New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-05-25
NOVELS AND SHORT STORIES
SOME SPECIMENS OF BALzAC'S WORK.


FAME AND SORROW. with Colonel Chabertib , The
Atheists Mass La Grande Brcteche Lhe p PqTse
T 19mo nG 3ss. Boston Roberts Brothers.
BEATRICE by ,:L Eia%T 1 hpstners i''''''
yornA. BY Lafcado Hearn. 1emo' PIP 1913
Harper & Brothers.
THE BROUGHToN HOUSE. BY Bliss Perry l@'no'
ID. 366. Charles Scribners Sons
rvvEU,pD nv Joseph Victor Won schercl Trans
En- iatc1 from the German. Two volumes. 16mo'
" : GottsbcrGcr q Go.
TAAs OF NEW ENGLAND. by sarah orne Jewctt'
Tf6mo. ID. go. Houghton, Mmin a Co
DAY AND NIGHT STORIES. BY T; r. sullivan
12mo PIP 2'2 chnTG or SIFp's STORIES SEas Rr
MAGNETIC MAH AID I'D oImh" oil frank p =
TIE PRINCES OF MONTSERRAT. By William
Drysdalc. l2mo, PIP. -'o. NDais i"o |i""'''
FROZEN HEARTS By g. Webb Appleton. Emo
3D. $50. ID. Appleton a Co.
The six stories. admirably translated by MISS
vormo,cv afford good examples Of Bazac's work in
uhot pot few critics have thought his chief specially
II T. certain that no writer Of many novels wrote 80
many shore stories he and Is equally certain thi'
his short stories arc. almost without an exception
model, Of what such compositions Ought 10 be- some
c,o, professors of the art Of fiction have attempted
IN establish rules the short story, and perhaps inc
majority of these suggestions tend to show the trend
NJ the are at least in some country toward what Will
hc called refinement emascuaton according to the
attitude Of the critic. No modern author however
~ any school whatever. has succeeded In producing
short stories half good as Balzacs best. balzac
did not indeed. attempt to display his suotinty and
dizziness by writing short stories about nothing
rvcrv ono Of his tales contains an episode NOT ncces
sarilv but usually a dramatic episode. The first In
the present collection better known a. " La Mason
du Chat -qui pelote7 is really short novel 1t has
all the machinery. all the Interest. All the detail OF
regular story The difference j. that It Is compressed
as Balzac only could compress that here and thcro
important events. changes. etc, are indicated IN
few powerful lines instead Of bcns elaborated TIA:
tho vital points arc thrown into strong relief. Take
the pathetic story Of colonel Chabert. II begins with
an elaboration Of detail The description Of the law
yer's Office might seem 10 some too minute" i1t u
4, the stage upon which the Colonel IS to appear and
when hc enters perceive The value Of Tho pr.
minarc. for plcturci, presented which the memory
scilcs and holds ~ the action progresses detail j.
used moro parsimou'ou.ly. because The misc cn
scene" has already been completed. and hccau.c al'
tho character, once clearly described. the develop
mcut Of character and tho working Of passion can hc
indicated with q fcw pregnant strokes. NotUith'anf
ing tn, Increasing % pace the action takes "n
swicr intensity. and The elimination q Inc tragedy
leaves tho reader brcrhlcs-.
In The Atheist. Mas" We have quito
kind Of story Tn. &, rather psycho!osiral study
than narrative 81 action. Two widely distinguished
character, are thrown the canvas here that Il the
great surgeon and that Of his humber patron. and
ono knows not which most 10 admire ior nh" visor
q the drawing. The ,uitle and iucid p-ychcil a..
-, ,,.. -, .ta 49, -, .,,-,,s,c. ,h.
eminent surgeon though ms j. d'"'''r ana ~"
cult question. Eu' how complete tho little story is.
how much It tells, with what shu. ard 10 ho" d"
lehtiul a manner 1h'n there is that tremendous
haunting legend Of " Ia Gfandc Brcicchc. story
which has always been turned into more Jan s1lasr,
and twisted into more ncw forms than almost any
other Of H., Kind cxtant. What author has equnllcd
IN. continuing horror q that unfathiul wife, agony
oompclcd 10 look ON and assist A. tho sov. murder
II hoy cntrtrurd lnvcr Iy tho i've I'D Poe sci the
notify. - d.. .r,.so.rc d. t.sa - ,uo,ftr.,or from
r.t,,c.. .cr,oto U-o,ccbo-, rb.r. g.. d,a.h :
,, husband and vic fb. orc DIX oulr,, and scre-
,..,.. .....,. 49,. -, -. ,.... ,,.....
"'-'P''''' ' ''' Nv
ana inc """'l''''''"' ~ '.' "''''''' i'.N "
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'''''" 70 ''''''' '''
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'lN'I' J." - '"n VA. VI "'"'" ~
anu INC i"''' "' d" "'"'' N.Y. i''' "'>' ~ ""
de'd Inc '"1u'l I" one "i bhI%"' lo'- h''''-' ana
need, knowledge ~ iha' tale 10 make Il thoroughly
Ineligible though even disconnected IL D, iu ~
quiet beauty and the path0~ that brons, 10 Naurc'.
great changes The Pure g. altogether NOR com
moupacc but tho little group u storc, selected hy
Mics Wormccy exhibits good Judgment on her part
and may confidently enough be plitcd AGAINST any
similar nufnhcr ~ short stories bv mo- matter what
,,tbor ,rbo bas vrr,,c, Linen p,l,ac,s finn. rbcre
f. va ou..,to, y, .,,rn,..t,c him Iutbc-,o cverv
,,,o,,r, ., o,oi hin, ,,. ,.i,o,
Mr. Rider IIagr,rd has I'm hl, latcs, novel Departed
in a large measure from hi, habitunl scnsatonal- m
and taken for controlling motive the development 81
love- and the heroine Ecatrcc. is presented with =
good deal ~ real force while the ccccutrclty Of hel
course is made 10 develop naturally enough from Tho
condition ~ her life and especially - her cducntion
The extraordinary malgnlty and vicouSncss ~ her
sister Elizabeth strike the reader ovcronc but
Mr Hacgad Is entirely justified In hi, that
stronger instances of what may - called domestic
dcpravy may be found every week and month In the
proceedings II the criminal and other courts In
truth there Is literally h"thnR 700 pa i"' human
beings I" 40 anu moreover l"'rc j. ho"nS o"l winch