New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-12-05
A WITTY NOVEL.
THE LATEST WORK OF JOHN OLIVER
HOBBIES

IL published that addresses itself 10 TIE lew
there is general impression spread abroad
that it must have been in seine way or other
dehumanized It is assumed that it is affected,
or esoterc. too intellectual-or too good
Sometimes the assumption is justified. George
Merediths restricted appeal is not virtue, IT
is a limitation, and one that he ought long ago
to have learned 10 transcend. Flaubcrt's failure
to touch the Imagination Of the world at large
is due To fault in the readers he repels; he
fails because he has not the root Of the matter
in him. because, as the hero in The School
for Saints observes he has the morals Of
sick dev and the philosophy Of retired dane
ing master"
A great distinction separates John Oliver
Hobbies from all these writer's. big and little.
her comrades in fastidious aloofness from the
tastes ard shibboeths of the mob. She may not
write Tor the million. but she knows what the
million feels; her note is the note Of literature,
but it takes nothing from her humanity. The
School for Saints is not merely the wittiest
book Of the year; II is one Of the most
human. sympathetic and passi0nately actual
novels that have seen the ligh' in many "A long
day. Vet II begins in the vein Of Enthusiastically
which makes this author sometimes Sc IN as IL
she more bent upon writing a poetical fan
tasia than prose narrative. 1t is Only u seem
ing, however. deep spirituality underlies her
fantasy. and the guantest motives n her hands
become symbolic Of higher things The book is
cynical if You viii. but ihe cynicism IS only the
thinncst veil for a passionate aspiration tow
ard the noAlest IDEAS. Tact is raised to
its highest power in this novel. revealing,
in fact the quality Of genius The episode
from which the entire drama flows is Of
a nature to prejudice the reader at the start,
iJ.a tha,
Saints is going to b. just more Of those
tales Of intrigue with which the modern novel
ist especially on France, is prone to divert his
public but it would be a grievous error To al
low this prepossession to dampen interest in
advance n the reader ras any intuition at all.
NJ vii! not make the mistake. II" will perceive
at one" that here is author who can be
trusted here is Il genius 50 and so pure
ur instinct that the worst OF lfe's tragedies
might safely be left to her ministratiOns John
Oliver Hobbies scntillating through page after
page Of worldly wisdom Iersuades you, never
thelcss that her inspiration IS not OF earth she
dcneat.s witty characters in witty lines, she
takes wcllhrcd people on their own terms she
is cpgrarnmatic because she Is among men
and women Of brains and the final effect rs one
Of the most natural bril.iancy. Some Of her
personagcs may be obnoxious IN their morals
| Others may be- exasperating IN Their worldl!-
ness but they all have souls and when any OF
them indulge in misconduct OF too eccentric
character the author withdraws them more
or less into the BACKGROUND She does this not
pruIishlv not inartistically. but with the good
sens. Of "A writer who knows the difference be
tween essential aud superfiuous things. When
she meets wickedness she faces it. faces it with
spiritual courage. with brilliant intellectual
force But she wants dalliance with IT,
Virtue is important in her work because she
knows that virtue can be- interesting. ana she
has the skin to give her reader the benefit OF
her knowledge.
"rhc School FOR Saints seems at first sight
AN unnecessarily long book Reflection changes
this opinion. and the announcement made at
I'm. end Of The book that "the story Of Oranges
married life of his literary and political life
| in 1870 II, II his friendship with Disraeli and
| of his career IN the Church, viii be told in a
| SUBSEQUENT volume" is hailed with real delight
w, de- not get too much Of him in this book
nor OF Brigit nor Of Disraeli. and the prospect
* the more allurng inasmuch as John ohVer
Hobbies has had the inspiration and the daring
10 terminate the present narrative on stu
alton frauFht with suspense and even Tragedy
We hasten to add that there is nothing melo-
dramatic m tins fact ON the contrary, the m
detcrminate conclusion is AS natural as any
thing else IN the book. including the sketchy
portrait Of Disraei That is superb History
could not improve upon these brici passages OF
Characterization. in which th" famous states
man j. not made To speak like himself. hut IS
left to his own devices So left he moves ana
brrathes and speaks like IA human being. Is
that not the last test of the novelists art? the
! termination to quote from this book Is strong
4 ,l.s ft,a h.lff ltatt
/ 49, .i,.,iv read for il is closely written. the
nao.s are hacked with thought. and detached