Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1889-05-11
MANY Books but Little Literature.


MANY Books but Little Lltcralnre.f
The year that has just ended Ia pro.
duced Il great many books but very
little literature. The amount u aclion
which tho printing presses have poured
forth, with q rapldlty with which sha
most ardcnt dcyourers 81 novels caunot
keep pace, has bsea greater than syer
HUT few 0f thess works rtso above me-
dlocrlty, and little u tho annual litar-
ary crop wlIl bs garnrTcl Tor the gdIn.
cation 81 pogtsrlty. Ia nogeis, a. n
dress, there are fashions. regulated. 80
lar As Oue can sec. rather by caps. ,eOr
accident than by fixed law A few
years ago the American Psychological
nOycitO usa IA big adjective 10 deine
rather triatug literary quality was
nll the rage, and taste FOR theft -tyle
and matter wns counidrcui mark "
literary refinement; bat, although many
Of them showed considerable ability and
observation, great taad about nothing
was lhr pivot Ou Whlch they moved.
and 0ue can hardly blame the taste 0t
the public ior craving tnVru substantial
food tnan thrso thlu.spun narratives ~
the Ispid loves % sDmrahnl tHann
young ladies and gsnticmsn. The
jump made @Ms In the other direction.
and stories ~ hln0I and thunder. mnr-
der and IL sudden death. uc2t became
the mode Bstt th~ novel ~ adventure.
pure aud simple. Il much lcas popular
than 10 was twelve months aga. ind
though Il IL mol yct clear what ditvr-
ton the next Wmyc OF literary tlstg uiay
take. got the iulcrrN shown IN ru-
iuhucrs whose attraction IL dun tU 'hs
blended forces u religious controversy
aud the loves ~ the hero aRd heroine
~ evident enough that Nhut Miss CObbu
calls the "srirutlhc spirit % the az"
has pcrruihtcd down 10 that stratum ot
READERS wh0sr acquaintance Wtth abb
strAct theology and modern bihlrai
criticism lie dur tn articles IN reviews
and knowledge at second. haud. lOung
ladies and gentlemen suffering from
'rnligi1us doubts. " which they arw
ruthcr vain, are sgun on every side. and
Il Is such rs thnsc who wCIrOm" tno
aguosttr novel. especially when I ls'N-
pnutsd by NO small amount 81 ordinary
sentiment Tho singular alacriiy with
which people whose ntitubingraphies
contain nothing 81 extraordinary inter
est have poured their confessions into
the public ear IL the forms 10 rrcollHc.
tions ~ themselves. and anecdotes OK
deCgn4e acquaintance naturally un-
able 10 correct any error IN the nara
tion, has boon the most striking literary
growing curiosity Of the people IN
a
actors and actresses a Cviucrd
by the demand there has been
for nll memoirs where They
figure. This has bccu mistaken for aii
elevated interest In the drama hs ine
art. but We cannot always call thing.
by their right names, a great deal ~
nonsense has been talked about the
realism % the French school ot novel;
ists. Of whom VI Zola Is usually deem
ed the arch offender or the great toaeh-
cr, according 20 the taste nnd idt0syn-
\ crusics Of the critic. We do NOT ~
tend here 90 enter on either IN attack
| or n defense ~ writer uf very 10
markablc powers, but the judgment
which an English court Of law recently
passed on tho translation OF ia
| Terre" reflected accurately the opinion
OF English people on the most dograd-
ed development 20 which the lttern-
ture Of France has attained. We are
told that poetry Is n drug in the mar
ket. but no doubt this might have
been said OF any literary period. shell
Icy and Keats snng 90 the general read
or In vain in the beginning Of the pres
ent century. but he heodod them NOT,
and probably any new singer inspired
by Apollo though he were, would DO
heard with the same Indifference TO-
dny. IL IL the custom 10 dei1dc
the younger contemporary writers
Of verse ms poutastcrs nh1
sentimental scribblors. but a good
deal Of poetry remarkable for inuch
technical skill and refinement OF ear,
is produced, although Il must be ad-
mitted that we have no one to fill the
void that Tennysou and Browning leave
unoccupiod. Tho book OF the year i
by universal consent MIR Bryco's WORK
on the American constitution. u ms
met with n warm welcome In the Unlt
ed States. and seems likely 90 become
the textbook on the subject Anothcl
volume which deserves 90 be widely
read. on account OF tho man IL culo
gizes IL Mr.. Walter Besant's work Or
Richard Jeneries. the prose- poet. th'
} touching beauty OF whose rural idylyi
/ is unique in our language. The dcatl
, Of Matthew Arnold was a deploraol'
| loss 90 English letters. As n nation
(. we sadly need the higher crsicisms y
+ ethics, poetry. aud art There is, alas
s no one TO fiji his place, or whose pen !,
i keen enough 20 penetrate the the,
: wadding OF sclf-complaccncy WIZ
d which John Bull so uggressivcly con
Z fronts the world. II seems, IN glane
Y ing through the literature Of the pas
+ year, that wc have rather this greaa
(, loss 90 lament than any great work
( chrouit,le. SwiudOn Advertiser.