New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-01-01
PLFFERY IND CRIIICL>N ~ FRINCE AND
LAGLIAD

from lhg PqH YgH Gp-ets.
France has no criticism, nay. she has not even 20
much ~ one single critic. TINS IS the opinion OF
NJ. Emil Loia, a. eNPru--au IN las volume "l COZ
irctcl newspaper articles called b'.uWrAie L''-
torlrss. Vi. Lola has certain personal ie.sohs TOT
speaking lli oil Cr.uctsu. tujca nave Dui idI.H
srokru well of him and yet Ae - Amazingly suc-
ces-iui. wen IN England, t. ~erms, lLrio are
youug lalir. wh. read " Mana .; uu the Ton. ln'ut
that cul.vIng romance counts its readers ~ the
hundred thousand Yet critic, taii E.Ht Gun
I'll nt,...Y. t..u-rlucutt, Fl. lola thinks that
critics axe nowhere. aud that, even II thty tA's''
tury r..r,. Sc mo- o. .'Urur,. lie slightly cNa. &C.
rate, hl, crleuic~ OF criticism; aud VET whether
we look al France or apply Ils words tp oar own
hs9p. country, 10 Is certain thai We .u 4o,A I'".
oil trJtn m the structure, OF ". Ioll ID. In!a
starts with tine proposition ih't t"I.r are ' men 3D..
,.i'te N Tiul. NJ. ~arcey D. ..e best md be has
Kind of heavy hlungcruE good sense" Inc right
critical ORGANISM I~ non existent HdN' IL /. N'i''
the environment Is hOpclr.aIy uniayora'Ie. 20 ore
cares for uicfatdre. LlttiidIc mas h'eH sim ~
the Uressp iajOrmdhoHS; by the newspapers WIN
their politics, and ultS OF news, their nuIo'IS
my,terc,r ac.Ilents and tragic occurrence
and money articles. No one cares 10 read ABOUT
any but these thlng-, these ana tn SOC al gossip Oh
what are called III England "socieV papers
Theatre al criticism is stall tolerated, Jccau7e Ih3
stage has 81 many asgctL, tlat arr nor uI'IH}.
The newspapers of old could give Sdiui'-btite
room for his LundIs '; now Sainte-btHVe "ouu
ne sgucrZed out by gossip ana DTS OI news L''h
low n England we marvel AZ the amount OF space
which certain French Journals give 10 caleluly
written reviews OF work, Ol serious interest. huI
reviews rs rarely rs possible. II d new DOCK thaJ
is IN event appears someone IN the newspaper
office cuts ont the INey bits WIN par OF s'HH'I9
and strings them together win lc" commonplace
sentences. THIS IS not criticism, II Is mere Misty
tVn have fine same trick IN ENGLAND where the
daily papers sonet mes treat DOCK tnat VIII 100
talked I6uut precisely il it were railway acct
dent or an excl Jug murder. The Duoh has us
special Iclorter vino Is no more critic than the
huinblest OF its staff. Other bOOks-bOOks which do
not deal with the lie aud adventures OF recent or
LIVING pe"rle' hooh5 =, " MN W ~, t 49, -
Prime Ministers Or well advertised nutOilelles-ar9
handed over uy the dozen TO some WcchIuirtl
scribe HIS prucPss Is simple he reads the preface,
il there Is one If hr glanceS al the table VI con-
tents and writes a brief pre'ls OF these. Arrange
i'm "a long column. and serve up when murders are
scarce aud politician abstain from troubling IN tue
country. In France, we are told, TINS is the culE
cism OF tine press. VI. Loa observes That q really
s9gtcious author does not want to be reviewed IN
tins way. " Give me . note among the short para
graphs and social gossip" be cntTeats MS friends.
he likes to be mentioned between story about
Mdlle RosInc, of the Boulcs. and Charley flilp@iL
per. of the Bulls, IL we Ini4ht say III Lhslhnu ne
manufacturers of social taJtle have more influence,
says NJ XOla, than VI. Fame And IN England TOO,
a man may he pulled into poet by an endless
| series OF paragraphs. science among Us AhJ"S
this practice well rs letters. ana scIeltuc icpu,
tatiOn like that of a fribble or rt, may he based
and erected on a fOundal ION OF welI-aTanEed para
graphs d" II il impossible" says NJ IO,d- " m the
midst of the hurry,ng crowd OF journals TO hud tnc
to write or read a serious study of "A book Si.
lola sees the blacklist side OF things. If people
have no time 10 read reviews, they both read ana
buy great many books in France There wOuld
be little to regret except literary pleasure, II no
one wrote criticisms ami everyone read books. Is 1t
possible that the prcSSe mfOTmdoRs - bringing us
to thus golden age OF iteraturcY Perhaps this Is too
optimistic an idea. IL seems certain that modern
criticism both IN France and England. must be
sought for; 1t does not meet one every day In the
press il has little place III the monthly magazines
In tho quarterlies IT comes, like Nemesis. Ped6
cLqud0 The enormous number of now books gives
the critic little time for rejection or Tor reading the
classical literature which can alone revive and
restore the old love Of letters the faded taste, the
delicate sense of style. The critic Is constantly
tented to become the special reporter the para
Craphist the scurryIug smatteFer. Consequently
modern criticism only be saved by the lndl-
vidual resistance OF every critic who respects a
! mach malIgned calling, to the Influences Of the
curious unrestng world.