The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-11-04
THE NOVELISTs.
Professor Boyesen Separates the Sheep
from the Goats-some Popular Favorites
Get Hard Blows-A Witty and Delight
full Lecture.

Professor Hjalmar Hjorth Boyesen
lectured on Realism and Romanticism"
last evening ii the course of the Woman
Literary Union The audience, while of
fair size, was not at all such as the repu-
tation and charm of the lecturer merited.
Professor Boyesen was introduced happi.
ly by Mrs. Preez Durham. The lecturer
began by saying that there was peculiar
form into which the literary life of every
age throws itself In ancient Greece lit
was the epic, in the Elizabeth age the
drama. In our age it is the novel. The
novel has come to be IN essential element
in the life of orf people, and in connec-
ton with it, the great question now
arises whether the novel should enter
tain or be true. Professor Boyesen traced
the novel from the wonder tale" era of
German literature up through the Robin
son Crusoe school, which placed its i'm
probable deeds off in remote lands where
improba bilities might be supposed to be
probable. To Mr.. W. D. Howells more
than to anyone else, belongs the credit
of having weaned the public of this
country from sensationalism of the Rider
Haggard type. Through his admiration
of Tolstoi he has introduced into Ameri-
can literature the grand principle of
realism.
"Silas Laphamn and :" A Modern In
stance" are the most American of Ameri-
can novels. Nevertheless Mr.. Howells is
apt to confound the commonplace with
the common; and then there is a little
touch of cynicism about him, perhaps
result of this keen humor, which gives
too much the idea that most of US are
little foolish.
To say that the greatness Of novelist
depends upon his or her adherence to the
fundamental principles of human nature,
is to state a bold but eternal truth.
George Eliot is the soul of realism, and
her works are far better training for
the young. than the works of Scott or
Dumas, which carry the young into an
unreal word in contrast with which the
real world seems to them dull and in
sipid. But from the perusal OF Middle
marchn the reader rises with fuller
comprehension of the duties, response
bilities and realities of life.
Schopenhauer says that marriage
halves our joys, doubles our sorrows
and trebles our expenses; also that death
is the end of sorrows while marriage is
the beginning. But Schopenhauer is a
cynic. Middlemarch" teaches truer
estimation of marriage, and l know of o
the young than this.
The romantic novels unfit the reader
for the stern realities of life. / remember
myself when [ dreamed of pretty faced
maidens like The fair Rowena, with no
more character than a pussy cat. There
are young ladies also who dream of
knights with glittering armor and nodd-
ing plunes, like Ivanhoe.
Dickens was not re4list. His works
are overgrown .charicatures. / am aware
that it is dangerous to try to overthrow
an idol SO long established in popular
affection. But his novels TEEN with
exaggerated characters. He is a master
in evoking the feeling which may be
called the luxury of woe.p He pumps
mand. His characters are personified
human traits instead of complete
characters His writing is melodramatlc
and hysterical. The lecturer quoted
from the opening chapters of Bleak
House, where the fog is described, as
a specimen Of melodramatic writing.
Bret Harte in one of his works has copied
this style, although in. this cease it is
now everywhere instead of fog every
where. The writings of Dickens does
not compare with the English of Matthew
Arnold, Lowell OF. Henry James. Prof.
Boyesen condemned the Death of Little
Nella as badly overdone.
In comparison with this, Thackeray's
descript. on of the death of Col. Newcomb
at. Grey Friars evoked the lecturers
highest praises.
If a man of a future age should look
back to- our age to learn how we have
lived or thought, his best reference
would be six novels of Thackeray. He
would so to Thackeray as we turn to
Horace or Homer for the daily life of
antiquity.
The novelist should entertain, but he
should not sacrifice probability or truth
for this.
The sensational novel appeals to the
pleasure of surprise; the realistic to the
pleasure of recognition.