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

In The W,.ecker. by Mr. r. L. STEVENSON
tScrihncrsl. we have not only tho latest. but
the strongest OF the writer's performances in
the field ofproso 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
dcbted to him for some OF the raw material.
notably the account OF an astonishing Amcri-
can commercial college and the transcript Of
San Francisc 20 life In the speculative era. Inthe
Workmanship. however. We detect no traces
OF any other hand than Mr.. Stevcnson's. and
even as regards tho substance OF the mar
rative 1t Is plain that tho 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
ciic. 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
DO 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 aud its detection in respect OF struc-
ture. it 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 the concluding paragraphs.
The genesis and growth OF The recker'
is. We arc informed. that once on board
tho schooner Equator. the authors-it is
not MIR. stevenson's fault that We do not
credit the alleged plurality OF author
ahjn-tanr ri Enrnrrl ctnrfac oL1rt tha
sale of wrecks. The subject tempted them.
and they sat own to discuss its posi-
bilities. What q tanglo it would Make
suggested ono. iii tho wrong crew were
aboard. But how to get tho wrong crew
thereT' Il have it," cried tho other,
the so-and.so affair" 1t 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 n British skipper to some
British castaways. The central situation hav-
ing boon 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 unlifelike mechanism made
by the ordinary form OF police novel
or mystery story. Tho conclusion was
reached that the end might be attained
II the tale were gradually approached.
sahSo OF the characters introduced beforehand.
and the book started in the tone Of a novel OF
manners md experience. In this way the
mystery might seem the outgrowth Of real
life. With this purpose in view. the two prin-
cipal types. that Of the 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
introduction Of some secondary figures and
incidents not directly connected with tho plot.
With delightful candor Mr.. Stevenson acknowl-
edges that after this method OF approaching
and certifying 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 that
matter. Of Gahoriau. and that exem-
plifod in The Wrcckcr." In tho majority OF
Dickens's novels. and in all OF Gnboriau'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 the 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 he wishes to
demonstrate that the power of making a story
interesting without nm infusion Of love max
ing did not perish with Defoe and Goodwin.
1t Is surprising in how many places Mr..
Stevenson seems to DO equally at home. We
can vouch for the accuracy and vividness Of
the scenes in tho Latin Quarter. as well as
those in Frisco: Bret liarte has not moro
faithfully dclincated tho ono nor Henri MGrger
the other. When wo find ourselves in the
South Seas. or in New South Wales. or in
Edinburgh, tho narrative still bears the marks
of thorough knowledge and keen insight.
The whole bool; il porlneatcd with tho humor
which Is not only the most diverting but tho
deepest of interpreters. and which is Alr.
Stoyenson's most characteristic Gift. II Ia in
decd by humor that he is separated by tho
whole iameter 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
brcathless By curiosity or alarm. YOU are al
most always smiling and at times burst into q
loud laugh. There are few things Of Mark
Twain's funnicr than tho description In this
novel OF Muskegon's Commercial College.
where boys were trained to become stock
brokers' anu lIDiuCo ptphuEs w SuUlDllub
with counters in a mimic stock exchange.
Then. aguin. there is nothing more side split
ting I'm the scenes de la Vie de B0tene than the
experiences of Mr.. Stevenson's hero In tho
Latin Quarter after his supplies were cut of
through the failure OF his father. Two OF these
incidents ara so delicious that We must be al
lowed to reproduce them. Dodd. the hero.
had been sent to Paris to learn to be q sculp-
tor. and we arc told that. after being thrown
upon his own resources. he WAS still able for a
time to get credit for II midday meal at IL cab
mans eating house on the outer boulevard.
Dodd explains that supper ! was supposed
not TO require. sitting dow nightly to the deli
cate table Of some rich acluaintances This ar
rapgement was extremely Ill considered. Ny
fable. credible enough at first. and SO long
as my clothes were in good order.
must have seemed worse than doubt
full after my coat became frayed about the
edges and my boots began to squeak and
pipe along tho restaurant floors. The allow
ance OF one meal a day besides. though suitn-
Bile enough to the state OF my finances. agreed