The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-12-06
Hsssr NkSssSA

Psse- Ekteses..
It is q striking book which Mr.. GEORGE Du
MAuRIER, the well-known illustrator OF
Punch. has given us In Peter Ibbetson Thar.
per'sl. We call the book striking not by rea-
| son Of any structural merit, for 1t is entirely
lacking in the artistic construction which
should mark q novel; and Is indeed amorphous.
as photographs usually are. To this OF
course 1t may be answered that "Pendennis"
and David Copperfleld" were autobiography
cal In form. but that the fact has not been held
to debar them from the catalogue Of novels.
In each Of those narratives. however. there is
. regularly evolved love story: indeed each
hero has two love affairs. and each is
| naturally developed according to the rules
and presidents governing the growth Of
the tender passion. In Peter Ibbetson."
on the other hand. the conventional arrange
ments for the evolution Of love are wanting:
there is scarcely any propinauity: there is
next to no intercourse; there is no gradual I'M
folding Of the flower. A man and woman
who have not seen each other since they were
children meet In after life Just twice: on the
first occasion they do not speak at all: on the
second. they talk only for . few minutes.
Nevertheless they are depicted as loving with
Incompatible intensity and with an inter-
fusion OF souls so perfect as to give rise to an
extraordinary psychological phenomenon. Be-
fore examining. however. this phenomenon.
which constitutes the capital and character
istic feature Of the book and offers the real ex-
cuse for It's existence. we should say q word
about the authors powers Of observation and
expression. We already knew. OF course,
from the authors achievements In pic
torisl art. that he has q remarkable
gift for selling and reproducing such persons.
md Al r.
sfSshassy ~: able ee y a:e. ss
Of experience was marrow; and even
sad tRs hS s'Psss
WencSsh. tSs lace Of the hesoins q this. ssors.
as presented in The authors illustrations. Is the
slt IL nsrtaSs
observations is very much wider than might
q the volume IS devoted to the heTo's auto
bA'f2 ts ae time 81 louis sui FRppst
3niy they Thob P Rnow something Of
Under The f Enpls and Third
It, da the aRs aaan
Of subj urban existence half q century ago. We
auers and ana With sgh Of
regret that we follow the boy Pierre Pasauier.
authors keenness Of vision and skill in word
the BsG E or me- si
with the and vgor q his French
and their environment seems somewhat pale
and tame me. 81 long as the author confines him
The authors energy returns, however. whom
we pass into dreamland. and to conduct us
into dr Ire, Is the main pnrpose Of the
problem in psychology which MIR. du, Maurier
has essayed to solve. or at all events has Tor |
beraskier subsequently the Duchess Of Tow
from a remote ancestress disting uished at
deste rs
terry q The Violin Thsse traits being 81 trans.
mtted t. the two descenaants IN aussti9n:
4ss sassss yhss soYsls, sa'Hs
the sprs this aad this wo n 70
become Sttuned to each other like TIVE strings
90 x0 ts and M Hn
Given such elective affinity. II is only needful.
In TIE authGs yeW that The XhS
duchess. should set eyes upon each os ase once
Ss q
Of an indlssoluble spiritual union Soon after
IN
veal with what force they are attracted to one
another. the young man is prompted bys
win. Therefore. be henceiorth Impossible for
not ss ses IL
irsamsY That is the question which this BOOK
;. The. problem presented naturally divides
ITSELF into two parts; Every man knows that
eecsllsrlS and tracsRse '' sssa f1
night OF the same object but TO take up to-day
where he dropped II. yesterday and recngnize
lsh continuity a as II MS dram LIE had mem
hours pssssd IN s ses1 We're sut
4 are the wakeiul periods, and. indsed. II we
ION ego. we should have TO Consider q % co one
~ dream existence a. no less substan-
The problem. however. posed By Peter ID.
a;tsia Involves second assumption. "A.
reamins consseativeiy doss in Il toS%
I'd aui tUaa,Say can
session du Msursr resilss IL the s, fns
81 Ss ls essk bs "
Of dream life may be compassei.
md to relation q the, results Of the expert.
vert the, sheer OF the British PhIIIstIne BY
uch wei, known, devices as a preface ana
pot notes, In which the reader Is warned that
nit the narrative itself bears ON every para.
raDi the accent OF conviction and Sim la
eruskior. pass twenty-five years In each 9TH
rs society In dreanland; II such u thing has /
.Ot been accomplished In the Iast Mr. din j
Lui Ter evidently thinks that It should be In
70 future; There Is nothing frivolous about 1
10 narratye; II y serious challenge to the
,9ndering whether It may not one day be- pos
lbie 70 utilize that large fraction Of every In.