New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-09-03
Return Compliments.

What America thinks of Russian lit
erature it has proclaimed from the house
tops. To Mr. Howells belongs the honor
of discovering it as a model of perfection
worth adapting and cultivating. Since
those enthusiastic days voices of doubt
have been heard, if not of Tourgenev and
Tolstoy, at least of the greatest of them
ALL Of Dostoievsky, the Titan of con-
structive chaos. But Marmeladov's drunk
en- confession of his own degradation is
admitted even by the doubters to be one
of the peaks of the revelation of the hu-
man heart in all literature.
The Russian masters stand secure in
their inches in the international fictional
pantheon. Their successors are still on
trial. Gorky is already Of an older gem
Grafton, his work mostly done; Chekhov
is dead. leaving behind him promise not
altogether fulfilled. As for the young
sters, our contemporaries, they are being
thrown upon our reading-tables in masses
that, however impressive quantitatively,
are qualitatively a disappointment. At
their best they are only weak copies Of
the great ones we honor-Russian life
and the Russian soul move but slowly. At
/ their worst they are a waste of time. In
the average they but rarely bring forth a
! find of at least momentary interest, like
Kuprin.
it was time, however, that a Russian
critic should return the compliments paid
so generously by US to Russian literature.
1 Therefore, it was a happy thought of the
editor of THE Bookman" to invite Abra-
ham Yarmolnsky to tell US of the estima-
! ton in which American literature is held
by his countrymen. That the result is
scarcely enlightening is neither Mr..
/ Maurices nor Mr.. Yarmolinsky's fault
Russia, as a matter Of fact, knows nothing
as yet Of American literature. 1t wor-
ships Poe and Whitman-the author of
Leaves of Grass" one supposes, by way
Of the contrast between his energetic, joy
/ full acceptance of life and the Slav's apa-
thetic, fatalistic submission to il. Long
fellows "Hiawatha" is a Russian fayorite
1t is all the country knows of him. One
doubts if his didacticism would appeal to
it were it translated. Hawthorne is but
little known-one would like to have the
Sav view Of "The Scarlet Letter" For
the rest, there seems to be an occasional
glmmer of familiarity with a few more
Of our classics-Fenimore Cooper. rele-
gated 10 the children's room; Harte
Mayne Reid, "Uncle Toms Cabin En-
erson, Thoreau and William James. Mark
Twain is a great Russian favorite.
But of current American literature the
subjects of the Gar know nothing beyond
Jack London, Richard Harding Davis and
Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle" London
lis hailed by Andreyev and Kuprin; some
denounce him as a travelling salesman
in a derby who deals in oceans, storms
l Lucifers and prairies.' Others, again
praise him as dynamic tonic for Slay
|. passivity, though warning against his sur
face spread without depth. But beyond
him our authors of the day who count are
apparently not even names to the Russian
reading public. which, Mr.. Yarmolinsky
suggests, is Ms yet too ignorant OF Amer
lean conditions and the American soul te
take an intelligent interest in our modern
novelists or 20 form an opinion Of their
merits. Even Mr.. Howells, tho prophet OF
the Russians among us, Is evidently I'm.
known 20 them. In conclusion, one should
liike 10 have Mr.. YnrmolInsky's opinion VI
the realism Of Sister Carrie" Its author