The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1889-02-19
BOOKS AND READING IN HAWAII.


This is a great country for con.
sumption Of reading matter. People
learn abroad to read variety OF
daily papers pretty regularly, and SO
have begotten a certain craving
Here, the dailies are not forthcoming
IN any alarming quantities-in the
rural districts, not at all. So the
appetite feeds on what else can be
had. a large assortment of weekles
and pictorial journals are taken.
The leading monthlies have a great
circulation. Some Of our friends
have d fine zest for that wonderful
little paper, the Youths Companion
not so very young people either,
There has been a large importation
OF the cheap editions of standard
novels, which appear to have worked
of well. The later most popular
novels are always scarce, and seldom
appear in our bookstores. We do
not remember, for instance, to have
seen DR.. Jekyl and Mr.. Hyde except
IN private hands or a public library,
and yet there are probably few peo
pie here but have read this book. A
neighbor of ours vino is somewhat
omnivorous in his reading, says he
has never seen more than the cover
Of Robert Elsmere, if he has seen as
much. He claims, however, to have
read at least twenty reviews of the
book. from Gladstone to Joseph
Cook. He is satiated with the topic
and never wants to see the inside of
the volume itself.
There are many cultivated readers
among Us, who regulate their mental
pabulum, and feed on stronger as
well as lighter literature. Hawaii
has no great crop of authors, though
as many perhaps in proportion to
white population as most countries.
A history or two, a scientific work or
so, few bits "Reminiscences, essays,
tours, about cover the whole. There
are undoubtedly many who highly
and even artistically appreciate what
IS specially meritorieus in fiction or
poetry, if not SO naaay what belongs
TO science or philosophy. Mr.. Robert
Louis Stevenson probably has more
such readers here in proportion to
our numbers, than in any other city
he could visit. The Master of Bal
lantrae. though man of mettle, is
recognized as akin to Mr.. Hyde.
Yet some people wonder how a
country laird could so rapidly de-
velop the remorseless pirate, devoid
Of mercy and bereft of honor, held
back from the pit neither by pure
love nor by a noble heritage. 1t is,
however, in that tremendous lapse
from a high moral endowment, that
the interest is centered either in
Ballanrae OF Hyde. Satan is inter
esting because an angel fallen; as
mere born devil he would be simply
hideous.
We presume Mr., Stevenson will
not make leading characters of any
Of the excessive outgrowths of savage
life he may hear Of in his Oceanic
wanderings; such for example as the
deifed sorcerer in Nukuliwa, who
roasted in his mountain den, and
roared for the cannibal rations which
his terrified worshipers brought
him. The stem from which grew
such pagan fends never had grace
or beauty enough to make US be
moan their doom. notwithstanding
certain external features Of savage
life. particularly in Polynesia, which
are picturesque and even fascinating,
1t Is in its essence too squalid, too
bestial, to lend itself to any serious
and faithful use of the novelist. Yet
it Is not safe to say what a genius
like Mr.. Steyenson's may weave from
it, If he could get at the true in
ward1ess Of the Hale Naua, he might
possibly lay hold Of some useful
points in that line We shall all be
interested in the coming fruit Of his
Pacific experiences.
--s----