The Portland daily press., 1897-03-24
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

The Spells of Poynton, by Henry
James. Mr.. Henry James is an artist,
and connoisseuIs will note his new novel
with distinct appreciation. To turn him
over to the average novel reader would
be hard fate-for both; because we
have no writer of English fiction today
so polished, subtle, and highly finished
as he. He does not, however, In the
present instance. enter into any such in
tricacy as he has achieved in his recent
reading plays. The main theme of this
story turns upon the aesthetic taste, the
love of worthily beautiful things gath
cred with knowledge and by sacrifice,
developed in one woman's soul and s'un-
derstood" by another. and upon the his
tory Of collision with ignorance or vul-
garity. A very remarkable analysis
exists throughout the entire study and
for the love story, there Mr.. James is
always intense and UNIVERSAL fact
which makes his novels much more popu-
lar than they otherwise would be. His
patrician qualities in literature do not
pose with any triviality in the face-of
the glow an pulsati Of the master
passion of the human heart. We have
spoken Of this author rs fastidious and
yet he has the way of the super-cnltured
of returning to primitive facts and Of
often expressing them badly. Moreover
amongst the niceties of construction one
occasionally gathers English like this;
Fleda hadn't even a homeland "sher
nearest chance of one was that there was
some appearance her sister would become
engaged to ourate.' etc. So, too, there
are pages on little repetitions and some
thing TOO much of vibratory effect, If one
may thus express it. But to return to
the book as whole. "The Spells of
Poynton' is clever novel, both inter-
esting and exciting. Amongst its per-
feet touches are the difficulty clearly
shown of speaking the, truth on both
sides, among allies; again, the emo
tions awakened by the story which may
lie in,the maiden aunt's furnishings in
the little country house; and most
dramatic OF all. Fleda's guest, at the
Close made in vain aud fitting such
climax as only creators thought could
have developed. (Boston and New York:
Houghton, Mif1in & Company; Port
land: .Loring, Short & Harmon. Price
$1.50.)
Whitman. A Study, by John Bur-
rouRhs. There is a very big wave of ap-
probation of Walt Whitman washing the
shores of the literary world, at present
and the movement is given impetus by
such critics as Stedman, Jobr Addingt on
Symonds and Mr.. Burroughs. Early in
his writings the good gray poet oalIed
forth earnest, if sometimes modified
praise from such sources as Emerson and
Thoreau and in England, Rcskin, Ten.
nyson, Rossetti and George Eliot. We
have no fault to find with the analysis
Of MIR. Burroughs. He here shows Whit
mans power as no one else has, and he
wisely introduces much from the poet
himself to illustrate tae points taken in
his study Of the man and his work. He
has demonstrated very clearly the virile
bold, vet tender understanding of nature,
and loyalty to her laws which distin-
guished this disciple of universal force
and he has also emphasized Whitman's
democracy, and that Amer icanism which
glowed to his hearts core. But we would
rather have Mr.. Burroughs's final word on
birds, ana weather and forests and stars
than on the qualities which go to make
a great poet. What he tells us of Whit
man is true and will doubtless lead to q
fairer and broader study of his writings;
but after all is said and done. and freely
granted, the result does not place Whit
man nearly 80 high as his most devoted
apostles would fain have him placed.
More is needed than primal energy to
make man leader in philosophy,
whether that philosophy be clothed in
prose or in song. Mr.. Whitman was
singer of melodious strain; he was also
@ breaker down of false conventions, but
he was not the inspired seer who cele-
brates matter and spirit with an insight
that bears away the soul upon it's wings
Spiritual perceptions he had but his
were definite. Mr.. Burroughs
considers Whitman SO subtle, SO germi-
nal, SO dynamic; SO creative, plastic and
30 great a bard, seer md
prophet, that the difficulty in adequately