The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-03-05
SOME NEW PUBLICATIONS.
Reviews of Two Interesting Books.
Essays.

Essays.
| CHILDREN OF THE KING" by F.
| Marion Crawford. New York and Lon
don. 1893. Macmillan & Co S1.00.
For sale by West. Johnston Co.
Il have no moods After l begin a
novel l write all day. and day after day.
| until / finish IT, My plan of
| constructing a novel is very mechanical.
consequently very Inromantic; but mo
chanics are often useful in the arts. For
| example / first conceive an idea for
| story. Sometimes this is philosophical
| thought or an epigrammauc remark
which l work out in the form OF nction.
| Then my plot shapes itself in my nina.
| Then / arrange il in a series of chapters
about dozen OF FIVE thousand words each
IL II is TO be a short novel; many more,
| or course, If II Is to be narrative,
! three-volume novel,"
Mr.. Crawford has allowed himself to be
| interviewed. and the above extract Is
a part of the very interesting converse
| ton which he had on that occasion when
| he-shall we say, unwisely?-tore the veil
| aside. revealing to us a startling situation;
that the greatest living representative OF
| the romantic school OF fiction is himself
the most mechanical of writers. little
mystery is very dear TO the human heart;
TO be disillusioned is TO be deprived OF
half Of our enjoyment. To be told that
a young man, who INDUCES much elevated
sentiment. VINO allows himself much ar
dent love-making and who presents the
ideal side of life, ignoring real as Of less
Importance. to be told openly and frankly
that this young man has no moods, no
tender susceptibilities, no poetic feeling
for his work, but Is a pure and practical
book maker, much as tailor is a coat
maker. fitting the thing together piece by
piece In the most mechanical fashion, to
be told this is 10 have the artistic sense
severely shocked. If Mr.. Crawford's latest
novel, Children of the King" is taken
up with no feeling of enthusiasm, the
novelist himself is only to blame. He
should have left us TO our sweet imagin-
ings, not Disseminating us by telling tales
out of school as he has done.
a New York critic has said that "Chil-
dren OF the King is n poor book. below
the standard OF the author. In the mat
ter of spontaneity and feeling we find II
above his Usual STANDARD, and this in
the face of the shock Mr.. Crawford has
given US. The book does not contain de-
tailed descriptions and elaborate charac-
ter studies like other books OF his, but
this TO us appears great gain. MIR.
Crawford has done much fine writing,
hut has done es well a good deal of
superfiuous writing. We have the novel,
in which every action is traced TO its
most remote notive-in fact, back to the
first great cause-in which every blade
of grass is presented as separate and
distinct from its companions. Again we
have the novel, In which the characters
and scenes alike are painted in with a
few master strokes, as in a rare etching.
where the fewer the lines the stronger
and better the effect In Children of
the King" Mr.. Crawford seems to ap-
n - lof ALL .
than In anything he has done. The work
of Mr. Crawford is certainly very I'M
even. Some OF his books show thought
and careful work, others give evidence
of being hasty in conception and eXecu-
ton. One of his critics has said, he has
written the best novel ever produced
by an American, and the worst, and that
they were 'Saracinesca' and An Ameri-
can Politician He, of course, is not
familiar with, or In sympathy with, which
is much more important, American life
and American institutions. The best
years Of his life have been passed abroad,
especially in Italy. The influence Of Italy
upon him has been immense and he
cessarily so. Any man possessed even
in slight degree OF the artistic tenn
permanent finds Italy growing upon him
cay by day, when he has yielded himself
10 her influence. II is said that some
people feel at home for the first time
In their lives upon reaching Rome. The
whole thing is explained when one SAYS
that Italy possesses charm, individual
charm. as sweet and alluring as that Of
beautiful woman. Naturally Mr.. Craw-
ford has done his best work as a whole
upon italian soil; and so quick is the
human mind TO divide workers into spe-
cial classes. that we look only for his
best effort In portraying Italian life. The
incidents of his novels are often gathered.
as he himself says, while he Is "roughing
II among Albanian mountains or wander
Ing by the sunny olive slopes and Vine
yards OF Calsbria, and by taking hard
work and pot luck with the native sailors
on long voyages in their feluccas." The
story OF Children Of the King" no doubt
took shape In the novelist's mind while
he was enjoying one of these voyages In
felucca.
The scene Of the story is about Sor-
rento, where a certain languid, indolent,
and immensely wealthy marchioness
comes from Sicily TO summer Beatrice
Granmichele. a girl OF charming man.
ner, quick intelligence. strong sympathies,
and wonderful comprehension OF the
greatness Of character. accompanies the
indolent Warehouses. her mother. The
two are followed by spendthrift noble
man. San Minato. who designs to repair
his broken fortunes by marrying Beatrice.
Two manly sailor lads. natives of Gala
bria. known as Children OF the King"
figure In the story; and the conduct OF
these various and dissimilar persons
makes the incidents of the book. Mr.. |
Brander Matthews has some severe words |
for tbs conscientious critic who gives |
away the plot Of a good story. Just here |
his words occur 10 us as apropos. and In |
Difference 10 his suggestion. which we |
have no doubt was made because OF his |
love for publisher and bookseller, we |
withhold the story Of Children Of the |
King" trusting the conscientious reader |
to fully inform himself of It. To any |
one who has loafed at Naples. been i'm
pregnated with the dolce far niente at
mosphere OF the place. or wandered |
among the orange groves of Sorrento. or
looked out from these upon the marvellous
beauty OF the bay. or ridden In open
carriage along the Cornice Road TO the
picturesque and quaint little town of
Amalh. perched high on mountain slope.
above that blue and beauteous sea. to
much ana Mr. Crawford in fbfa iateaf