The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-01-26
HISTORICAL FICTION CRITICISED.

plant by eating liver.
HISTORICAL FICTION CRITICISED.
The worm has at last turned. Ever since
the historical novel craze began English
and American manufacturers of this form
of literature have regarded France pc
culiarly their own. It's history affords in
finite and picturesque variety, and the
difference in speech prevents that complete
familiarity on the part of English-speaking
readers with its details, its characters and
it's political and social bearings which
makes them critical Of fiction based on the
history of their own countries. In conse-
quence the writer's have felt privileged to
take great liberties with their material.
They have picked up an episode here and
another there and have woven them into
one narrative, though a century might, in
fact, lie between them; they have drawn
portraits of Kings quite unlike any ever
before seen of these monarchs; they have
made good men better and bad men worse,
and have so complicated events that only
an expert could disentangle them in getting
a
assumed to be at the bottom of every his
torical novel. Louis XIV and Henry of
Navarro have, in particular, suffered at
their hands. At best, Louis was not a
model man or monarch, and serious his
torians have dealt with him so compre
hensively that fairly clear opinion of his
character exists among intelligent people.
In addition, he has figured in the fiction of
Alexander Dumas in a way to confirm the
verdict of the historians. Much the same is
true of Henry, but these circumstances
have not prevented the new school of wri-
tiers from portraying these rulers in a guise
that renders them unrecognizable to old
acquaintance. Even the accompanying
label does not always serve to save them.
The event in French history in which this
new school of novelists takes much joy is
the treatment of the Huguenots. That
those people were prosecuted and that they
suffered greatly cannot be questioned, but
the world would never have realized the
ferocity of the persecution or the variety
of the sufferings had not these writers rev.
eled in detailed descriptions of their mis-
cries. The gifted authors have allowed
their imaginations free sweep here and
tre fortunes which the unfortunates who
figure in their tales are called upon to suf-
fer are sufficiently blood-curdling for the
most exacting requirements of those whose
chief demand of fiction is that there be
something doing in every page.
So far have these novels varied from the
facts as understood by Frenchmen that,
finally, the latter have risen to protest.
Members of a French society Of men of
letters in Paris assert that recent romances
by English and American writer's belle
French medieval life, least false melo-
dramatic high light on important episodes
in French politics and distort French char
acter in the eyes of foreigners" These
gentlemen are rather reticent concerning
personalities, but confess that they espe-
cially dislike Stanley Weyman's Gentle
| man of France" and Bertha Runkle S
Helmet of Navarro" Their structures on
the first-named book will be quite a shock
to the eminent educators who include it in
a list of books recommended as valuable
supplementary reading TO students OF
French history. AS to the Runkle book
probably no reader, even of the most con-
fding turn of mind, ever took it seriously
| as a real picture of events, and, while the
| only appearance of the King in the
book is in very undignified role
| and as a maker of foolish, not to
say maudlin. speeches and is painful
to those who had a different concep-
ton of his character. yet is is not suf-
/ ficiently vivid to create a lasting impress
sion, and it is not worth while for the
| French gentlemen to borrow trouble about
it. Nevertheless, ii is not surprising that
such literature irritates them. Their feel
ing of disgust is probably similar TO that
experienced by many readers of Janice
Meredith" and 1.-The Crisis" over the alb
surdly inadequate and belittling portrayals
of Washington and Lincoln, respectively
offered in those books The only consoling
/ reflection is that in none of these cases car
the impressions conveyed be permanent
They fail to carry the convincing power OF
| truth.