New-York tribune., 1880-10-03
AN ENGLISH ESTIMATE or BRET HARIE
from The Spectator.

From The Spectator.
The key to the quality OF Mr., Bret Harte
genius is perhaps to be found III the collection
not vet published In this cdltlOn--of his " Con
densed Novels" Nothing exactly like them III the
way of parody has appeared before. lhackeray
Prize Noveliss are witty and renchant enough.
but they are mere parodies. You laugh, and you
are reminded of the originals, but you have not
cot the essential aroma of the originals tone and
method Bnt the Condensed Novels" are, il
fact n masterly abstract of that part OF criticism
winch consists in analysis: the deduction OF
Judgment is left out AnaysIs oi OF inis Knd now
siQht as of emotional ntuitiOnin other words, OF
impressibility Mr. llartes mlud appears to be like
n Photographic negative; it Is susceptible lmIne-
diatev and uncrrinuly Of the gradations and forms
OF the literary temperament and devices OF others.
With a facility that seems to approach unc0n-
scousness, he feels and records whatever may be
termed pecular" IN that with which he Is brought
into contact. Such almost morbid alertness 10 I'M
pressions though II doubtless has its drawbacks.
must he of immense advantage 10 writer OF
stories BY virtue simply of his organic c0nstitu-
tion he is able produce that which Others arrive
at only by much thought ana labor. II at all. or
course susceptibility alone Will not suffice TO fur
nish forth a writer lac must also possessIand Dir.
Harte possesses it-a corresponding faculty OF eX-
preston. The better half OF his work VIII then be
ready done To his mind by nature ana what To
less gifted man. would be irks0me literary labor ~
to him nothing more than the discharge of normal
function. 1t is. perhaps, needless to say That We
are far from intending TO cast a sur upon the
validity OF Mr. Hartes intellect. We only desire
TO draw attention 10 the quality which. III our
OpiniOu the OF some OF his best cccts, ana
which also IS the cause of his occasional mistakes:
For nothing is more probable than that unasssted
intellect however mtrinsicallv persplcuOus Is I'M
notent to produce memorable literature. The finer
touches as well the sustaining and fusing
power. are furnished by the other side OF the
mind At the same time. energy and fusion Will
often beguile into dcplorable errors HIM who trusts
10 them too implicitly, and omlts To guide himself
by the dry light of reason.
Now to apply tine key which we nave indicated
to the volume before Mr. Bret llarte has often
been charged with being an imitator of Dickens.
There is no doubt that the manner and pose SO TO
sneak of much of his work remind one of Dickens
ana II may further he admitted that no other
author has produced so strong literary Impression
an MIR Uarte as Dickens. But il must not be for
gotten on the other hand, that several other
euthors besides Dickens are occasionally rejected
in Mr. Uarte's work. In tho American and
Snonish Legends" for example the style and treat
Irving Some lof the passages in other sketches
read like an echo Of Hawthorne. But in every in
stance one unvaryIng condition is noticeable the
author reflected never exercises his .nnuence pro-
,,iscuously or IN haphazard fashion, but strictly
according to the subject. That is 10 say, II MIR.
Uarte has il on his mind TO write such q tale rs
q The Adventure of Padre Viccntio" he viii ineyit-
ahlv begin TO think of Irving; and " hen he takes
on R,s men IN lrvinglike flavor will more or less
Internationally emanae from 1T. IL. again. he pro
noses 10 describe The Surprising Adventures OF
Nr Charles Summerton," recollectiOps OF Dlckenss
occasional Ipapers will come over him, and the re-
suit will be Dickensy. In short. lac can never IN
wade domain which any notew orthy writer has
made his own without in some degree assuming the
peculiar gait and dialect Of .that writer and this.