The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-03-30
WRITER'S OF FICTION
A List Of Books Dealing With Sub
jects in French History.
IN THE PUBLIC LIBRARY
Noted Works of Famous Authors
on the Times and Politics Gen.
turtles Ago-It Is Valuable Col
lection of Historical Gems.

prejudices, or his feeling in respect to
the moral and other characteristics of
the French people, there is no doubt
that anything that is written about
them is fascinating. This is true of
their history, their customs and their
literature. The nation is sometimes at
the height of prosperity and sometimes
at the depth of misery, but II is never
commonplace. Hence IL is not surpris-
ing that the list of historical novels
contained in the Butte Free Public
Library that treat of them is long,
and that ii includes some noted works.
Chronologically speaking the first
book to be mentioned is I'm His
Name" by Edward f. Hale. This is
a short work even If we call it a
novelette, instead of a novel. 1t is a
story of the twelfth century and speaks
of life among the Waldenses in the
vicinity of Lyons. But its value is out
of all proportions to its length, and for
its wealth of religious inspiration. ii is
one of the best books ever written.
But one book need be mentioned whose
plot is located in the thirteenth CEN
fury, viz: Philip Augustus" by G. p.
r. James.
In the fourteenth and fifteenth CEN
turtles the long contest between the
English and the French, the rise of the
free towns in Flanders and Germany
the ambitious projects of Charles the
Bold, and the careers of Louis XII, Ed
ward the Black Prince and the Maid
of Orleans, furnished themes for many
a novel. The Lion of Flanders" by
Conscience, is the record of a notable
medieval struggle for independence.
Anne of Geierstein" and Quentin
Durward" are two of the best of the
Waverly novels, and 1t is doubtful IL
better characterization of Louis XI.
has been given than the latter con-
tains. Joan the Maid" by Mrs.
Charles, "Agincourt," by G. =. II.
James and "St. George for England"
by Henty, are worth reading for light
on the English wars. While "Notre
Dame" by Victor Hugo and "CloisteT
and the Hearth" by Chas. Reade. bring
before the reader the Paris of the mid
die ages.
From the zenith of the fortunes of the
House of Angoulene to the close of the
French revolution the works of Alex
ander Dumas furnish a connected mar
rative. While rhetorical faults are not
uncommon these works are written
with an intensity that is probably UNI
surpassed in fiction, and may on the
whole be considered to give a fairly
faithful picture of the morals of the
times they depict, as well as a good
skeleton of history. and accurate char
acterization of many of the most nota-
BILE personages.
The different epochs of this period are
also illustrated by many stories on
the tragedy of st. Bartholomew we
have "Chaplet of Pearls" by Charlotte
NJ. Yonge; st. Bartholomew Eve" by
G.. A. Henty. and the House of the
Wolf" by Stanley'J. Weyman. Richie
lieu is a central figure in De Vigny's
"Cinq Mars" and Henry the WITH in
James zone in a Thousand" "Monk
and Knight" by f. w. Gunsaulus, is
an interesting work respecting the
reformation in France. The Gentle
man of France" and other books by
S. ]. Weyman; "Caseelneau." THE |
Brigand," and "DeL'Orme." by James,
as well as Arthur Blame" by Jas. |
Grant. treat of this period.
For the revolution and the Napoleonic
period, Erckmann and Chatrian, i'm a
series OF works. have though with less
brilliancy, done what Dumas did for
the times of the Bourbons and the
house of Valois. The two masterpieces
treating of this period. however. are
Ninety Three" and Les Miserables."
by Victor Hugo. The former is a tale |
OF the revolution In La Vendee and has |
been called the ''most terrible of his
torical romances." Les Misera bleS,"
tn the opinion of many, and those of ex-
cepronal culture, is the ablest work of |
fiction written
The Tale of Two Cities" by Dick
contributions of two great modern
English novelists to the literature of .
this period. The historical portions of |
the latter novel are barely sufficient to |
justify its mention here. the book hav-
ing greatest interest to the student of |
modern theosophy.
Cooper's Wing and Wing" Miss |
Kavanaug.h's Madeline" an d Levers /
Maurice Tiernay" belong to the period /
of the consulate and the very beginning |
of the empire. as do Empress Joseph 4
Inc" and Queen Hortense," by Louisa |
Muhlbach.
The two masterpieces OF Charles
Lever treat of the Napoleonic cam
paagns, the hero of one, Charles OMal-
ley, serving in the Peninsula under |
Wellington, while Tom Burke OF Ours"
was a soldier in the French army.
Other books of the Napoleonic period
are zone of the 2sth," by Henty; Mr.
Bonaparte of Corsica" by John Ken
drdck Bangs; 'Courtship by Command"
by NJ. NJ. Blake and THE Shadow of
the Sword" by Robert Buchanan. the
last named book treating of the return
from Elba.
From the fall of Napoleon the great
no the fall OF Napoleon the little. fic-
rional literature Is scant. The His
tory of a Crime" by Victor Hugo, is,
unfortunately. not fiction. and the nov
el of ability dealing with this period is
Bulwer's "Parisians." which ably por-
trays the political and social features
of the second empire.
The time OF the F'ranco-German war
of 1901 Is made the period of many
novels. though OF none of great ability.
American in Paris" by L. c. Savidge;
Young Franctireurs." by G. A. Henty;
Eagle and Dove" by NJ. +. Clements:
Dead Tryst," by James Grant. and
the "Plebescite." by Erckmann-C Cha
TRAN, are the best known.
While the novels OF this period are
weak, we have 10 men.ion two short
stories OF very exceptional excellence.
"A Soldier OF the Empire" by Thomas
Nelson Page. is bound with "Elsket
and Other Stories" a Charge for
by j. Heard jr.. occurs I'm vol
10 OF Scribner's Monthly.
The horrible episode of the commune
OF 1871 is the theme Of Chambers Red /