New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-04-26

REPRINTS OF PEACOCK. DISRAELI AND
OTHERS.

cHEh asAE 8 BY Tss%s' Ss
duction BIZ George Santsbury. svo: Pp XIV
go London and New-York: Macmillan & co.
Pisras ius,rnisd BY Pes5 sHn P with xx al
i tH''T London and New-York: Macmillan & Co.
PETER SIMPLE By Captain Marryat. ILLUSTRATED ed
by j. 4. symingion. With an lntroduciion by
and New-York Macmillan & Co
THE spy. Tale OF the Neutral Ground by
James Fenimore Cooper. The Mohawk Edition
syo.. PIP. xviii 400 New-York and London;
i2mo PIP xviii. 27s. London and New-York:
Macmillan & CO.
THE HEnoEs GREEK FAIRY Y,n TALES w E3B
Illustrations by the Author. i2mo. PIP XXX 22s
London and New-York: Macmillan & Co
THE WATER BABIES. 4 Fairy Tale for a, La N,
BABY BY Charles Kingsley. l2mo Up. 2VZ.
London and New-York: Macmillan Co.
THE ENTAIL: OR. THE LAIRDS OF GRIPPE.
By John Gait. with In'rodueton by 3; p II, r.,
Crockett Illustrations by John Wallace Two
Volumes $40. PIP. Xxx. &6, go Boston: ROD
erts brothers.
AT ODDS Novel by the Rprs sis " TasipASSe ew
York and London: c. F. Putnam's Sons.
The paint OF the Unsuccessful Novelist might he
expectod TO grow louder and more poignant when he
is confronted by such a group Of books as that
which is explicitly described at the head OF this
article All the authors OF these are dead. but there
is not one who is not considerable rival TO the
average llsng author. and, indeed to the living
novelist who considers himself with justice to be
above tho average. Take, begin with. the author
OF "Gryl Grange 1t Is not perhaps, possible TO
read him with the sympathy which Mr.. Saintsbury
reveals In his cordial introduction, and yet he would
have TO be an insensitive reader who could return
TO Peacock after long course OF later novellsts
and not rejoice In the charm of his whimsical and
original pen "Gryll Grange has nothing OF the
constructive power which the novelist OF to-day Is
almost under obligations to possess Even the
most analytical OF Peacock's pcrsonages seems of
trif,ing weight compared with those profound and
meta physical thinkers who have become common In
recent fiction. And yet II IL not too much to say
that there Is scarcely a thin page certainly not
dull page in any one OF Peacocks books Why Is
IL? In the first place. because Peacock had I'M
agination. humor and originality. Secondly. be-
cause ne put for all his whImslcality. great deal
OF hard thinking into his work. His satire has sub
stance His people talk out of minds which may
sometimes be erratc. but are never empty. There
Ia conversation In "Gryl Grange and 1t Is good
conversation. Peacock may not have been great
novelist but his work Is thoroughly indivduallzed
and II Is done we'll Az Mr.. Saintsbury points out
"Gryll Grange" one of Peacocks latest productions
IL also Of the most mature things he ever did
IL Is good reprint OF the story In the
| series In which the Macmillans repubshina
the minor novelIstic classics % the Victorian era
Mr. Townsends Illustrations In the spirit OF tho
| text and they are thoroughly artistic drawings.
| Every now and then some arises with air.
| to say that Dsrae novelist. He
| ma gnifcent amateur. are tod and his works
| cannot be compared with the vrile performances Of
| these latter days. II the comparison cannot be
| made II is for reasons other than those usually
deducted by the critcasters aforesaid 1t Is quite
| true that there Is comparison possible between
Disraeli and most OF the novelists of the present
| day because there be no comparison between
| a witty and dull There novests
| extant at the present moment who dull
| but there are not many. and. what Is more. tho
few have the grace to perceive the virtues OF the
author OF "Sybil" That book-and II IL only one oil
a most imposing company-is compact OF about as
much sheer vivacity and cieverness may be
] found In the entire range Of minor fiction. Fol