New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-03-10
ETOLTTION or THE NOVEL;
ITS ORIGINAL RELATION TO THE SHORT
STORY

, tits.rony or TIE NOVEL PREV ipI : TO
y TUE SEVENTEENTH CENTt ~. ~, =; ".
warren Professor u Nde.neri tGIl"Pr Oh -
r" H,serye University. Pp XII, ''l' Henry
rI1,t x 80
Professor Warren offers something Ike a nred1c-
. a. tho result o, thr studies reflected 10 h's
hook II what has happened In the pas' furnishes
any means ~ OWNING III" future ID" maintains
,,a, revival In novel-writng must be- preceded bF
, revival IA poetry or hv renewal ~ dramatic
t,wcr lis work .hus reopens the whole question
~ ,he origin ~ romance. In = general way NJ a.
n butcs he awakening OF genius SHOWN N pens
or dramas ~ permanent value 70 great p'ru''F
c,mmotioas and revolutions IN society. Hence ne
IT, mat the twentieth century VIII be wei on
-. way before the world 5choids again any con-
siderable noaer.ng ~ romantic lion TN" pre-
ont output % novels does not amount 20 mno1 IN ms
cll,ula;lons. He IS unqUestonahiy ight tn attro-
uiinc The hleacet works 90 genius TO stirring times
U1t when he 1oecenls to particulars he wcah'n'
rather than strengthens hts theory In medieval
Europe the interval brtween the era Of epic reciid-
I've and that 81 The prose romance was NOT 80 WI"
as 10 be- impossible Bui fl is another thing when
the effort Is made to tx a relationship between the
poems OF Homer the Greek drama OF the times
before Alexander with tn" elaborate pros" hciion5
most Of which were written long after the time OK
christ Al over the region conquered by Nfxan-
der II long remained possible 90 put Greek play
on the STAGE The k.ug Of Parthia. II is said, Was
listening to ono when the head az the miserable
Roman Crassus. was brought - him BAT these
performances must have rcsemb "l IN Srcater or l'ss
degree modern acadcmlca efforts % reviv" a work
OF p,autus or Sophorloe. As FOR the Greek epic Il
pictured a state Of society unknown 10 historic
Iicl'as when the common people were as nothing
AMI only > small group OF chieftains had any value
either IN war peace. parallel can hr drawn
between the arstorracy ~ tho Had and that Of the
hero poems 81 Northern Europe. Bat II would fan
in many particulars AS Professor Warren looks
a; the case. the main defect IN tho materials FOR a
comparis between the - outon Of the ancient
romance and that Of the modern novel ia the lack
OF an heroic tale like Annals Of Gaui'' IN the
Greek cycle. He endonvors to bridge tho chasH,
with fragment which belongs among the pieces
found Of late years In Egypt The narrative appears
To- have followed the adventures " Nimrod that
conventional hero Of tho East, but IT stands.
gives only love scene and the beginning of "A
battle. But the hero Is king and commander
OF armies. the heroine IL a princess and the tone
is that OF epic rather than commonplace l!fe. There
are some features In common between this story
Of Nimrod and the career 81 Amadis OF Gaul Both
heroes fall in love extremely early age. both
are wandering warriors awaiting IN patience and
good faith the pleasure OF the ladies whom they
wish TO marry. and Amadis and his beloved OF
royal extraction like Nimrod and his affinity.
Nevertheless. II is possible that prose romances
and novels might have had prosaic origin
in Greece or rather in the Greek Orient. than Pro-
:essor Warren suggests. His definition OF the novel
in general appears to be based mainly on It's length
"a compared with the short story. But In general
the long prose story OF both ancient and modern
times seems TO differ from the epic by the add
ton Of the moralizng element. Purpose Is always
vastly more obvious In the romance than the epic,
Il purpose apart from the innocent intent of cele-
hratiug certain more or ltss noteworthy p-rso1-
age. Purpose Impulse IN literature can olly
come ny Way of reflection and the study Of char
alttr la Nia5 hum4h oe.n.s. 1t !.nU'.es io"e