assduousy for IL under the dlrec
of Dr. Jonn Chapman, the editor She had mastered
novel writer, woodworking became IL business,
Unfor,nnataIv her scientific knowIedle 'o'er IN.
formed" her aJer novels, and made them op-
pres-ive to readers who longed for the early
docs not seem 70 found out, until had passed
what Is convenionay regarded as the Of romance,
thar sne had IN her. all other 9fts the faculty
of the novelist Wien author who Is not very young
makes great nit 1T last begin 10 learn that
had ALREADY made atiemrts the same direction,
and sketches which, when tey first appeared utterly
tailed attract attention But it does not seem that
Miss Evans she then was ever published any
thing in the way OF fiction previous 20 the series OF
were called Scenes or Clerical Life" These sketches
attracted consia-raDe atention, ana were muon au
ola'
With the publication Of " Adam Bede " came a COM
plee triumuh The author elevated M once and by
In one II the first numbers Of The CornhtH Magazine
Thackeray, gOssipng paragraph about DOyeists Of
iniuas spoke OF Z" STAR OF the first magnitude
insf seu an tne horzop" Nothing IA uuch rarpr than
the union scientific and the literary artstc
temp rameutS. so rs L. that the exceptional the
alma,t sotqrv instance II Goethe comes up AZ
tinct ana striking to mind. English novelss are
than French or German. Dickens knew nOthing II
science and had indeed little knowledge OF any kind.
save which Is derived from observation, as any re-
snsctafIe Rnglishman could WILL have. Thackeray was
a ma al
several Languages, aud strongly lmDued with artistic
tastes he had no ere for science and knew OF II
only every has loared "a school Lord IyttOns
AMI ignorance George Eliot Is genius aud culture Had
abe never written o, hctiOn she must have been
regarded win aunTauon W HI VINO anew nei
as a woman OF deep thought and OF a varied
knowledge such rs hicn comDlacenty eve 10 be the
possession only OF non. 1t was not tms however when
made her great novelist Her eyes were not turned
inward or Kept down IN metaphysical contemplation.
Sac studied the ving world around ner ehe mad an eve
for OK things Keen alm0sO as that OF Dickens
Balzac George Eliot is the novelist who paint
sueh Engsh people az Suo ~ se h nu cnT m &
people. sue tracks ont their Glow peculiar mental pro
cesses reproduces them fresh and frm from very
Itfr Mere realism photOgraphng, the
life IL not in art great triumph.
Bu George Eliot make her dullest people interest
ing and dramatically effective. She paint two dun
people with quite different WAYS OF dulness-a dull
and dull woman Tor example-aDd the reader n aston
isned 20 find utterly distinct the two kinds of
pidity are and how Intensely amusing both can be
Gates in Mr. Brownng's " The Ring ana the Book"
How distinct They are how different how unlike and
owned the poet sometimes allows Ills pedsnts to be
as tres0me tney would In real life II each success
sIvey held weary listener by the button George
Eliot is guilty of such artistic fault. No ono
wants he rid Of Mrs Poyser, or Amt Gegg. or the
prattiing Fiurentines RDmOls" Tnore never
could be Mark Tapley or Sam Weller. We put up
with these mpossibites and delight in them, |
because they are so amusing aud so fun OF
fantastic humor. But Mrs Povser lives, and |
every one Knows Aunt Gegg. and poor |
Mrs Tuvers and hopes and little fears and pitt
full reasonngs anmating hundreds OF Mrs. Tulivers
all over Engl-nd. Geurgs Eliot has Infused into the
novel some elements II never had before and thor
onghly infused them that they blend with all the
other materials. ana do not form anywhere "a
solid lump mass dstDgushable from the |
rest. There philosophical novels" Wilhelm |
Meister," tor exainpie-whieh weighed down |
and loaded with philosophy, and which the world only
adrnIres spite Of the philosophy There political
poyels-Iord beacOnsheiGs for instauce-whch are |
only iuteigbie 10 those who make politics aud political
personalities "A study, and which viewed merely rs
stories would be worth speaking about There
novels with a great direct purpose in them, such
Uncle Toms CABIN" " Bleak House," Mr.. |
Charles Reade's Hard Cash" But these after all.
only magnificent pamphlets splenddly Illustrated
datr1bes. The deep philOsOphic thought of George
Elios best novels quietly sufuses and umnes them
every There sermon mere, lecture there,
no solid Interpreting between TINS incident md
thai pondcrous moral hung around the neck OF this
parsonage The reader feels that he under
spell OF who IL not merely great story but
who is also a deep thinker.