The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-04-20
A GREAT NOVELIST.

Whatever may be thought Of Leo Tolsto's religious
views and the practical Christianity of which the
exponent, with sincerity that challenges admiration
from all opponents competent critic deny that
he is master of the art of fiction
Exactly how great this deserved praise Is can only
be appreciated by running in the mind the roll
of noble names in many lands and counting up how
few there entitled to rank in the first class Field
ing Thackeray and Dickens in England Scott and Ste
veuson in Scotland; Hawthorne alone in America
Bazac, Flaubert and Daudet in France; Cervantes
alone IN spain; there arc not many great noveliss.
In spite of the stories "extant and written in very
choice Italian" from which Shakespeare drew inspira-
ton italy has produced only short story writer's of the
irst rank, Germany has not produced a single novel
that can be called great unless Goethos tale of Wer-
Their be estimated long enough he considered as
novel Even in his country there is only Tolstol
in spite of the genius of Pushku and Turgenief and
the recent notoricty of Maxim GorLy
AS with all masters Of his craft and indeed with
other forms of genius in other branches of art Toll
stos work defes analysis when the attempt is made
to find the of his excellence He is classed as
IA reallst but the charm of romance is in his pages
Other realsts have written novels innumerable after
the formula extracted from Anna Karenipa" and
war aud Peace" and have achieved nothing but dull.
ness. After ALL the contentious of the schools as IN
romance and realism amount to naught Tho real
question with regard to literature is concerned with
the end not the means The real question is easy to
answer and it is only genius which can furnish the
book upon which the affirmative pronouncement can
be made, The real question concerning all books is
Is the work good?
AS TO Tolstois novels criticism answers the oues.
ton with an emphatic. Ay. Exactly why, II is limos
sihle to say 1t is matter OF feeling which although
II is dominated by intellectual judgment can not he
fully put into words.
II is easy enough, however. to set down list NJ
Iostos literary characteristics Most prominent ara
ms point of view and his style The point Of Wow
that OF Shakespeare Tosto is absolutely impartial
as to his characters lie efaces himself He has nono
OF the monologue running in and out of the chronicle
OIL inc sayings and doings of his characters that makes
Fhackeray so lovable. Yet some of the characters m
Itty IN Anna Karenina," and Natasha and Iise ono
ttle princess in War and Peace" are so attracveI
drawn as inevitably to increase the readers person
regard for the author
AS to Tostos style. it is in marked coptros4 :.
hat OF Shakespeare, and that of Stevenson 10 taka
modern example Both Shakespeare and Stevenson
We're phrasemakers and delighted TO write bapnv col
locations of words that can be rolled by writer ana
reader as a sweet morse under the tongue rrols+o |
although master Of language is simplicity itseIt
IN spte OF their panoramic size his works are fnisbd
as TO every minutest detail with the fidelity Of i
sonlers pictures There is gorgeous coloring 90
in Titan or Raphael But his art is n great art -
ne mas held the mirror up to nature with a fidelity w
passed by no writer living or dead