The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-04-09
yEW BOOKS RECEIVED.
Marion Crawford's Definition OF the
Novel.

Novel.
THE NOVEL: WHAT 1T is. F. Marion
crawford: pocket edition. Macmillan
e Co. New York and LONDON, 1SJ5.
Seventv-hve cents. For sale by Wes,
Johnston & Co.
"What Is A Novel;" Mr.. Crawford
takes che hundred and sevel pages IN
which to give to that question an an
swer which shall be at once logical con-
elusive and simple. and he succeeus'
Saws he. What is a Novel; MY answer
can only be a statement or OPINION "hlCh
T make with much Difference 10 the
rreiudices of my brethren. Whether u
will be Of interest TO general readers /
do not know; but the question l propose
10 in itself more or less vital as rcSafiS
novel writing. No one Will deny thdl
truism. pretend. however, to no special
Gift for solving problems in general OF
this one in particular. To give ths result
Of ones experience, as the coiliA"l
phrase puts il, is by no means 50 easy as
If sounds. An intelligent man mostly
knows what he means by his W words
but it does not follow that he can convey
III Dpa1 usuM 'sIaulo o. SuIue7m 7q.
the light of CraWford's establishes 1ame
as n writer. the exquisite modesty or these
LATTER clauses is beautifully apparent
II is the modesty of a man VINO mas
never vet failed TO deliver his message
with marvellous clearness and power.
He concludes with the following
sentiment, sentimentality, taste laShloh'
daily speech, acquired s~clence, ana tr1hs-
mi.ted tradition. cleanse. soil, model or
defaca the changing shell Of mutable nor
talitv. and nothing which appeals TO thal
shell alone can nave permanent me- pul
the prime impulses Of the heart are
broadly speaking, the same In all ages
ard almost in all laces. The brave man
beats as strongly in battle to-day INC
towards stands as suddenly still ~ IN
face of danger. boys and girls stu play
with love. men and women still sulrI
for love. and the old still warn youth and
manhood against loves snares, all that
and much more comes from depths not
reached by civilizations nor changed 10y
fashions. Those deep waters tine real
novel must fathom, sounding the ude
stream Of passion and bringing UP such
ire. sues as lie far Below ana out OF
sight. out Of reach Of the individual ~
most cases. until the art Of the story
teller makes him feel that they are or
might be his. Caesar commanded his
dictionaries to strike at the fac". Hu-
mainly. the novelist's master. bids him
strike only at the heart" This will serve
as a specimen OF a style which IS froW
the outset. so logical as to tnc
book to really earnest readers, N Whlci
has around its rational arguments a net
work Of beautiful rhetoric woven that
makes il readable and attractive even 10
those whose object in its perusal is mere
~ TO while away dull time.
THE REAL THING. AND OTHER
TALES. BY Henry James. New York
and London. 1893. 81. For sale by
West. Johnston & Co.
The table OF contents includes The Real
Thing. Mona Vincent, Sir Dominic
Ferrand The ChaperOn. Greville Fame.
So the Fly Leaf announces, and this
one-dollar volume Is So fun u admi'aIi.
things as TO render tn- task 9f aeiN Uls
the best a most dinioult one" However
If there Doe a .supDrla'N. lF lest among
them. il seems O. lne o. ut that ono err
tied ''Nona Vincent. AI tAt stouea D.s
written il Henry james ehIlntuliN dis
tinctive style. of.einal, cptgf ammatic.
terse; alive with something resembling
sarcasm out Of which all the si. las
been taken. "A sort of irony beneath
which o comprehensive tenderness is ar-
parent, that is full OF interest and 81
qgancy
Mona Vincent seems 10 me to be ana
fascinating creature, or rathrf
her human type, her exquisite orisina..
Mrs. AlSdBeF. Inc Dedufst 'ui'"iN' NV
goodness and delicacy OF this woman per
wade and color the entire story, which
by the way, is one that no woman could
ever have written. The point Of view is
essentially masculine: the women are all
a mans ideals. Violet Gray is a very
human girl, and. therefore, a very Iowa
bic one, but we realize throughout that
she is not the Mona" Of Wayworth's
dreams. and that her closest approach TO
that creature is made when the divine
spirit of sympathy and comprehension
a loving woman is breathed into
crudity. and she loses her own per-
In entire abandonment TO her
love for a good nan and gratitude to a
good woman. The deep underlying lesson
OF the story seems TO me 10 be the Di-
vine nature of loving sympathy. Wa ree-