Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-10-19
Ghe 9rfe press.
THE WAYS OF A NOVELIST.
A Pleasant Chat About Work aud Fie-
ton with william D. lIDwcIIs.

A Pleasant Chat About Work and File
ton with william ID. lIoWcIIs.
Mr.. William d. HowcIls, The novelist
was visited on his return TO Boston a few
days ago by reporter of the Boston Herald
who found him busily engaged in his literary
workshop in his residence at Louisburs
Square. Unlike some celebrated scribbler>
Mr.. Howells does not apparently consider ,
barren garnet essential to literary achieve
ment, for his workshop" appeared by ne
means destitute Of the comforts and luxuriel
OF civilized existence. As the novelist can't
Hospitality forward TO the porticr-hanging,
Of the apartment to receive his caller, it was
observed that he had grown just trfe
stouter in his European wanderings, and tina,
his heavy moustache had rather more pro.
nounced tinge of gray. A little pile OF note
paper lay on his desk he had ceased writing
in the middle of paragraph.
"Your new novel, suppose, Mr.. How
els" was asked, after su apology for the
untimcly interruption.
Eyes, 1t is the opening OF it," was the re-
ply. at will deal with American characters,
pu' ~ 10 sphiS"hut pl'IilutuiC W rh1
thing more about it ut present. You see
have only reached the 9Th page"
The reporter glanced at the half-wr,ten
"take" of copy. The chirography was of a
moderately fine, free, running variety, with
plenty of space between the lines.
MY working hours" continued Mr..
Howells, in response TO inquiries, ''are from
0 a. m. to IN. dine at 2 p. M, and am
man of leisure for the rest of the day.
On an average cover about 10 of those half
sheets in course OF q morning. There are
times when l do more work, as in supplying
the concluding chapters of Modern Instance
turned out some 25 pages per day, but
that is exceptional. Que of the pages,
should say might make stick eco lines) of
Herald nonpareil. You see l write very
deliberately indeed. Yet | do great deal
of revising, changing words. making elsions,
insertions, etc. Sometimes l rewrite whole
chapter, and have on occasions condensed
u chapter into paragraph. The manuscript
Of "A Foregone Conclusion was entirely re-
written, and, in some respects, think its
workmanship is better than that Of my other
books"
Can you tell me whether it is customary
or not for the writer's of magazine serials to
have their stories finished before the publica-
tion is begun?'
ut is, assuredly, always very desirable to
have story pretty well completed before
any of it goes into the printers hands, There
are likely to be many passages one wishes to
retouch and improve, and often some con-
siderable alterations to he made at the last
moment in order TO preserve the harmony
and symmetry Of the work. For my own
part, am generally at least six numbers in
advance of publication, and always have my
ct xrta1l 1,afA \ Ill.
part of it to go to the publishers
81 should think, Mr.. Howels,' said the
reporter, that, after completion of long
novel, you would find 1t necessary to take
much more time for rest and recreation than
you arc wont to grant yourself ?"
"Well, l have always been believer in
the gospel of work for myself us well as for
other people. fail to see that long terms
OF intellectual inactivity are beneficial 1t
seems to me that they are injurious instead.
There is always a reluctance about turning
to work again, and the day appointed for the
of the pen is apt TO be postponed
with more freedom than profit. Alter long
vacation, writer feels very much like the
man who said that he never wanted holi-
day so much as the day after he had had
one. l prefer properly TO apportion my
work and recreation, and take them together
as far as practicable"
81 suppose, Mr.. Howells, that while abroad
you heard something of the hub-b hub of
criticism occasioned in both England and
America, by your references in q critique of
Mr.. Henry James TO the tiueness OF the art
OF novel writing at the present day, as COM
pared with the work of Dickens and Thack-
cray ~
~ heard some echoes OF the criticisms
you refer to. There is fashion in novels,
as IN everything else, and l simply
called attention to the fact that in some
respects the fashion had changed. In
good time, when the opportunity occurs, |
shall probably express myself on the
subject little more fully, and more ex-
plicitly."
as not Thackeray favorite with you;"
Certainly 1t is absurd to suppose should
attempt 10 decry him. Why, / first met
o novel of his when was 10 years old his
Newcomes was then being published in
Harpr's. think. ! read it eagerly; it
opened new world to me, and have read
all he has written, many Times over, with
great delight and the highest Sense of his
mastery. What / chiefly criticised in HIM
was his confidential attitude, his coming
down 10 the footghts to explain his CHAR
acters, to sympathize with poor So and So
and to pat brave so and go on the back 1t
seems TO me that it is not the province of
the novelist to speak for his characters in
that way. The novelist should keep him
self out OF view, as the dramatist does. The
other sort of thing is what we expect in an
essay aud there it is delightful; but novel
should not be an essay. For the latest de-
velopment of fiction am inclined to think
we should have to go to the Russian novelist,
Turgenef, or to lola, or to the great Nor
wecian, Bjornson, who is q poet, and
finer artist than either in some respects,
The newspapers have much to say about
what they term the ideal novel" That
phrase is contradiction in terms You
should bear in mind the distinction between
the novel and the romance. The latter treats
OF types and is essentially idealstic; the
former treats of characters, and is essentially
realistic. Thackeray and some other of our
writers send to the realistic, and lola has
merely applied the principle much more
thoroughly. He has carried it to an extent
that would certainly not be permissible in
an English writer because of the different
tone oil the public of our day. In bis ex-
treme fidelity to his theory he makes his
hooks impossible to the largest class of
English speaking readers, but such book
as L'Assommoir' enforces great moral truths
most irresistably aud 'Au Bonheur DIES Danes
inc romance oil great dry goods store-is
glimpse OF whole realm for the novelist.
untouched before"
"Aprop0s of the novel OF the future, do YOU
think that the element of love making will
be as prominent as in the novel Of the past
and present ?"
II think not, AS regards the better class of
novels. That is only an incident in mans
lie, thought pretty important one, of
Course, and should be made more incidanteI
and subordinate to the novel, which should
portray The passions and experiences OF life
in their natural proportions"