The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-04-10


There seems to be an epidemic CT the
historical novel upon US. ard it is time
that something should be done atoct it.
The New York Advertiser" says that
all that is needed for the writing CT ore
OF these books is a man with literary
temperament and a capacity fer comri-a-
ton. and this is quite true. Some OF tfe
authors who have attempted the tzsk OF
late have not had even these qualifications
for success. Then they have made m' S
Of their work
Ii should be distinctly understood that
even an historical novel ought to have
some human nature in it. 1t is not enough
70 Introduce lot Of historical incidents.
"a save iuveuting see mes for ones self, and
allow the hero to tTot through tie book
clipeine TO the co2t-tails OF George Wash
inrton. OF Nan9!eon. CT John Paul Jones,
as the case may be. Neither is il stfii-
c;ert 10 make The heroine a pretty and
coquettish maiden who says La aad
Il protest. a1d wears the costume Ct the
per,od. An historical novel needs 4 plot,
Just like any ether romance, and Il is con
siderably harder to construct than any
work Of pure fiction would be. becau e
one should be careful not to take to
many liberties with recorded facts. His
torians are likely to resent that, and
say SC.
II is pity that some Of these Jealous
norelists do not write stories about the
common people Of past centuries. without
dragging in ANY famous characters at all.
such tales. IL well done. would be i'm
Iaense,y interesting. We should all like 10
knox what the common people OF Virginia,
or Provence. or Tuscany, did at some par
iicularly interesting epoca. even IL tkey
were not personals acquainted vita sny
OF the distinguished men Of thsis time,
Is it not quite as interesting, for instance,
to read a romance. the scene CT which IS
laid in the home OF an English country
squire at the present time, as if the heI o
we're one Of Queen Yictoria's Ccu tiers,
and moved about in the light that beats
upcn the throne? And what is Of inter-
est In connection with the life CT the
present should also be interesting when
il cozcerrs the characters and customs CT
the past.
But there is a lingering idea in the mind
Of TIE public that the historical novel is
improving" aud that il probably the rea-
son why so many are written and SID.
/ There is sill a slight. halt-unConsclous
feeling On he part Of many people that a
true story is somehow more moral than
pure Gctiou. The ordinary history does
not interest the aretage reader. and IL
he is bent on self-improvement he takes
uD tie historical novel with the impr- sion
that he can please himself and tie partic-
ular little tin god Of culture that be hap
pens to worship. at one and the same time
He does not see tLat work Of Imagination
is generally far more true to life than Thai
founded On what are called facts. bseaus,
In the one case the author, UGhsmpared bl
any obligation. can portray life and char
acrer exactly as he believes them 90 lee ant
has found them il the course of his eX
uerisree. lie is not obliged TO ;raLsplau
himself into another time. place. CT STATE
Of civilization. or attempt the task-aINay
AN iupossiblc onC-of diyiIing the mCuy,
and feelings Of an exceptional character
The great man Is. by his very greatness
set apart from others, and his actions ar
rot always dictated by precisely the sam
causes as those Of the ordinary man. Il
sees farther than his contemporaries, an
is moved by greater emotions; and he
hardly to be understood either by tn
writer Of his Own time or of subsaquel
reriod. The novelist can picture his con
ceDton Of a great man. from men possess
ing clements OF strength. whom be himsel
has known; and be can DO it well; but
he has not only TO conceive the character
but TO think himself back into the tim
Of Napoleon, or Caesar, or Shakespeare
rbe. chances are that he win make a wea
novel. and enc entirely lacking in realism
especially SO far as its most famous char
sctc-s are concerned.