Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-04-04
lola ON HIS NEW BOOK.
what He Thinks Of the Mas Of Americas
Literature.

what He Thinks OF the Mas OF Americas
Literature.
Prom tho Pail Mall Budsre,
"Nou have come to talk to me about nv new
book Well, what is il you wish 10 know
| And Emile sits down on . low chair and fxes
shrewd bright eyes on his guests "ln some
ways i consider 4 Argent to be my most care
| fui and elaborate study Of human life. think
| most OF Frances misfortunes have come upon
her from the financial state Of things which sx-
isted both during the empire and even since
1870. Look at the 'Krsch;' did not that reveal
q rotten condition? And yet few we're aware
OF the impending calamity, and. as 10 always
the case. the absolutely innocent were the most
duped and the greatest sufferers
Then was I'Arsenf suggested by the
NO. for from the time the Rouson-
Maequart series first took definite shape in
my mind always meant 70 deal as exhaustively
ss possible with the financial problem Of mod
ern days. Son Excellence Eugene Rougon'
directly leads up to L'Argent' but will not
deny that the 'Krach' and several Of its lesser
brethren doubtless influenced me when writing
my latest novel"
And what first suggested to you, m onsisur,
the Hon gon- MacQuart series?''
Two or three remarkable works Published
sGms twenty-five to thirty years ago on the in:
LuClQe.
among others; / also read Darwin aud the writ
ings OF his disciples. Above all. the result Of
my own personal observation showed me the
profound truth Of what was then an unknown
science. 1consider", added lie Maitre, smiling,
that the novelist and story writer has often
the privilege Of being the precursor of ecien-
tine discoveries; for to him The wide borderland
between the real and ideal is open ground
and as long as he does not tamper with the
definite every possible probability is part of his
Then you simply followed an imaginary
Every year that passed proved the truth Of
what sought 10 demonstrate in my Natural
and Social History of Family During the Second
empire: am now approaching the end Of nv
task; have shown the rise OF the empire, its
prosperous days, and my last volume viii deal
with its downfall"
The Franco-Prussian war;"
Yes, and what led TO il, but la Debacle' has
yet to be written, and shall have to work yery
hard in collecting Materials"
DO you ever dictate to a secretary"
nave not the happiness" Q note Of
Interrogation crept into II. Zola's sonorous
voice-"of possessing such q luxury. Ianswer
an my own letters and transact everything in
the shape OF literary business myself. Indeed,
rear must sometimes seem uncourteous to
some OF my English correspondents, for when |
receive letter in an unknown language wait
till some learned friend comes along before l
ostenlpt 70 answer It.
Then you do not know much of coptempo-
rary English literature?'
"Oh, yes, I do" he answered quickly.
II make out what / can and then
there are TRANSACTIONS Of your best authors.
But what strikes me most are the English and
American newspapers and magazines 1t is a
great pity that we can show nothing OF the kind
over here, and It must be owing to some want
In ourselves OF course there are our daily
papers, but nothing answering in any way TO
your mass OF good, wholesome. solid literature.
which, week by week and month by month. edu-
Gates and entertains the English public, old and
young"
And to what Is this lack owing?'
The non-existence Of those who would SUD-
port In any number this genre of publication.
and to be successful a magazine must have not
one, but 5000 readers. The system even Of
circulating libraries, though it exists, has
seemingly taken but little root The French
author depends wholly on the buying public.
that Is, the man who wishes TO form q library.
or the woman who wants to read, for her own
sake, his works.
'Of course, there are the feuiuetons. but
they are necessarily as ephemeral az the daily
papers In which they appear day by day. No,
best friend"
sale?'
Almost third of the total number printed
OF any one Of my novels leaves the country
WITHIN SIX months of publication"