The Russellville Democrat., 1881-03-10
Alexandre Dumas the Elder.
Saturday Review.

There is something about Dumas as q novelist which reminds one of the famous definition of the philosopher second best in everything" He is not a great artist in words, and yet his de scriptions and the like are always up to their mark; he is not cunning analytic character-drawer and yet his readers al- ways feel that men and women, and not lay figures, are occuping their attention. He is frequently outrageous in his con- tempt of regular plot, yet the interest of all his best works-save only Monte Cristo"--is sufficient to carry the reader on swimmingly to the end, and the best plotter in the world can do no more. As to his dialogue, it is perhaps hardly second best. In its kind it is quite perfect. and the only fault is that there is little too much of it. The characters do not bom- bard each other with astounding epi- gram like the characters of Moliere and Congreve; yet they are not often dull. They are not learned or philosophical, but they have plenty of mother wit, which IS much more to the purpose
 Even when one has been finding fault with the separate ingredients of the books it suddenly strikes one that the total effect could not be better of its kind. If you want other kinds you must go elsewhere, but, if you want this kind, there is none like it. People used to find fault with Dumas as being "im- proper" but fortunately his chief tra- ducers have taken good care to wipe off that imputation. After the novels of the last twenty years in France the flecks in Dumas books, never very serious ones, really require a microscope to enable one to discern them at all. Therefore all that we can say is that, if the question, shall AleXandre Dumas have a statue? be one to which England has any right of reply, England should certainly re- ply yes. The great Alexandre had few prejudices about us and he made us run away from his :nvincible musketeers in manner which is in doubtful accord ance with the facts of history. But per haps because th1 facts of history rather reverse the representation, we have no difficulty in forgiving him for this. His countrymen may, if they like, talk about his son being his best work. On this side of the channel there is not much danger of the joke being echoed Far be it from us to speak disrespectfully of a very clever and very witty writer. But, with all respect to the Alexandre of to-day, he is not fit to hold a candle to his father either as a dramatist or a novelist. As there can be no comparison between "Les Trois MoTsquetaires" and La Dame aux Perles," so there is none between "Mlle. de Belle-Isle" and ''L' Etrangere." The novels certainly have stood the test of time, and it is difficult to believe that at least some of them will not continue to stand it. For they are in the main dependent on things which are of perennial interest to the fighting, loving, travelling, adventurous animal called man. There is not, we think, much danger that anybody for very long time to come will look at the Dumas statute and ask the question-fatal to the claim of existence of statues-"Alex- andre Dumas? and who was he?" Now. with the utmost deference to M. Zola. We do think it possible that this might happen before great many centuries are past in the case of NJ. de Goncourt.