New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-12-09
THE APT OF FJCTJON.

Mr. Cable has been induced TO present his views
of the Art of Fiction to the Nineteenth Century
Club. Perhaps it is just well that Mr.. Cable
published his stories before he undertook TO anayze
his art, for his fiction is assuredly very much
fresher and brighter than his didacticism. lie Is,
however, young author, and has reached that
stage when most young authors think themselves
competent to lay down the laws of authorship and
70 fix the canons of literary ethics 1t is therefore
OF the nature of the case that many of his ideas
should be crude or erroneous, or mere truisms. His
notion that every writer force inspiration that
good literary work is merely a question OF will
power is decidedly crude. 1t is one of those loose
cancellations which are vtiated by the omission
of the personal equation. Possibly Mr.. Cable can
compel himself to work at all times by resolutely
sitting down to his desk, but it does not follow that
everybody can do the same. This was Anthony
Trolope's system, and possibly it explains the
maohine-like mOnOtOny and dulness which appear
at intervals in his books. But there many ex-
celent writers who cannot thus harness themselves;
whose genius literally revolts from such attempts
TO fasen ii down; who would only spoil their work
and disturb their intellectual condition by forcing
themselves to work when the inspiration was not
on them. The fact is that intellectual habits and
capabilities various, not uniform, and no hand
and-foot rule will fit them. The best literary
gets the most excellent work out of himself, and
each writer must be left TO discover for himself
what those methods are.
Mr.. Cablssays that the producer of literature
must " IL he would be a whole, round artist, be
whole round man." Does this mean that the pro-
Queer of literature ought to be Admirable Crich-
ton 7 And precisely what does Mr.. Cable mean by
" the producer OF literature"i If he means writer
of fiction, and it may be presumed that this is what
lie means it would have been better to say A
writer of fiction, if 1t is to be modern fiction no
doubt ought to understand the society in which he
lives, though writer can hope to understand that
society as q whole. But few successful novel
lists have ever been of action, If that is what
Mr. Gable intends by his whole, round man "
and still fewer have ever combined the qualitica-
tons for the literary and the active social life. In
these days of increased heterogeneiy in all direc-
tions there is tendency toward specialization in
literature as in science. Men choose department,
certain phase of social activity, particular class
of society and study and describe that. Those who
are so ambitious that they must take all knowledge
for their domain are apt to fall short Of the
stars ut which they aimed and may end by fritter-
ing away considerable powers. But it is not neces-
sary that writer should be of the day, unless he
is to confne himself to work of the purely current
era type.
Mr. Cable advocates higher moral purpose in
fiction. That is a good direction in which to move,
undoubtedly. Yet it is undeniabe that modern
fiction breathes. at least In its higher manifesto
tions, far purer morality than that of earlier art
| Indeed, the present tendency toward didactc fc-
| tion is so strong that some doubts have been ex-
pressed as to the effect upon the art. The clean
white of truth is to be desired certainly. but eff
forts to attain IL would be successful if there
| were any general agreement as to what Truth Is.
| The world moreover needs fiction more for recrea-
ton and relief than for instruction. and therefore it
continues to read much that the disciples of the
| New Criticism have condemned as inartistic. The
genius that can inform fiction with moral purpose
50 subtly that the charm and attraction OF the mar
rative are not weakened is rare Perhaps the best
instance Of this is "Sllas Mariner" but even George
Eliot failed when in Daniel Deronda" she subor-
dinated the intent of the fiction to the develop
ment Of an ethical design. Mr.. Cable has himself
shown the possession Of very delicate and yet
powerful descriptive capacity. His pictures may
not be realistic but they artistic, and they sat
isfy. If no proceeds upon the same lines he Will
always be sure of an audience and it is to be hoped
that he will not suffer his anxiety for the elevation
of his art to interfere with his work as literary