New-York tribune., 1902-07-20

PAAOIOSAoPA eaANCA a. buudptSIl
tive emotions are let loose in the book and they
are made only the more interesting through
being saturated in the spirit of romance. There
is. too point to be noticed with reference not
only to Monte Cristo" but to all Of the bes,
work of Dumas; it comes with whatever reser-
vations we choose to make. into the category OF
literature in the special sense of that term.
The point is too frequently neglected. per-
haps because the literary quality Of Dumas is
not so easily defined in the case of some
writer who. like Thackeray. provides in the form
and the style of his productions clearly visi-
BILE basis for discussion Dumas is anything
but symmetrical in form: he is. like Balzac a
master whose style excites nc admiration.
though it cOmpeIs respect through being alto
gether adequate to the authors purpose But it
is a conclusive testimony to Dunas's possession
of the indefnable' note Of literature that he tri-
umphs over his limitations and is clearly
entitled to place among LES Grands Ecrivains
Francais" as Sue GabOriau is not, He wins
1t through neither art nor bOokishness. He is
as inferior to Gautier in polish as he is su-
perior to him in creative power. lie is as devoid
OF that air of fastidious culture which is char
ac.eristic Of Mtrimee the author OF the
"Chronique du Regne de Charles I&' IS devoid
OF that abOunding vitality which lifts Les Trois
Mousquetaires' far above the "Chronique"
aforesaid. There is more of thought, there IS
more of psychology. in a chapter of Stendhal
than in a volume of Dumas 1t is not, then.
with the emotion of the artist. the scholar or
the philosopher that he quickens into life the
fabrics of his stories; it is with the central
passion of life itself; and know that when
genius transmits that spark to book it is
literature: We feel when reading it as definitely
the most literary of masterpieces.
1t is to the mysterious operations of genius
that we owe Dumass books and they are filled
with the raciness with the geniality. with the
wholesome human force which We recognize in
Rabelais OF Cervantes. II is for this reason
that he has had a host Of followers. and no heir.
Victor Hugo. writing 10 Dumas fills on the death
of his fsther. said. in his rhetorical way: Get
esprit ttait capable De tous les miracles, meme
de Ieguer. meme de Sc survivre. NOtre pere
est vous." Nothing could lie further from the
truth and it is surprising % find NJ. Pdrisot
quoting this extraordinary deliverance with APP
provaL \ work by Dumas fills is 10 a work by
Dumas pere what a problem in mathematics or
a chemical experiment is to a magcian's evoca-
tion of a riOtOus pageant. what a We'll tended
garden is To a vast jungle The works of the
son are bathed in the cold. dry light of reason;
the WORKS or tne rather are SnOJ through anu
through with the beams of the sun Les
amours don't II dsserte. sOnt violentes CONNIE
les poisOns paternels" says NJ. Parigot. alludins
to Dumas fills in his plays and il is true enough:
but there is all the difference in the world be-
tween the fathers easy management of the
great passions liberated in lis books and plays
and the sons unsleeping vigilance. his acute
sense of discipline The comparison. indeed, IS
hardly worth making. Yet comparisons between
Dumas pere and not simply his son but many
other writers will ALWAYS tempt the critic. II
for no other reason than that il is amusing to
see how they leave untouched his great claim
upon the world. the claim of an incompatible
public entertainer. I'll est un semeur De bellies
Illusions remarks NJ. ParigOt. and what haef
tribute could We pay to his melnOrys