New-York tribune., 1911-04-09
ON DIFFERING TASTES
MIR. Andrew Lang in Humorously
Combative Mood.
From The London Morning Post.

From The London Morning Post.
| am not current in circles whose con-
yersation rolls on political and religious
disputes: which is fortunate for mem
berS of these circles, as my sentiments
are uncontrolled and intolerant; my IAN
guage quite indefensible; at least, since
the duel went out of vogue. 1t is clear
that you cannot tell a person, whose SEN
timents are not your own, exactly what
you think of him, If you are unable TO
give him meeting ION the sod For
the same reason l retire from open talk
about novels, on account of the passions
which are generated in sensitive minds
by differences of opinion about works or
fiction. Some years ago | was so un-
fortunate as to hurt Mr.. Swinburne
feelings by certain observations on
Dickens. | injured the feelings or Mr.
Henley, too. and both those men Oh
genius uprose and smote me, in Tne
Quarterly Review" and I'm some other
magazine. Mr.. Swinburnes chief re-
proach against me Qn addition 10 treat
ing me as an "affable archangeP' would
not use a black beetle was that am
Scot Mr.. Henley went so far as 10 try
to make out that Dickens understood
the game Of cricket,
NV own bosom is at this present
moment painting. under similar provoca-
tions. from revenge on critic IN Ihe
North American Review" If he stood
alone in his infuriating opinions he
might be neglected, but he speaks II
seems. and speaks with serene superior
itv. for a multitude of men and women
as self satisfied as himself. Nj. Rene
Doumic has written a book on George
Sand and expressed popular but un-
pleasing literary opinions M. Dou-
mics opinions coincide perfectly Win
those OF n large majority of newspaper
hack writer's (says the superb scribbler
of short notices'O land contributors 10
the cheaper periodicals." | don't know
how expensive The North American Re-
view" may be. but ii blushlessly an
nounces that it is in the ninety-siXth
year of its age.
Well. what are the inexpensive popular
and unpleasing heresies which Nj. Rene
Doumic shares with the wretched news
paper hack writer and the squalid con-
tributor TO the cheaper perlodlcais
THE opinions may be summed up as the
apotheosis OF the cheap" (this critic IN
sists on opulence) and the mediocre.
N Doumic's sin lies in "a final para
graph." i'm which he sums up his theory
Of The novel. Its function may he
saws. "be summed up in few words-to
charm. TO touch, to console, Whereto
would add, 10 entertain.
The scornful and expensive writer or
short notices goes on: "A list or the
noyeljsts who must be erased from the
tablets of fame. If this criterion were al
lowed. might be an effective reply. AS a
mere beginning we should be Obliged 10
throw out Balzac. Flaubert de Maupas-
SAINT. Zola, the de Goncourts, Lott, Bour-
get. Stendhal, all the great Russian nov
elists In one heap. Sternc Fielding.
Smollett, Thackeray. George Eliot. the
Brontes. Hardy, Meredith. Conrad.
Henry James, Arnold Bennett, Gals
worthy: but the list is too long to follow
out"
Do Balzac. Sterne, Fielding, Smollett.
Thackeray, George Eliot. Hardy, Mer-
edith not charm. not touch, not console
i'm the only practical way OF consolation,
by making us FORGET ourselves and our
troubles? These are the very things
which they do: and they also amuse and
entertain: II they were not entertaining
they would not he consoling-in fact. we
would not read them at all If they did
not entertain US. About the great Rus
sian noVelists ] cannot. speak. as the lit
| tie | have read of them borcs me ter
ribly, while the critic speaks of some
great moderns whom have not read.
| have not compared Conrad and Gals