New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-11-04
NEW NOVELS.
A STUPID BOOK BY ZOLA

A STUPID BUN B1 Hohh-
LIE RIVE. Par Emile lola. Paris: G: Charpen-
tier ct Gle Now T% zS. H. Translated translate by
F. dc v vermont Illustrated Chicago; Lalri
THE ELECT LADY. BY George Macuohsiu'
12mo DID, 365. D. Appleton d Co. $500
THE nEvIf,s DIE By Grant Allen. LIMO
PIP. 271. Chicago: T. 5. benson o,o-
There can be no question to the moral improve
ment in Zola's novel lie Rcve' Is III ''.',
clean as La Terre" was dirty. Inc auuor "pp
tv felt # necessary to prove that he could wre as
unr. a storv &c ANYBODY for a good maIy people
were annroachjng the conviction that his pccuhar
kind NJ realism had so smutched HIS creative iacuy
nc IN incapacItate him for innocent and whoicsoho
utorature lie Rcver may be regarded As an an
swer to such suspicious: but after all IL oanio' 10
regarded as complete vlndcaon 1t Is inc ro,naico
of a young girl, brought up as an einoroucrou !" "
uttIc house under the wing of a great ca'heorai
Secluded there, fed upon such food for the llasna
,on az AN old book of Catholic legends sup
niles. without youthful society anu VIII
ont education, Angelique naturally iahs 'n''
an unnaturally romantic and dreamy sta'e al" 'oo
over visions of blooming prince VINO Is W WIZ anu
carry her off to his marvellous palace In e"eo' 'o
prn &c comes and he turns out to be real one ''usn
he wins the girls love under the masquerade OF "
na,ntcr upon glass employed in cathedral repairs "
s the son of the bishop. enormously rch ana on h's
side scarcely less dreamy than his sweetheart "
course the bishop refuses his consent 10 the na'n'
vhereupon Angequc falls into a decline ana OciIs
moribtnd Is accepted by the cIuci fl''""'
There wedding in the cathedral, and the Dride ucs
in her husbands arms as they are leaving 'hc s'Oi'
odiace Nobody IS much moved by this event. ana
least Of all perhaps the author himself, for he has In
emitting himself off from all his habtual aids and re-
SORTS so attenuated his fiction that his hcroinc, III
tended TO be pathetic and celestial ana ln'eu h'En
above mundane affairs. Is really no more than shauo"
throughout and awakcns little Interest and sympathy
The book IS filed with descriptions intended 10 De
charming and idyc, but the general effect OF when
Is in truth wcarisome. The medieval legends which
,co,,ono b,ttencd upon are discussed with tlresome
nroixitv The maiden medltaions, which Zoia at
tempts 10 ierOrt II were vcfba ISL, pave haiuis
stroke Of nature in them, but reflect the eAasscrd'cu
estimate which the impure Imagination invaaoN sc's
upon its uncomprchended opposites happy seh'i
mentality, a sham pety. an affected sympathy ior
nature which at bottom IS only an artfnl but souiiS's
collocaion of conventonasms charactcrzeS the booh
II &c mnossibe not to see that NJ lola feels anything
but al home In his idyllic dream. Ono can almost
hear him signing for The more ccngenla company u
al, Accommodation the solid realities of tht Kennel
and the stews. Mcphstophelcs pclted with roses by
the angels who have 10 rescue the soul OF Faust
could scarcely have felt more uncomfortable al inc
IMPACT OF the Paradsaical blossoms than does the au
thor of La Tcrreo in the company Of the pretcrna
orally good people introduced this tale In Itself
the story perfectly proper and decorOus bur II ms
no spontanety and It Is but too apparent that the
authors heart was not in his work when he wrote 1t.
The Translation into English is fairly well done, but
the illustrations to the American edition arc abom-
nably bad
Mr. George Macdonald becomes more evanyeically
Scotch, and less literary and creative, as he grows
older His last novel-f so It may even with bold
license be dcslgnated-s didactic and pious above
aught else and both the ddacticsm and the pety are
of that peculiar not to say hc'erodox Kind which this
writer has taught the public to associate with his pro-
auctions in an especial way. Exactly who the elect
lady, is the socaed story does not disclose with any
near approach to dcfinteness. Tho principal charac-
ter is a young peasant farmer named Andrew Ingram,
who Is too good for this Vanity Fair Of world, and
who breaches in and out OF season with zeal
and aprosiness hardly to be surpassed by the ordained
ministers whose doctrine he contemns. So power
full is his persuasion however, that squircs daugh
Ter is won by it to propose marriage 10 him. though II
does not happen TO be leap year He, OF course
refuses her piousy and goes off and marres servant
Girl There Is a wicked young man I'm the story who
learns tricks in Wall Street and makes money and i
held up dreadful example. Everybody falls tt
discussing deep moral and religious problems when
ever they meet, and as nobody has any fresh ideas
II NAV be suspec ted that the book does not como fa
short OF tediousness. There may be people who Ike
the sort Of thing: and, Of Course, for those who de
like the sort Of thing-but Will not carry Mr. Lin
coins sage remark any further There IS one redeem
ing feature In "Th. Elect Lady" Mr.. Macdonald
has pity on his readers, and spares them the usua
deluge of dialect Of the most pronounced flavor III
employs Just enough scotticsms to flavor his compo
stion, without making It rank.
"The Devils DIE is a story Of hcrcdy in the main
though the question Of msmating IS also illustrated
young doctor full Of modern science and Of sigma
ability carries In his veins some OF the blood OF al
Infamous old Begun Johanna, who had been notorou
for her cruelty and vindictvencss DR.. Chlchcl
cannot escape the sinister legacy Desiring ntense.
10 round out new germ theory, OF which he Is tn
author, he hastens or probably causes the DEAN Oh
hospital patient whose physical conditions are such d
to forward his research Later, when marricu' II
falls desperately in love with another woman ana th
wicked Begun asserts herself In him again ana tempt
| him to remove" his poor Wife The result of hi
attempt is fatal himself and he disappears, but
t was never intended that his wife should be happ
with him this does not matter. There is plenty o
adventure and lively movement In the story and som
episodes Of American life which reveal rattle
curious state of ignorance Mr. Grant Aliens par
Thus he puts the sage-b brush desert belt the
side of the Rocky Mountains and situates petroleum
field in the middle of the alkali plains His picture
Of American life are realistic than his topc
Z graphical arrangements and his employment OF a
earthquake b oxtingllsh wicked community by on
quilting it in the clapboards, shingles and muslin cel
ings OF a shanty town hardly be considered az
Missile, since even the great Lisbon earthquake
would have had no appreciabc upon such buIlc
ings unless II caused them to be swallowed dow
$ bodily The most interesting person In the story
DR.. Mohammed All, a young Arab, who has receive
a scientific education and who serves the deus c
nlachna in quito a novel and decidedly striking mai
ner The novel is eminently readable.
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