The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-01-29

IGrdndet OF caesar Birotteau, Spell
hagen's Hammer and Anvil, and HaW-
| thorne's Scarlet Letter. If / could put
| in this category book not written
| in the choicest style. but contain
| ing noble tictive material, The pro-
| duct Of great genius, ] would include
either CooPer's Spy, his Pilot, his
| Deerslayer and his Last of the Mohic-
ans--perhaUs the last two in prefer
ence, Charles Reade's Wonderful
| C9oister itnG the Hearth and Dickeuss
| Tale of Two Cities and Bleak House or
| his Great Expectations. David Cop
periield and Martin Chuz21ewit Haw-
thorne'S House of Seven Gables and
Marble Faun are nearly as majestic
tictions as he Scarlet Letter. George
| IGliots .>dam Bede. the first long story
| of the greatest of English woman
writer's. is TO me barely inferior i'm in
terest TO the pathetic Mill on the Floss.
| Silas Mariner is also great ANA SO is
Romola, although some of the Italian
| critics have criticised portions of it
| ttercely. | could never take a deep.
| interest i'm Mddlemarch except the
one character of Mary Garth. Daniel
Deronda is lacking IN human interest.
but somehow touches one as eIo-
quemce and pure altruism. The Jew
receives his or hc. best treatment
There. Speaking of style just now. Is
here rs perfect writer Of elevated
English in al English fiction as Ma
rion Evans. called George Eliot" Next
to her, perhaps, is our American HaW-
thornc though GoldSmith's Vicar is
hard to beat either for style of SELL
timent. Thackeray and Scott were able
masters of style when they chose to
be or took time. Fielding's Tom Jones
-a(littlc naughty. like his generation
shows that great English writer is
best off when he is nj perfect ease IL
may be that both Fielding ana Thack-
cray have been oVer-rated by the crit
les. ! do not know.
| have purposely omitted until this
moment to mention Dumas who is
the most interesting in incident of all
romauces | know there is an English
opinion. as there is Il continental opin-
ion. that he is not n great artist in
fiction--that ne merely amuSes for the
hour. Even il this We're all he does,
! il would be n notable distinction. But
if we can judge from the best transla-
toni 10 not read FREE .ch---he is at
times q great stylst Balzac's Sty!e
has been attacked ny many critics. |
do not think Dumar gives the true
historical color. as Balzac often does.
but fails TO do in his Catherine De
Medici. Neither>are his portraitures.
of character so strong ana life-like as
those of his great English contempor-
aries and those OF Balzac and furge-
nef BY the way. tho only long novel
of the Russiar novelist | ever read,
| Fathers and Sons is powerful. bat tin
ged with the sombre Colors of Mus
cows litaramrc. ! prefer Turgenief's
.Annuals Of 4 Sportsman. or even a
short story the hero Of which is a
horse to his more favored novel. The
Annals are short stories and sketches
of rural life in Russia much of the
scenery and manners being those of
he Steppe. To my poor judgment Tol.
Stoi is inferior to Turgenief. Jokai, the
Hungarian, who recently died AT a
great age, was vigorous. a Volumin-
Gus and a most interesting writer OF
the romantic school His Timar's Two
Worlds is as fun of incident as the
Three Musquiteers. and has their
lovers
OF the more important German and
scandinavian romances and novelistS
ii was the fashion & few years ago 10
admire Paul Hcise and rate him above
both SpeilEagcn and F'reytag much
more Imaginative authors ana / have
heard Bioinson neltttied by those in
capable OF enjoying his exquisite IDEAL
fsation. IN the only one of F'reytag's
historical romances, the shst of The
series Illustrating German history.
which | nave read. THE Forcfathers''
he initiates and admits that he initiates
Scott ana Cooper 10 whom he gives
high praise. 1t is a story Of the times
when the sturdy C;ermanic barbaT2nS
fought the ancient Romans. fleise'S
short tales are fine One of them is
about an old jew banker or ieweler
and his young Wife---a delightful story
of WomanS temptation and chastity.
But | prefer Bjoinsofl's short stories
OF noVelettcs-'' Anne" The Fisher
Maiden &c. He is both poetic and
natural. Speilhagen is. when at his
best. rs IN Hammer ana Anvil" and
'Problematic Characters also i'm a
smaller degree in The Hohensteius"
finely imaginative. Lis descriptions of
scenery brilliant. his satire of old ban
ker society iiercciy biting and his take
offs of literary humbues. as tie au-
: thor Of The Corn Flower poem. cN-
| tremcly amusing. To me Ancrbach is
Very inferior to Spieihagtn. The next
German novelist ! intend TO read is
Gudermaun.
] cannot close this hastv. rambling
monologuc without q word as To two
Hardy and Meredith. who approach
the first rank. Hardy is i'm my iudg
ment the better stoiy-writer. but not
quite 50 brilliant rclStor Of social
conversation. But IS ! have 50 far
only read che. work of me former.
Far from the MaddinG Crowd. and
two Of The latter, THE IGgoist" aud
The ordeal Of Richard Fev"rel" my
Judgment may not pass rs OF amy
value. Hardy has a decision. u grasp,
a strength which il seems to me are
hacking IN Meredith. The latter shines
i'm gems of speech uttered al the din
ner table or in the parior but his
drawing of character IS not above that
OF 4 writer Of q lower grade Of intel
lect. Charlotte Bronte and MI Cas-
keIl surpaSs him ana ShorthouSe is
in this respect at least his equal Ifor
HE residue of my spare holiday read
ing I have just taken out of inc
Public Library Hardys "Undcr In"
Greenwood Tree In the above | did
not by any means intend to imply that
the author Of Jane Eyre was of u low
en- grade OF intellect than George More
dith. j do not> think SO. she wsS .
genius of Il high order he is )nlv a
man OF clever parts. OF Maurice Hcw-
lit there is not space herr 10 say
more than that his Richard Yea and
Nay is readable. but far inferior to
SCOTS IaliSman. dealing with the
same heroes and events
CICERO ". HARRIS
r.