New-York tribune., 1901-01-13
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THE DREAD OF BEING DULL.
A DANGER IN MODERN LETTERS.


From The London Academy.
The constant effort to amuse varied by the
endeavor to astonish is working considerable
havoc even in that department of literature sup
posed TO be sacred to amusement, and is
suredly defeating its end. The vast ma
Jority of present day novels do not amuse. II
they are novels Of adventure, they provide
species of excitement which is soon worked out
Broadly speaking, there is a limit to the num-
ber Of possible mathematical riders, there is
limit, generally very narrow one, 10 the possi-
bic developments of plot. Material can only
be manipulated in certain ways and can
scarcely hope to surprise the reader long ac-
customed to guess, at earlier and earlier stages
OF successive stories, who is going to fall in
love and out of il, who is at the bottom of the
villanous machination, and who is going to play
the Vlrtuous detective. We spot these things
as the examiner by vicious habit spots possi-
bic questions on the most innocent page of his
tory. Great masters Of narrative indeed have
felt adventure insufficient to maintain interest
Defoe called in the aid of a background totally
Foreign to the readers experience. Scott used
that of character.
But the modern reader doubts the virtue of
character Some books have IL writ large on
every page, some books used to have prob
lem" They differ in the working out. Some
times the dramatis persona achieve eccentrcity
if not personality, and the book is composed of
their remarks. If, by and by, the Importance of
construction were better understood, no author
would attempt TO make novel out of remarks
any more than he would crowd all his verve
into his first three chapters. His characters
would do and say what arose out Of the situ-
alton and not what appeared to him to illus
trate their peculiarities. He would regard them
as real people with an independent existence
not diagrams in illustration of lecture and
he would impsrt TO the reader vital interest
I'm them. not a languid curiosity to what they
were meant for. He would have a plot, too,
perhaps simple one, but still ineligible. He
would make the situations arise naturally from
the plot, and the emo ions from the situations
He would not leave .!e simple reader inquiring
within himself what 1t is all about. And-this
has nothing TO do with constructon-only with
respect for good work-he would read his
proofs.
WHY do authors commit these familiar sins :?
Probably because their temptations are great
If they live by writing they perhaps insu-
perable If they wish for immediate hearing
they must write what the great mass of readers
can read, not only with pleasure, but-a far
more deadening restriction-without effort. 1t
may, indeed, be said that those who wish to
provide anything higher than amusement have
always been forced to eater for the few while
the gentleman who caters for the many simply
discharges what was the bear leaders function
In former days. and has no place in literature
at al. OF course, public exists for good work,
| AID is perhaps larger than it was. But a
| public also exists now for second rate literary
work and for 1t is produced an immense mass
| or hctfon, which threatens often to smother the
/ good, simply because of the stupendous nature
1 OF the task OF sitting. .
| Il like to have room in book" said a friend
i or the present writer: but Demos he unrea
| able. wants crises packed in book like herrings
| In barrel. Fielding allowed himself room
Tor disquisitions on life whose style places them
among the jewels OF the English language They
DO not assist the excitement, and probably con-
temporary Demos did not like them, but pos
terlty does. Why do all for Demos? Why not
something for posterity? Fielding and his con-
temporaries give time live with their
heroes and heroines under normal conditions
we get TO know them-they are not necessarily
urging our Jaded emotions to tears and laugh
ter So with Thackeray Dickens Charlotte
| Bronte, George Eliot-but which of them would
obtain the coveted need of praise-the state
! ment that you cannot put down the book till