New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-09-21
THE APT or FICTION.
name.

fiction for it is the art OF representing human
life in its various phases, and the views oil NE
which nrcscnt themselves to differently cOnstl-
tutod mind. are necessarily diverse. Nor
!, i ot MI singular that the conccp-
firms of Mr. Henry James should differ
from those of Mr. Bcsant, since the work OF me
two writer's has clearly very little IN common
II is not So easy 90 follow Mir. James IN inns
essay ~ might have been expected from MS gen
cral lucidity. lie seems 70 have sltivcn so nara
NOT to saw more than he meant that IN places
Inc has left his meaning somewhat obscure. But
the difficulties of the subject must perhaps be
hold onsvcrnbc Tor these antiquities, ANA 1t
may he that no writer could 80 deal with the
art of fiction az 10 Secure thc concurrence
of the world. Making allowance fer
po.sibly unavoidable obscuit's then
we gather that M. james takes
a catholic aud comprehensive view OF the art
he diScusscs. The novel, according 10 HIM
cannot bee other than work of character and
incident. Tine story. he agrees with Mr.. Be
SAINT. +. everything: but Mr. Bc-lnt would per
hlp+ ,ail to agree with him that everything '7
the story
Yet this idea throws strong light ON Nr
.lamcs's own methods. II has been complained
sometimes th,t there was - hcl, OF incident ~
his novels. Wcuov soo that ho rcr'rd' ouniN ti'
a4 incident and apparently a.os 40 ''-
4cnpl difference on tha head hc-
tween ilnt,, l,ououuor and l'nnic
puondn." rhp i, worth knuvint ht 81 So
attn uotc interesting lo hud Ma iumrt oh'ot''
ing 49, tollo0a In the EusliHh nov" ON
(which lmclu Dhc Amrlicmuo NclO, more than
om nu, other, thcrc eA traditional difference
"bctNc,n That which people know and
that which they agree 10 udmt that
"thcy know, that which they tco und
"thut which they speak OF, that which
" they feel 10 bee pat of life aud THAI which
" they allow to enter into literature Tins
il said concerning u remark OF Mr.. Bc~ant
that the novel should haven conscious moral
nurpo-c" To that view Mr.. james dcmutS, and
seem, To thnl, that the French theory ol hrilon
i. more artistic and broader than the English.
As hr subsequently cJlogiIcs VI. Hola' II may
be thought that ne regard, the line taken by
that writer "a, true to art Certainly VI. HoIa
cndcayors not 10 hold back ything hc knows,
not to keep silent about amy hing hr sees. But
If i, objected that hc only knows and only secs
the worst and na,tic,t aspect OF everything.
Civilized society has agreed that If Is neither
necessary nor for cdicIlon that every
thng should be talked of with equal
freedom. French htIon. as represented by
NJ Zola seeks to force upon society th2
constant consideration of the topics which have
been taboOcd because they offend m0desty,
good morals and good taste a canon of art
which iusIGcs VI. Xola on aesthetic grounds Is
to say the least a strange one. and most reader,
of English will prefer what Mr.. James calls
the dihdcncc of English and American ic-
ton
But as viewed by the light of hi, own stories,
the remarks of Mr. James cited above have
another k.ud of ,uggcstivcncss. There l. in hi,
later novels mlch-and far too much of an
artificial psychology. The traditional differ
cnce between thl! which people know and that
which thcy agree to admit that they know Is
illustrated in the creation Of an unreal. uunat-
ura. impossible analysis OF emotions and in
;c.lcrjua processes. To some readers this has
The effect of profound insight, no doubt, but il j.
only ter al the dissection of phantom subject.
Real people do not 20 through the complicated
mental gymnastics described by Nr. James.
The iutIo>pectiOn ne is 80 fond OF Is simply Il
tricl. of the pen. not faithful representation
Of life ay any one so", IT, 1t is a. far from being
"A genuine end artist, study a, are NJ /olas
onc-,idcd gdttcr-yicW,, though certainly IT is
work Of q much higher kind Bu the analysis
of Mr.Jamcs is often in a great measure ailccta-
ton ana not red life. In George Eliot and in
Ihachcray there is much an'ly isis, too, but il Is
Informed always by worldly wisdom, and in
the case Of Thackcmy by hdii cdn'tic, half
path,iic wit, which make il thoroughly human.
In Nr. james we find Kind oil metaphysics
which does NOT attract our sympathy because