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

There seems to be an epidemic CT the
historical novel upon US, and II 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-
tion, and this is quite true. Some OF ire
authors who have attempted the task OF
late have not had even these qualifi; atioIs
for success. Then they have made mt IS
Of their work.
1t should be distinctly understood that
even an historical novel ought to have
some human nature in it. 1t is not enough
to introduce a lot of historical incidents.
TO save inventing scenes for ones self, and
allow the hero to tTot through tie book
clinging TO the oo2t-taiis Of George Wash
ington, or Napoleon, or John Paul jones,
as the case may be. Neither is IL sGfii-
Gent to make the heroine a pretty and
eoquettish maiden who says La" and
Il protest." and wears the costume CT the
period An historical novel needs plot,
just like any ether romance, and Il is con-
siderably harder to construct than any
work OF pure fiction would be, becau
one should be careful not to take tco
many liberties with recorded facts His
torians are likely to resent that, and
say sc.
1t is a pity that some Of these jealous
noYelists do not write stories about the
common people OF past centuries. without
dragging in any famous characters ct all.
Such tales, If well done, would be i'm
nense,y interesting We should all like TO
know what the common people OF Virginia,
or Provence, or Tuscany, did at some par
ticularly interesting epoch, even IL they
were not personally acquainted with any
OF the distinguished men of their time.
Is it not quite as interesting, for instance.
to read a romance, the scene OF which is
laid in the Zone OF an English country
squire at the present time, as if the hero
we're one of Queen Vietoria's oom tiers,
and moved about in the light that beats
upon the throne? And what is of inter-
est IN connection with the life CT the
present should also be Interesting when
it coaoerrs the characters and customs CT
the past.
But there is lingering idea in the mind
of the public that the historical novel is
improving" and that is probably the rea-
son why so many are written end ssld.
There is still a slight, half-uncorscious
feeling en- the part OF many people that
true story is somehow more moral than
pure fiction. The ordinary history does
not interest the average reader, and if
he is bent on self-inprovement he takes
up the historical novel w.lh the impression
that he can please himself and the pa"tic-
ular little tin god CT culture that he hap
pens to worship. at one and the same time.
He does not see that 2 work OF imagination
is generally far more true to life than that
founded CT what are called facts, because
in the one case the author, uEhsmpered by
any obligation, can portray life and char
acter exactly as he believes them to he aud
has found them in the course of his ex-
perisuce. lie is not obliged to transplant
himself into another time, place. CT state
Of civilization, or attempt the task-always
an impossible one-of diyining the motives
and feelings of an exceptional character.
The great man Is. by his very greatness,
set apart from others, and his actions are
not always dictated by precisely the same
causes as those OF the ordinary man. He
sees farther than his contemporaries and
is moved by greater emotions; and he is
hardly to be understood either by the
writer OF his own time or of a subsequent
period. The novelist can picture his con-
ception of great man. from men possess
ing clements Of strength, whom he himself
has known; and he can DO it well; but II
he has not only to conceive the character,
but to think himself back into the time
of Napoleon, or Caesar, or Shakespeare.
the chances are that he will make weak
novel. and one entirely lacking in realism,
especially so far as its most famous char
acters are concerned.