The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-01-11
A Reform of French Fiction.
Edward Kings Paris Letter in the New Yorl

A Reform Of French Fiction.
edward Kings Paris Letter in the New York
Evening Post.
The marquis of Tseng, the Chinese ambassa-
dor to Paris and London, in his sprigbtly arti.
Gle contributed to the Nineteenth Century, all
ludes to the fact that the French are particu-
and decrying those of other countries. The
good marquis will perhaps feel called upon to
revise his opinion when he reviews the series
OF articles in the different daily papers of the
French capital, in which there is plenty of
self-sccusation and self-reproach. The fact is,
that the French have made up their minds se-
riously to reform altogether one of their crying
faults-the extreme license of their imagina-
tive literature; and they have approached this
reform in spirit which indicates determine
ton at all hazards to carry it ont. The cli-
max of the naturalistic school has now been
reached, and it is felt that from this day for
ward the stsr OF lola must decline. 1t is near
lv three years since Edmond About wrote his
"Tale of an Honest Man." which YVES avowed-
ly written as an offset to the indecencies of the
naturalists; end from that period may balaaid
to date the definite attempt to reform which
has now assumed snch gratifying proportions.
The evil, which had got well rooted by the
close OF the second empire, was for time
checked by the somber days Of the war and the
Commune. But it began to flourish speedily
after that time of trouble, and even before
Zola appeared bad become alarming. The
title "feuilletoDists'' of the daily press, men
without special talent or reputation, who pre-
pare sensational stories for what is called the
rez-de-chausses Of the papers, would never
have ventured 20 years ago to put into their
stories the extravsgant and indecent incidents
which are now quite common in the columns
of respectable journals. 1t was perhaps the
steady increase of filth in this latter class OF
literature which gave sound critics Of the ma
tional literature their greatest fright So long
as the plague was kept within the bounds of
real literary form, it was not so much to be
dreaded: but W hen it began to creep into every
servants chamber, insdiously working through
the feuileton, which may justly be called q
national institution, there was every prospect
OF immense danger.
So the reform was commenced, and has been
supported with reasonable vigor by q small and
powerful circle of novelists and dramatists
who had for years felt aggrieved and shamed
because OF the license taken by many of their
brethren of talent. Now, this little circle steps
boldly forward, and assuming to represent the
public, threatens to put in chancery any an
thor who sins against good taste and, above all,
against decency, by dealing with risky sub
jects. AS Frenchman rarely admits that he
is in the wrong, even although the public NAV
turn against him, we may expect that the ul-
little, will not yield up their method without
q struggle. In short, as in France 80 years
ago, there was the battle of the remanticists
and the olassicists, so in the France of today
We may see a struggle between what may be-
called the cleanly and the uncleariy authors.
One thing is clearly established by the little cir
Gle of the scleanly" above mentioned, and that
Is, that cleanliness pays. The heart of the
reading public is not perverted. There are
still more good than bad people in France as
Iv.A At,era -
truth and honor, and who, without being at
all prudish, are nevertheless too refined to ad-
mire the display of sensuality or.tsU SfoaJ Uyej
the increase OF crime.
And what do we see as an< almost incompre
hensible feature of this~1Kterary reform, one q
the hrst, but BY notz1eans the last of many re
forms THAT France will undertake within the
next generation? We see the joyous and some
times frivolous Figaro the spoiled child of the
Partisan beau monde, the light-hearted ap6
gossipipg companion of the baunters of cafes
and of fencing clubs--we see this merry wight
thereon, and rushing into the front of the as
sauit upon the unclsanly clique. in q power
full article just published the Figaro says it il
beyond question that the obliging authors who
take the trouble to give us the salts action Of
reading decent works of fiction are beginning
to be recompensed for their pains The re.
action against the old school is already clearly
marked oUt. The preferences of the public
are, without doubt, for romance aud poems
that are clean and decent. Each one nus,
now take his part in little revolution which
can no longer be bindered and those who cam
not conform to the public taste will have to
suffer. These refractory ones will probably
not be very numerous. 'sThey had created a
genre or 'wrinkle'in literature, but we question
very much whether they found it really agree
able to roll and battle themselves in the filth.
Can we believe that filth of imagination
because that is the only filth which we are dis
cussing, procures real delight to those who stir
1t nm, or to those who buy il? There are
thousand indications that, il the readers
continue to denote their firm desire to
have cleanlY stories, nearly all authors
will serve them clearly stories. The fact ia
uncomfortable; we prefer clean romances Just
az we prefer clean shirts. You may say, il you
like, that our hearts are none the less de-
PRAYED, but you shall not say that our taste is
so. So let us forward ~ithout any equivoca-
tons. Let us not pretend that we are josephs.
We none of us claim to be angels Every one
will tell you, as often as you wish to hear II.
that he is neither prudish nor exacting, and
that he will readily accept in a novel as much
incendiary passion as you please Fire puri-
mes everything, but it mnst be real fire. Put
as much OF it into your stories as you wish, and
no one will complain"
1t will be interesting to see what the chiefs
OF natnrslsm will reply to this and to various
other assaults made upon their method. We
snail probably be treated to food of nauseous
verbiage, III which the nasty school will en-
deavor to cover up it's real animating purpose
and to Keep ItS footing in the reading world.