The times., 1899-12-02
Liternry Standards.


The New York Independent in a re-
cent issue prints an article on The
Novels of 1899" by Harry Thurston Peck,
a gentleman who is, in his own eyes, at
least, a considerable authority in matters
0f literature. The casual reader can judge
what kind Of authority he is merely from
the perusal OF this article. It is a sort of
microcosm Of Mr.. Peck; as If some one
had taken a kodak picture of his mind and
put it on paper for the multitude to see.
1t may be said without extravaganza that
so long as Mr.. Peck sticks to time honored
and automatic platitudes he does very
well. When, for example, he remarks in
the second paragraph OF his article that
only once or twice III many years is
great work of fiction born into the world,
he makes a perfectly safe and proper state
ment That is like saying that mountains
do not cover the entire habitable globe
But when he lays down the law that one
ought not TO buy any novel which is not
at least a year old-that is. whose popu-
larity has not stood the test of time
he may easily be disputed The reader of
any independence OF thought wishes to
make his own selection of novels. and
form his own opinion; and this Is best
done when they are fresh. 1t is not neces-
sary TO assume that the first judgment is
iormed by the mood Of the moment" or
some captivating trick of style" The
real book-lover knows his favorites when
he sees them, and. unless very young in
deed. is not likely 70 revise his judgment.
Mr.. Peck goes on to say that books
widely read in their time are not heard
OF after the lapse Of few years, and he
cites Called Back" The Heavenly
Twins" and "Trilby" This is where he
really reveals his literary judgment in all
its symmetry and beauty. He says that
this proves the three to be clever novels
mot literature" Doubtless, du Maurier's s
fascinating chronicle Of the wild way
ward, poetic, stormy, and idyllic life Of
the Latin Quarter is not literature" from
Mr.. Peck's point of view. The reader who
loses himself, entranced in it's pages will
never ask whether it Is literature or
not, any more than the readers of fifty
years ago asked that question about
Dickens or Thsckeray. Du Maurler's Cal
lic-English prose with it's ripping humor
its flashes Of poetic insight, its sponta-
neous gayety, and unaffected pathos, will
never lost its power over those to whom
il appeals, and that is a matter of tenn
Derament. Mr.. Peck would doubtless. be
Just as much interested in Hugh Conway
or Marie Corelll as in du Maurier if
either happened to be the fashion of the
moment; but the average book-lover dis
eliminates, and there are good many
people now reading and re-reading 'Tril-
by who could not be hired to peruse The
Sorrows OF Satan even il copy were
given them with a pound OF soap and they
heard it discussed by all their friends for
q month.
The ground Of Mr.. Peck Is, briefly as
far as he has any ground that the number
Of copies OF a novel sold prove whether OF
not it is literature" and he cites several
examples Of novels which he seems to think
are Literature" because they have proved
widely popular, IN The commercial sense of
the word Two Of them are David
Harum" and Janice Meredith" Now,
there are reasons for the wide sale of these
Two books, none of which IS proof that
they are literature" In the case OF
David HaTum" a pathetic story Of the au-
thor's life was published which doubtless
sold more copies than any other sort OF ad-
vertising could. Again, the book lends it.
self TO quotation; it is in no sense a novel.
but il is a one-character book, and the
character is one familiar TO most Americans.
As for Janice Meredith that has been in
dustriously doomed also, by the firm which
publishes it, and which, by the way. also
publishes the magazine of which Mr. Peck
is the editor. When book to which there
is no actual objection is heralded all over
the United States as the greatest historical
novel Of The century, it may be better writ
ten than any one OF a dozen other such
books OF the year. or it may not but the
advertising viii undoubtedly have some
effect upon its sale
The fact is, Mr. Peck 10 the contrary
notwithstanding, that the popularity OF a
book is not the test Of It's literary value.
There are fashions in literature as in dress
and some of the books which have been
widely read in the last twenty y-dve years
have no more claim to permanency than
the fashjon-plates OF 1861 A book may be
popular because II is a discussion Of some
subject in which the public is interested.
because It has been cleverly advertised; be-
cause it happens to fit the mood Of the
/ public; because II is q clever combination
Of the sensational and the religious; be-
! cause Il IS the latest work of a writer just
| beginning to be fashionable. The wist
| reader win not depend on the verdict o
! the multitude, but on his own judgment
+ In that way he will gradually come to hay,
a literary standard OF his own, and hell
4 10 form that OF the public. He may have L
/ read good many books which he does no
like; but be viii have to do that in an!
event There are many books which neyel
attain a very wide popularity, but are lit
erature in every sense OF the word and th,
! true book-lover will find these out and le
the judgment OF the multitude go. To III,
student OF human nature for instance
Frank Norris McTeague" cannot fail Il
be fascinating; but it viii never appeal Il