The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-08-28
stevenson's New Novel.

In The Hrecke. by Mr.. r. /. STEVENSON
tScribnersA we have not only tho latest. but
the strongest OF tho writer's performances in
the fold Of prose fiction. 1t is true that on tho
title page there figures the name OF an Ameri-
can collaboration. Mr.. Lloyd Osbourne. and it
Is possible that the artist may have been in
debted to him for some OF the raw material,
notably the account OF an astonishing Am cri-
can commercial college and the transcript Of
san francisco life In the speculative era. Inthe
workmanship. however. we detect no traces
OF any other hand than Mr.. Stevenson's, and
even as regards the substance OF the mar
rative 1t Is plain that the chapters deal
Ing with Edinburgh and student life in
laris. with divers modos of existence in Now
south Wales. and with tho islands Of the Pa
ellie. are drawn from his personal observa-
ton. So remarkable. indeed. are the range
and variety OF the scenes ard incidents that our
credulity Is somewhat strained by the nssump-
ton that We are reading the record Of one
mans experience. The hero Of the narrative
Is scarcely old enough to have seen SO much
and studied it SO thoroughly. though 1t may
be that more than one middle-aged but much
travelled Ulysses may be met with among tho
anomalous characters encountered amid the
strange. adventurous. sensuous existence that
mon lead in the South Seas.
AS regards class. this novel Is n story Of
crime and its detcction: in respect OF struc-
ture. 1t is an autobiography ~prefaced with n
prologue and capped with an epilogue. About
the choice Of subject and form. the author tells
us something in tho concluding paragraphs.
The genesis and growth Of THE Wrecker'
Is. We arc informed, that once on board
the schooner Equator. tho authors-it is
not MIR. Stevenson's fault that we do not
credit the alleged plurality OF author
Rhjn-hanr ri EnynrnI efnrtne o1o,k h~
sale of wrecks. The subject tempted thcm.
and they sat down to discuss its posi-
bilities. What n tunGle it would make"
suggested ono. III tho wrong crew were
aboard. But how to get the wrong crew
there?' Il have i'll" cried tho othor,
the so-and-so affair" It seems that not
many months before and not many hundred
miles from where the schooner Equator was
then sailing a proposition almost tantamount
to that which forms the pivot Of this narrative
had been made by a British skipper to some
British castaways. The central situation hav-
ing been found. the plot. We are informed. was
outlined before the authors turned in. The
question Of treatment required longer dis
cussion. for the aim was to avoid the impress
sion OF elaborate unlifeliks mechanism made
by the ordinary form Of police novel
or mystery story. The conclusion was
reached that the end might be attained
II the tale were gradually approached.
ser8o Of the characters introduced beforehand.
and tho book started in the tone OF q novel of
manners and experience. In this way the
mystery might seem the outgrowth Of real
life. With this purpose in Wow. the two prin-
cipal types. that of tho American handy man
Of business and that of the Yankee merchant
sailor. nre dwelt upon at somo length. and the
same effect of realism is contemplated in the
s"t rpIp,fin ~ coma cnnNnInrv R,,~,, o.I
incidents not directly connected with tho plot.
With delightful canlor Mr.. Stevenson acknowl-
edges thai. after this method OF approaching
and fortifying the police novel had been labo-
riously planned. it occurred to tho authors
that it had been invented previously by some
ono else and was in fact the process adopted
by Charles Dickens in his later work. There
is. however. a marked difference between
the mystery story OF Dickens. or. for tina
matter. Of Gahoriau. and that excm-
plifed in The Wreckcr." In tho majority OF
Dickens's novels. and in all Of Gaboriau's.
love plays a considerable role. whereas what
has been called the master passion Of the
modern world might as well be non-existent
ms regards the part assigned to 1t in tho book
before us. or. indeed. in any OF Mr.. Stevcnson's
productions. Either Mr.. Stevenson feels no
impulse to depict tho complex and romantic
passion which is to tho sexual instinct what
the flower is to tho root. or ho wishes to
demonstrate that the power of making a story
interesting without an infusion Of love max
ing did not perish with Defoe and Goodwin.
1t is surprising in how many places Mr..
Stevenson seems to be equally at home. We
can vouch for the accuracy and vividnesa OF
the scenes in the Latin Quarter. as well as
those in Frisco: Bret Harte has not more
faithfully delincated tho ono nor Henri Mnrger
-. MN, -a dat To- Al
South Seas. or in New South Wales. or in
Edinburgh. tho narrative still bears the marks
of thorough knowledge and keen insight.
The whole boo!: il perineated with tho humor
which Is not only the most diverting but tho
deepcst Of interpreters. and which Is Mr..
Stovenson's most Characteristic gift. II ia in
decd by humor that he is separated by tho
whole diameter Of artistic nature from. for in
stance, Mr.. Henry James. The highest emo
ton which tho latter can elicit in the reader is
that of calm satisfaction: seldom. II ever. does
he provoke IL smile. AS you read Mr.. Steven
son, on the other hand. when You nre not held
breathiess BY curiosity or alarm. YOU are al
most always smiling and at times burst into o
loud laugh. There are few things Of Mark
Twain's funnicr than tho description In this
novel OF Muskcgon's Commercial College.
where boys were trained to become stock
brokers and produce brokers by gambling
with counters in q mimic stock exchange.
Then. again. there is nothing more side split
ting in the scenes de la We de Boheo,s than the
experiences OF Mr.. Stevenson's hero In tho
Latin Quarter after his supplies were cut of
through the failur" OF his father. Two OF these
incidents are so delicious that We must be al
lowed to reproduce them. Dodd. the hero.
had leen sent to Paris to learn to be n sculp-
tor. and we are told that. after being thrown
upon his own resources. he was still able for
time to get credit for u midday meal at a cab
mans eating house on the outer boulevard.
Dodd explains that supper ] was supposed
not to require. sitting down nightly TO tho deli
cate table OF some rich acquuintances. This ar
rangoment was extremely Ill considered. Ny
fable. credible enough ut first. and SO long
as my clothes were in good order.
must hive seemed worse than doubt
full after my coat became iraysd aboat the
edges and my boots began to squeak and
pipe along the restaurant floors. The allow
ance OF one meal a day besides. though suita-
BILE enough to the state OF my finances, agreed