The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-03


FICTION THAT IS DEPRESSING.
A writer in an exchange, speaking of the
recent fancy for naming the "ten best
poems.'' ten best short stories etc, ex-
pressed a wish that some one would name
ten best works of fiction suitable for an
invalid's reading-books that had in them
elements of cheer and recreation and were
free from morbidn9ss. Such a choice he
had found it hard to make. He is not the
first who has encountered the same diff
Guilty. though the search is not in every
case for invalids. One may be entirely well
in body and mind and yet have a prefer
ence for cheerful literature. AS between
two novels of equal literary merit, one
tragic in character, the other showing hui
NOR and more of the light than shadow Of
life, the latter will be chosen invariably by
any reader who is seeking recreation or
forgetfulness of everyday cares, as most
novel readers are Few, indeed, are the
readers of fiction who will not frankly con-
TESS to preference for stories that lend
Well" Such q taste is natural and whole
some, and it's qualification need not neces-
sariIy involve any sacrifice of literary uni
ties. 1t is true that real life has it's TRACE
dies, and that happiness is not the portion
of every human creature who seems to de-
serve it, but real life also has it's sunshine
in fair measure, and every creature turns
instinctively towards it and away from the
shadow 1t is not inartistic to depict the
bright rather than the gloomy episodes of
human existence, but the reverse, and in
asmuch the writer of novels has the adj
vantage of being able to handle his ma
terials as fate might not, there is no rea-
son why, if he must lead his characters
into a slough of despond that he should
not rescue them in the end, rather than
leave them to sink and be lost in the mire.
In doing this he is only giving expression
to the universal longing for a realization
of the highest hopes and aspirations and
to the natural liking to see merit rewarded
But for some inscrutable reason the ma
jority of the novelists of the day have
a preference for the dark and dismal. They
write with a purpose, though it is not al
ways easy to discover what the purpose is,
unless it be that of casting a gloom over
the minds of their readers; they deal with
the most depraved elements of society and
delight in picturing the most Objectionable
traits of character, to the exclusion of the
normal human being and his more attrac-
to the writer of the purpose novel. Mr.. Har-
dy once had humorous touch, but when he
turned his mind to the horrors of Tess
and Jude" this saving grace vanished. The
author of the very tiresome 'Marcella" is
preternaturally solemn person. Hall
Gaines Christian never smiles; Mrs
Keith's Crime one of the books that
shrewd advertising has brought into sew
eral editions, deals with a horrible situa-
tion Even our own Miss wilkins whose
delineations Of New England life are so
accurately done, leans to the somber types
and to the least pleasing traits. 1t will not
do to say that it is because no others present
ground, finds the most delightfully."- agree
able people. Because McLaren and Barrie
have humor people accept them with pleas
ure in spite of their atrocious dialect. Du
Maurier had a gift of cheerfulness, and
hence his popularity. Anthony Hope, one of
the genuine artists among story tellers,
writes because he has story to TELL not
because he has a lesson to teach or a theory
to work out. Even the tragedy in his fan
tastic tales has it's mitigations as it is apt
to have in reality Hopes mission is appar-
emily to give pleasure, but he is one of the
few. Kipling, the prince of short-story
writer's, made his one novel a nightmare
He will probably do better on second at
tempt.
So much tragedy and gloom and pessimis-
tic sentiment as some of the strongest writ
ers are now giving the public is great
blunder and perversion of talent. Prob
ably it is fashion that will pass, but it
cannot pass too soon for the satisfaction
of the parsonage known as the average
reader" Let us hope that the next school
of fiction writer's will occupy their legitimate
place as public entertainers and leave the
preaching and the hobbies for another class
Of uyriterc