Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-09-07
Books and Authors.

All of Hall Gaines work is more or
less epical. 1t deals with momentous
epochs, it portrays massive ana I'M
pressive characters. 1t involves Ideals
ana realities Of the highest Importance
and Of far reaching consequences. HIS
fictjonal method is simple in its design.
but complicated i'm its result. NO
theme ever chosen by him has fallen far
short of greatness, however much its
treatment may lack that quality. Up
on the basis of an old-time tale he
builds his story of modern life. some
times genuine, sometimes audacious
but always recognizable at least as
moderate expression of the strength
and weakness of humanity. He simply
translates the passions of centuries
aronc into the environment'Of our own
time. Ii may be Biblical story. IL
may he an Homeric tale. it may be an
Elizabethan legend which the Eliza
bethans themselves drew from their
cwn times past, but in every case han
Caine adapts it to his own purposes.
Often times mere hint sufiiceS. an"
from that hint energies a volume. Inc
title of "A Son of Hager indicates
specifically the origin of its story
THE Rondman'' and The Scapegoat
are no less definitely suggestive hH
mis- very methods. by the audacity OF
mis- themes and the unrestralnt OF ms
treatment he subjects himself to severe
and frequently unfair criticism. Among
modern English noveliSts he is. per-
hans the most voluminously criticised.
criticism of him invariably touches
either one of the two extremes of praise
A,nd censure. He has done. and Is do
ing such superlatvely good work that
nis weaknesses and shortcomings nat
uraIly receive ten times the amount Of
blame bestowed upon a writer of aver
age ability or lesser reputation. The
critical attention bestowed upon him
in NEWSPAPERS. magazines and reviews.
hears witness to his Importance His
mere popularity cannot account for II.
The man himself is of moment. his
work is of moment. irrespective of the
,act that his hooks sell by the hundreds
of thousands. and that his plays are
witnessed by tens of thousands of peo-
pie every week. 1t happens, moreover.
that his literary deficiencies are strik-
ing and radical. and they in their turn
awaken discussion-the sort of dis
since the invention of printing.
has been subjected. And in his
deficiencies Hall Game is by no
means singular. Like many another
writer of fiction he is unwilling to
confine himself to the life which he
knows to its very heart--the life of his
own Manx-land: and like many an
other writer he seeks to handle themes
t., for N
gain absolute control. These deficien-
cies are manifest throughout the pages
of 1.-The Eternal City" the eXpectantly
awaited novel of his that has just been
issued from the press of d. Appleton
{, Co.
The Eternal City. Mr.. Caine him
self says tells with modern personages
ana amid modern scenes the story of
Samson and the Philistines and Deli
lah-with a difference. His Samson is
a man of intellectual strength. not of
phy steal power: his PhilstineS fight
only with their tongues: his Delilah is
woman in whom there is after all
but very little guile. In point of fact.
The Eternal city" is nothing more
nor less than a problem novel. and the
problem it attempts to solve is the pn-
lltical and ethical problem of the regen-
GRAFTON of society. ''Christian demo"-
racy has. / think" says Mr.. Game, .,
great part to play against christian alb
solutism in the century upon which we
have just entered. His Holiness. ths
pope. has done wisely in graphing with
that inevitable problem in the Ency-
cliCal that has just been issued. The
Church has to make it's terms with the
Christian democratic movement. which
is. perhaps. the greatest movement il
the world at present. If the Church
cannot go on with the people depend
upon it the people will go on without
the Church. In order to justify anC
explain the title of my story. | would
say that it seems to me almost certain
that in that great future which is t,
witness the breakdown of SO many
barriers dividing man from man ant
: m from God and in the new method:
- =" internal and international
disr hi"h will take the place OF
the So an "arbarouS conflicts 81
war. Il a. "'Iel and fratricid
al strugl. Of !" old Mothel
City of the PaS. re ChriStla,
worlds will have he u. 4 rank. Hell
geographical position. igious n
historical interest. her d. tic cha ~
and. above all. the mystery of eter 3"
life which attaches to her. seem to )
to point to Rome as the seat Of Il.
great court of appeal in the congress
Of humanity which (as surely as TIL
sun will rise tomorrow the future vii
see established
I,