New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-04-03
FICTION.
A STRONG SEA STORY.

TALES OF UNREST BY Joseph Conrad. Duo
dccimo. PIP. 3is Charles Scrlbners sons
THE ROMANCE OF ZION CHAPEL. BY Richard
lie Galenne. Duodecimo, PIP. w John Lane.
FANTASIES Ry George Egerton. Duodccimo.
pp. l55. John Lane.
The American edition OF Mr. Conrad's sea
story should have retained the title by which
the book is known in England. The Niger Oh
the Narcissus" "The Children Of the Sea"
might fit any account OF forecastle life and this
particular narrative owes 4 great deal to the
negro WHO comes over the rail in Bombay Har-
Dor Just as the ship is sailing, and then pro-
cecds mystcrously TO dominate the crew as
though he had belonged to it for years The
storm described in the book yields Mr.. Conrad
perhaps his most thrilling effects, and the fas-
cinaton of the book lies largely in rs accurate
portrayal Of life on board INGREDIENT vessel;
yet what would it be without the Niger? lie
Is thu starting point for the psychological anal
ysis which goes side by side with the authors
purely descriptive work; 10 him even more than
to the malingering Donkn the gradual dcterio-
ration Of discipline is 10 be ascrbed. and In
spite OF his apparently ephemeral existence on
board the Narcissus his atmosphere pcrvades
the book to the last.
Tho conception Of this character Is original.
the play OF the Niggers influence among
the men IS Indicated with sublcty and
eloqucncc but Mr.. Conrad is most to be
praised for having kept the psychological
Interest In It's proper place. Imagination tells
brilliantly in the evolution OF this story, but OBJ
servation and human sympathy 80 for almost
az much in the scale. p,rhaps they 80 for more.
Certainly, If the absence OF the Niger would
have been irreparab!c so would have been the
absence Of Mr. Conrad's amazing pictures Of
!, az Ia nd if,. k
Ing the book page by page from an experience
aImos, Identical with that celebrated by Mr..
CO mad. we have found him accurate as only one
writer out Of ten thousand IS accurate The
sights and sounds ard smcl's Of tho plungirg
vessel are reproduced II by magic. and bind
Ing them all together into Il unit of profound
reality is that Understandable feeling with which
the air on such craft H. surchargcd after land
has long been on, ot sight. a feeling Of crowded
isolation Of infinite solitude filed with infinite
experiences, emotions, c9mpanionNh'ps. The
loneliness takes n strange color from the fulness
OF life that Is So Enthusiastically complicated with
t. and the endless adventures Of The voyage
borrow extraordinary Significant" from The i'm
mensc waste Of waves and silence In which they
are enacted. This peculiar composite life MT
Conrad has described with oloarncss with an
/ insight with authority. ~ virtue OF which
his book Is made downright lii" atufc Ii Is one
OF The most d.vcrti,lg r.odable BOOKS published
In many a long day. and II Is one II the books
which give most promise of lasting long time.
The Tales Il Unrest" provide something in
the nature ~ an anti-cnIax. II Mr.. Conrad
had not written Tile Niger Of tho Narcissus
this collection II short stories would b" accepted
as an unusually clever Performance. But the
STA story % winch We have just been referring
Is bigger In substance as il is in scale. one does
7 OF think q unusual cl,vorness' in reading II.
one suspects that Mr. Conrad lad an inspira-
on the other hand has less inspiration and more
ccycrncss. a story like An outpost OF Prog
rss" Is interesting enough. but 1t is the kind OF
ching whi.u some other writer's Nigh: nave
done with n skiI comparable to Mr.. C3nrads
own THE Niggc: II the Narcissua iH incompa-
rable II should not cast the merits OF the
Tales OF Unrest" quite into the shade. Those
merits ere always admirable and sometimes they.
are impressive. But they so TO make. nj the
l.s, a minor book where look for the work
OF A man who In one happy moment at least
has demon ;tra: "a IL At he has mij)r gilt
Mr. Richard lie Gallienne. wearying perhaps
OF 'Thc Quest Of the Golden Girl, brings up
81 dicnly on the first page Of MS he" novel,
against n rlsoai,ter The romantic eyes OF one
Of tho greatest French poets once looked on that
cosomc,er" he assures US Il won't pretend
that they dwell there he continues. but look
an I, they once ,lid-the eyes of that great. sad.
scandalo,is religious Frer oh poet'-and In pure
,,,,,.r. over tho cpsode cur novelist cXclaims:
Romance, Why | wouldn't exchange Gasom-
.nff a.