The San Francisco call., 1904-11-06
A STRONG
Ante Bellum Novel

a Is YET p ell THIS sIQe OF InAEV-
has esssyed the monumental
task OF writing triOIogy on the
civil War His first novel Ma
nsssas~ which has Just been published,
deals with the train Of events that hur-
rIed the country on 70 the --irrepressible
ccufict--- the second, Gettysburg
VII catch the tremendous struggle at
fts climax and the last. -AppOmattox.
Is designed 70 reflect the dying flicker
q the last cause Certainly 3 re-
markabIe task IL IS that this young
novelist has set for himself. He has
youth on his side and. 10 judge from
the first OF his rriology. enthusiasm IN
great measure; something noteworthy
should be found in the completed
work
Nr. SincIair's Manassas is not an
historical romance based on q great
national movement such as Church
urs The Crisis" or The Crossing
Il Is. rather. q romantic history with
more OF the element OF history in IL.
than OF romance With only the slight
e-t web Of a plot for q foundation the
author has attempted q comprehensive
survey Of The tangled skein Of events
that led the arrayed forces OF slavery
and abolitionism into death grips HIS
s1ory differs from the legitimate his
torical narrative only in its feature OF
close and intimate reflection Of the
social aspect Of the great moral strug--
gle that preceded the kindling OF the
war torch The romantic coloring OF
The strif-an element that is missed
b. The writer Of hist0ry-is in Sin
Glars book the zeal cause of being
This method OF fitting romance 50
closely 70 history that nothing OF the
latter may De c5scursd has its fall
iugs. very plainly manifested in Ma
naSsaS- Viewed strictly as q novel,
il cannot be called good because the
uuIties of the novel are made sub
ordinate 10 the sequence Of historical
events. they are even made 70 strain
themselves into alignment with the
sane As 4 novel, Manassas" fails
again because OF the discursiveness
compelled BY the authors attention 70
the recital of history Whether under
the z11ise q long and Irrelevant 6ia-
IoEues O. frankly adduced as matter
divorced from the advancement Of the
uIor the author has page after page
ct material that is not fiction in any
senss q The word, but pure history
The few characters he introduces, Ike
The very ffmsy plot. are mere shadows
But as Z careful and impartial study
C The complex series OF events that
carried the country from the Missouri
Couuro-ise 70 the day OF the great
res1t st Bull Run 1Ir. Sinclsir's book is
frspirfeing reading He has caught the
psychology of history, II the term may
be used. the inner workings CT inspira-
tion, suggestion and Impulse. which had
Their manifestations II the hurried
sreep of events The eddying currents
OF thought. which found expression in
the halls OF Congress. IN fiery Southern
barbecue and Northern council OF the
UNDERGROUND railroad" the author has
traced All CT the elements OF discord
between North and South that united
70 drive them asunder are tersely and
vigorously outlined Perhaps with the
exception Of Thomas Nelson Pages
books no novel has photographed so
rninutely snte-beIlum spirit in the
South
Since Sinclsir's story hevs so closely
70 the line % historical record the play
of dramatic incident has no great part
81 L save as al elaboration. upon actual
events There are two incidents, how
ever, wherein the titular hero OF the
tale comes 70 the fore in stirring ac-
tiou-ore the hound hunt after an es-
caped slave. and the other the battle OF
Bun Run, OF Manassas. as the COufed-
crates termed the field In both these
opportunities the author exhibits
virfIe pen for dramatic action Stephen
Cranes battle picture. The Red Badge
Of C0urage," is no more vivid than Sin
cIairEs panorama of Bull Run; the psy-
chology OF strife in both. is equally well
done.
So much for Manassas" II young
1Ir- Sinclair holds 70 his project OF q
triology novel readers may live IN
plezsurabIe anticipation Let Us hope,
though. that in Gettysburg" and -Ap-
p0matt0x" there win be no shadows for
chsrscters-either flesh and blood or
none az zlL
CThe Macmillan Company. New York:
Price q 50l
ROR GAS