New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-02-28
A TR0LL0PE REVIVAL
An Authorized Biography of the
Victorian Novelist.

ANTHONY TROLLOPE: HIS PUBLIC
SERVICES. PRIVATE FRIENDS AND
LITERARY ORIGINALS. BY !. H. :;
Escott. With frontispiece reproduced
from a portrait by samuel Lawrence
i'm the possession of Mrs. Anthony Troll
lone. together with other Illustrations.
Svo. PIP xvi, 3Jl The John Lane Com
pany.
The extent to which Trollope is read
to-day in this country is, we imagine,
not exactly realized generally. 1t is
very considerable. There are two good.
inexpensive editions of his works avail
able here, or rather of the major por-
ton OF his works, which have con-
tinuous and very fair sale. Several
legendary facts about the man ere
small talk. He made half a million
dollars COR something like that 10y
writing novels. He made a habit Of
writing five hundred words every if
teen minutes while at work Tor some
thing like thaD, with his watch before
him. If he finished one novel at say,
half past ten in the morning he began
another by eleven. He was a very well
set up. bow-wow sort of a man, good
deal Of @ sportsman, and he had some
thing to do with the Post Office service
of Great Britain. \ good deal Of at
tcntion is given TO him to-day in aca-
demic courses on the English novel
and in studies of English fiction. There
is no life of him handy. though in one
of the most delightful books on letters
ever published, Mr.. James's Partial
Portraits" there is a charming paper
on the man and his art Gn the main
zone huge serial'D, which doubtless is
largely forgotten. And works OF refer
encc, such as the magnificent 'Diction-
AIRY of Eational Biography do not, Of
course, have any very general circula-
ton. Trollope's own Autobiography"
maintains its life almost if not quite
equally with the Barchester cycle. A
full account Of the big Victorian novel
ist should have a prosperous voyage.
Trollope was, indeed, the least Of The
great ones with whom he was contem-
poraneous, he had not the transmitting
fame Of genius, but he was a writer Of
prodigious creative ability, of much
humanity and excellent humor. faitr-
full fictional historian and an interest
ing figure, though his life was not at
all dramatically picturesque.
The present biographer has had eX-
ceptional opportunities for qualifying
himself TO perform his task: it would
seem. in fact. that he was virtually
commissioned by Trollope TO do this
work. He has taken the business very
seriously: indeed, a little too seriously.
we think: he might. in effect be writ
ing a history OF Ireland and England.
The social, business, political. religious
and literary atmosphere that Trollope
knew he has presented with elaborate
detail. 4 deep consideration Of all this,
he considers. is essential for a right
understanding" of the novels. His
explanation OF Trollope's art is laborcl;
the readableness Of his book is inter-
fered with by tortuous discussions Of
the machinery Of each story. and sol
emn examination Of the characters; and
he is much impressed by coincidence"
here and there in his story about which
we can see nothing passing strange.
And he has throughout modelled as one
who sees his subject from without
rather than as one who enters within.
All this however. is by the br. He