New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-11-30
TWO STRANGE NOVELS.
MYTHS: AND THE MILLENNIUM.

T And MUE Lang. iso, pp ga Harper Brothers
NEWS FROM NOWHERE; or, An Epoch OF Rest S,.
William Morris. 16mo, PIP. 21o' Boston kobef''
Brothers
The romance written by Messrs. Haggard and Lang In
collaboration is very much ont OF the common way.
though it seems to testify 10 the increasing strength Of
very modern tendency: that. namely, to seek III
ancient legend and myth the groundwork for hctlon
whose chief attraction lies in Its entire escape from the
conditions Of realism. This is doubtless in the natural
line of reaction and In proportion to the excess OF the
movement against which 1t Is protest will be its own
scope and license. In the before us the authors
have given free rein 10 cutOusy bizarre fancy yet
fancy which has It's presidents. II we wish TO find
something like parallel TO the audacious mixture OF
ancient and modern, sacred and profane, Pagan and
Christian elements which distinguish The Worlds De
SIRE have but 70 turn to the second part OF
Faust" and in particular to the gathering of the old
and new, the northern southern and eastern myths.
the Plain Of Marathon. The Joint novel is a new
series Of the adventures Of Ulysses modern odyssey at
which Homer would have surely been amazed and con
founded For the of Laertes here sails into the
Egypt of the Old Testament. Is a witness of the
miracles which preceded and brought about the Exodus
takes service under that Pharaoh whose heart was
hardened, and undergoes much tribustion and finally
death because OF the wicked love for him of Queen
Meriamun. The magic of Greece is mingled with the
magic CT the Nile the old ImmOrtais come down to the
sanctuares of their lanes and bring visions upon their
votaries the high gods Of Olympus pitted against
Jauncs and Jambrcs and the songs Of the Children OF
Israel break in upon the ancient ceremonies Ulysses
deserted by Atene, is ptied by Aphrodite who sends
him in quest Of the "Sorld's Desire that Argive
Helen who is the ideal OF Beauty to all men. On tho
banks of the Nile the followers of the Hathor the
Egyptians name her. have builded her a temple. and
there at certain hours she shows herself but every
man in her the woman whom he has loved
oIIc friy xted1 aft
and mighty phalanx Of Observation-Disclosures Of heroes
gone before-surrounds the Hathor. and attacks her
suitors, and smites and Stays them there on the
threshold OF the sanctuary. But Ulysses cannot be
thus baffed He. encounters and fights his way
through the invisible guard, and wins Heen-only to
lose her again. For Queen Meriamun represents one
side OF ancient doom decreed against the spirits who
in that incarnation are Helen and Ulysses and
Meramun; and while the first is symbolzed by the
Bleeding STAR the last Is symbozed by the Snake and
the trcachery and guile of the Snake work the ruin Of
Hclens and Ulysses love; and for that turn Of the
kaleidoscope they are thrust apart.
The strange story reads like fantastic dream; a
dream which its fascination for those who possess
the gift Of Imagination and detach themselves upon
occasion from all things having substance and d.
mansions. and float awhile. pinnacled In the dim
nanc." The book is charmngly and cleverly written
and the points Of union are not apparent. We pre-.
sumo however, that Mr.. Lang may safely be held
responsible for all the In the volume. Of which
there is good deal. Of IL quite pretty and all
polished and musical. OF course it is impossible to
apply any standard to such a IT must stand
fall wholly upon its intrinsic merits. In It's way
1t is almost unique and the fancy is well sustained
from first TO last II We must have supernatural ee
ments in felton, there seems no good reason
why our noveiists should restrict themselves 10 the
vulgar crudites OF medieval superstition or the
Philistne grossness of contemporary creduly, while
the unques.0nably graceful and not seldom majestic
mythology OF antiquity Is at the command Of whose
would make use thereof. II Is not, indeed. for all
tastes that "The Worlds Desire was written but we
think 1t will please enough TO justify its existence.
Mr.. William Morris has produced some Of the most
delightful and beautiful prose poems In the English