The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-01-30
Literary Lighfs and Shadohs
BY s. MAYS BALL

Essays on Modern Novelists," by Will
 liam Lyon Phelps (The Macmillan Co.)
 pr. Phelps, former instructor in Eng hsh at Harvard; Lampson professor of Engiish literature at Yale, in his very recent book on essays, discussing mod ern noyelists, has sent forth very inter- esting volume; one that will please the discriminatfng, a book containing things, findings, and sincere criticism that should have been written long time ago, We have needed Dr. Phelps book; whether 1t will assist most of us to dis cover just what is what or better than that, Just who's who among modern nov elists Is quite another pair of shoes.
 For instance, when this charming writ CT, in speaking of. and in discussing Mrs Humphrey Ward and her work, he says: That Mrs. Ward works like "a well-trained. high-class graduate student who is engaged in the preparation of a doctors thesls." Dr. Phelps opinions are likely to give some of Mrs Ward 8 numerous admirers a severe blow, say solar pexus. as it were
 Some of the essays in this volume have appeared in recent numbers of various periodicals. There are 12 essays, three appendices and a list of publications
 The essays on Mark Twain and Thomas Hardy were originally printed in The North American Review; those on Mrs. Humphrey Ward and Rudyard Kip ling in The Forum: those on Alfred Oli- want, Bjornstjerne Bjornson and Novels as University Study in The Independ- ent The latter magazine contained portion of the present essay on Lorna Doone,' while the article on "rhe Teach CTS Attitude Toward Contemporary Lit erature" was written for The Chicago Interior.
 Writing of that distinguished novelist William De Morgan, the author of four great novels within the past three years a man who found his life work. his nat ural bent after reaching the age of 65 Dr. Phelps says:
 How can you know whether you are successful or not at fl? How do you know you won't have tremendous suc- cess all of a sudden? Yes. after another ten years, perhaps-but some time. And then 20 years of real, happy work. It has all been before. this sort of thing. Why not you?' Thus spake the hopeful Alice (for short) to the despairing Charley; and it makes an interesting comment on the very man who wrote the conver- sation. and created the speakers. Keats died at thhe age of 25. The strange case of William De Morgan. For 1t was just after he had safely passed the clmac- terial year of 63 that our now famous novelist began what is to us the most important chapter of his life, the first chapter of Joseph Vance and like the Patriarchs, it was only after he reached the age of 6 that he became fruitful producing those wonderful children of his brain that are today everywhere known and loved. Of the ten writers who may be classed as the greatest Eng fish novelists, only one, Charles Dickens. published a good novel before the age Of 30. Defoe's first fiction of any conse- uuence was Robinson Crusoe, printed in 1719; he was then 5S years old. Rich ardson had turned 50 before his earliest novel appeared"
 Of Mrs. Humphrey Ward, pr. Pheips says in part:
 'It Is high time that somebody spoke ont his mind about Mrs. Humphrey Ward Her prodigious vogue Is one Of the most extraordinary literary phenom- ena of our day. A roar of approval greets the publication of every new novel from
 her active pen and 1t is almost pathetic to contemplate the reverent awe Of her army of worshippers when they behold the solemn, announcement that she IS
 collecting material for another master
 piece Even professional reviewers lose all sense of proportion when they dlscuss her books and their so-called criticisms 1 sound like publishers advertisements. ] Sceptics are warned to remain silent lest they become unpleasantly conspicuous. When I adv Roses Daughter appeared, tha critic of a great metropolitan daily remarked that whoever did not 1mmedi- ately recognize teh work as master niece thereby proclaimed himseif as person incapable of judgment. taste and apprecia tion This is a fair example or , the attitude taken by thousands or ner
 readers. and 1t is this attitude rather than the value of her work, that we must, first of all consider
 ID those of us who delight in getting some enjoyment even out of the most depressing facts, then growth of Mrs. Wards reputation has it's humorous as- pect.'
 readers of Diana Mallory have never seen A copy of Robert Elsmere, for
 which incidentally they are to be con 1 Rratulated. But many of us can easily l recollect with what intense eagerness the
 novel that followed that sensation was
 awaited. Every one wondered If It would i he equally good; and many confidently
 nredicted that she had shot her bolt. As | a matter of fact, not only was David 1 Grieve a better novel than Robert ELS i mere but, in my judgment. it is the best i book it's author has ever written Oscar
 Wilde said that Robert Elsmere' was i Literature and Dogma with the litera- ] ture left out"
 Tn the first place, Mrs. Ward Is to- 1 tally lacking in one almost fundamental l quality of the great novelist-a keen i sense of humor. Mrs. Ward is not too
 much in earnest in following her ideals i of art no one can be. But she Is too 1 sadly serious. There is no mental tension i in her books, like the tension of over-
 work and mental exhaustion, like the tension of overwrought nerves; her books are. in fact, filled with tired and over
 worked man and woman, jaded and gone ], stale. How many of her characters seem ' to need a change-what they want Is
 rest and sleep Many of them ought to , be in a sanatorium. Her books are de-
 void of charm. The monotonous same ness of her books which has been men | toned above Is largely owing to the sameness of her characters She changes | the frames. but not the portraits. From which we may all correctly judge l that pr. Phelps does not think much, if | any. of Mrs. Ward as a novelist: cer- tainly not such a one to take and hold the rank she now does in the English speaking countries.
 Essays on Modern Novelsts' is first
 class; charming volume.
 Treasure Island." by Robert Louis Stew enson. {The Charles E. Merrill Co)
 This department has not, at this writ ing unearthed Stevenson's masterpiece.