New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-02-11
THE NEW FICTION.

From TIE ST. Louis Giobe- Democrat
The fact is ccaBtbat tho HOwcs-Jancs methcd
narrOws tho understood purpose OF hct.on ana SUP
stitutes FOR rounded and elective picture OF IRE
a mere etching of personal TRAITS in short, 1t Is
not fiction OF all, bat an exercise I'D psychology,
varied by occasional bits of pathology. We do not
become acquainted with the persons under treat
mcut, or care u copper what becomes or thcm.
Thev irritate rs mt times, but they 90 nOJ Win
either our confidence our sympathy, ana once
done with the cata'g que Of their pecuIarlties We
Dismiss them like 80 many wax hBuIes ana never
think Of them alterwaTd. ,,
this new variety IN that line - protest Ohe can
not read story Ct Hugo spite o. oil the lalsc ART
if nav contain, without an abNoi'cu interest oolu
IN the narrative and III the characters. Inc sans
i. true with regard George sand. snd in certain
depr,, luma, also whom we suppose Mr. llOWeiIS
would not consider for q moment. sir waiter ScOlt
WAS an example of man no wrote almost ontlTeIy
for the sake of incident, with little concern ABOUT
personal siuguarties except as tue sloIy llsell us
closed them and get hl5 characters lingcf pcrHa-
nrntIy in the memory aud his novels continue 10 he
widely read though their style be 80 iaulty ana
their enLih so iorb,ddlEg stu more HasterluI IN
Tins reqp,,rt arc Dickens and Ihackeray. who are
SINGLED ont for rUr,lal adverse criticism " Jhe
prophets of tic new school. They told stories IN
straightforward and familiar way, without stop,
pIr TO leI-urcly daScct Individual character ana
vet they told rs all We need 10 know aOont thelr
people and made them very distinct ana very 3sl-
lng ~ hen tho new school shall nave succeeded N
giving Us 3 Ficir.ck or a D0rd l"ppIte'd, toi-
Oa,I A,jrooubc o. Henry Eau0HI, u VIII De time
cuouph 10 invite comparison ietNecn tho methods
methods which yield only "A well-dressed ana po-
hte.v speaking succession OF puppets, whose very
names cannot he recalled without an caOrt.
That the work of the H"WCl.s-James school Is
sr,rras,iuply prai,cworhy of rs kind it would he
cqptou. and IN 1-t 10 dispute Ihero h5s never
hrcn ANYTHING approaching 10 lu the WAY OF literary
mluutrne,s and the art Ot making something out
OF nothing The ian gUlye employed Il OF the cholc-
est, the process OF construction i cumming Auu
graceful and the sentiment, taught, III SO Tar ~
ANYTHING Of the kind Is attempted, are uniformly
clean anG correct Bat that Is all AMI tuat is not
true fiction 80 tO SPEAK. 10 - pleasant IN It's iaSh
ion aud not without peculiar value OF Uso"h
II never takes hold however; 10 never produces
an illusion for an instant We cun take NJ such
book ana pat It down AZ pleasure, or oven omit 10
return 10 II NJ all. II Is very nne very smooth,
vcrv precise bat there Is nothing sellng about IT.
IL Is Ike creeping foam, rather that leaves no I'M
preSs on and serves no definite purpose. he man
who writes novels that the world Will take ~ us
heart and protect AGAINST iurgctiulnrss must sun
borrow something ot the Robustness and The energy
of incident which the story tcers OF the old school
"A distinguished from the one We are speaking of,
found 50 useful and 80 Indispensable