New-York tribune., 1886-05-16
THE FATHER OF REALISM
FLAUBERT IN ENGLISH DRESS

|
King gives sketch Of the career Of Gu.,.".
Flanbert. on estimate OF his place 10 the lto,..'
movement of the time, and glowing rev;ev
SalammDO," which for more than twenty vao..
! has ranked among the most remarkable Of Fren~,
romances. With Mr. Kings critical oDinion. -
cannot often agree, but he tells lively s.o,,
SalammbO," tale Of the siege of Carthage hv a.
| Barbarian merccnaries, and of their final ov
| throw by Hamilcar, the father Of Hannibal 4.
wonderful antiquarian study rs well as an excit;,
novel. The contrasts between boundes, lurr,s
| and lnconcevable mseries within the famous ct,
between the gorgeous lives Of the rich Cartb.'
ginians and the savage manners Of the CAMPS N.
pictures Of an Overbown civilization wbo..
superficial splendor only half hid its substantial
brutality the scenes of strange religious worsb,
the mysterious rites of the moon goddess n.
bloody sacrifices OF Moloch the horrors Of N.
siege and the still greater horrors OF victory; N.
methods of barbarian warfare and the ncidentoS ~
battle; the Infamies of Carthaginisn slavery; thu
aspects of an imposing architecture. strik,n,
varieties of costume, feasts ccremOnias scencso AZ
domestic and industrial life-all these materials tor
his romance Flaubert amassed With studlOus paiu
and arranged with masterly eye for brilliant
effects. Although he was too lavish in the useof
staring colors no ono could deny the extraordinary
of his descriptive style, it must be confessed ran
quite in the direction of the prevailing taste. The
animated and dramatic narrative sped rapidly
through the splendid setting prepared for it ; and
the personages stood ont distinct at least in all
their external trats,-Hamilcar and IIanno amops
the Carthaginans; Spendius the Greek; Matho
tho Tibyan; and the daughter of llamilcar the
beautiful Salammbo, whose fate through series Of
romantic adventures was bound mp with that Of
Matho the chief enemy of her father and of her
native city. Mr. King is especially enthusiastici in
his praise Of the nobility Of Sa'ammbo's character
But Flaubert DID not present characters in this
book; he painted pictures. They are vivid
pictures, yet they represent nothing more than tie
outward features. and tho artist never attempted
to show what Salamnbo. or Hanilcar, or Matho
really was, and never represented any action as the
consequence of personal character. Nobility
therefore cannot he prcdcated of any Of the acton
in the story and when Mr. King declares that the
adventures of Salammbo and Matho VIII be read
with avidity and emotion so long men battle and
women love ne ~ wide of the mark. They excits
no more emotion than the lovas of brute animals.
Flaubert nas been called the founder of the real
istlc school in literature, the school which, in the
language Of French critic. requires that We
sho1ld abstain from judging people making form
everything and conclusions and the moral nothing;
in other words, this attractive school has neither
sentiment nor idea, but execution" This. Mr.
King thinks might apply well enough to Flaubert's
notorious Madame Bovarv," but it does not
describe the spirit Of Salammbo." 1t seems to u
that it describes til. spirit Of Salammbo" ex.
acty: nor is there any justice In calling lola and
his tribe seceders" from a higher nituralistm
school OF which Flaubert Is the representative
The later and grcsscr men have followed exactly
=. l--.ll
The difference in theI work is adherence not of
motive but of decoration. Flaubert exhibits
in refulgent temples and Zola displays ID
in squaid brandy shops. but the sensual elements
IS strong IN one as in the other the ne natural
SIN is tie inevitable development of the old. |,
the minute description OF physical denominations
Salammbo has probably never been surpassed.
The author revels in lust, carnage, torture and
leformity. His pages reek with ths stencil Of the
he fingers Topped limbs and
nutilated carcases; his portrait of the lcprous
Ianno. to which be returns again and again. that
ie may lay bare every sore, is ineXprcssibly dis
yustng there is not hideous scene il the dcylish
I'D African capital of cruelty and corruption which
5 not spread before us with a0ectionate care; aud
the sckening tayors of vice taint the perfumes
which are forever ologying the air OF tie shrlnes
md gardens. The license Of sono of the dc,crip-
ions is unpardonabe; the illusions arc nasty.
let. according 10 Mr. King, the book aV akens
My noble thoughts despite its sensuous settng.'
70 see the lily OF innocence blooming in preface
o Flaubert is mighty pretty. Bat we fear that Mr.
iing is almost too innocent for Paris
The highest merit of Flaubert is his style. That
vas elaborated with exquisite art. But the reader
eed not hope to get even an idea of IL from tue
mazingly bad text which has been Engished'
y Mr.. ". French Sheldon. To say that Mr..
heidon has of style is bot family to hint
t his incapacity. He hardly knows English.
These women had been sold :. that tley might
o wearied with lust while they were young. OK
light be overwhelmed with blows when they were
ID, and rhO would die neglected on the roadside,
Ono would affirm to have lost three" etc; "No
20 laid down their weapons" aConstantly
utching i'll his hands. ready for immediate action,
10 two ponards be wore attached TO his arms, that
ere held N place below the arm-pts by leather
and y; "The Carthaginians experienced great
upefacton y" Human masks composed out Of
rds' feathers; " He the citron woods"t
She resaw him in his tent y; "By the light OF his
lger as by the fulguratiOns of terrible storm, no
stantly resaw all his disasters" " He felt for
,ath and all hazards disdain most erudite and
Ost personal .; Make these wretches ly TO atoms
the end of catapult n:-rhcse few
ecinen gems from Mr. Shedon's extraordinary
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