The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-01-19
By BRIAN HOOKER.


~ nee in blue moon some work ap-
" pears whose interest is far less for
itself than for the comparison which it
affords with some classic already recOg-
nized. Mr. Bernard Shaw's Caesar and
Cleopatra, for example. will hardly of
itself astound the world but in compari-
son with antony und Cleopatra and with
Jxli4s Caesar it serves to illuminate the
contrasted art of Shaw and Shakespeare
and to set off against each other the Eliza
bethan drama and our own.
Similarly Mr. Clifford S. Raymond's
new novel, The Mystery Of Hartley
House, New York; George II. Doran
Company. 81 .4ol. Is IN itself only some
what better than average tale of the type
suggested BY It's tale. Hut It's theme hap
pens to be preeise} that of TIE Master OF
Ballan'rae: each /. q story of the hate be-
tween two brothers. And in structure and
treatment. furthermore, the later book is
perfectly the complement of Stevensons,
being cverywherr strongest where be Is
weak and weaker where he Is strong.
Whether by lur;Hi,ttc accident or 10y
design, the comparison of the two offers
All interesting object lesson in the art of
fiction; tor ii illustrates as from the III
side not only hoa Stevenson made q great
novel, but how he might have made i!
greater
Stevenson's Two Strands.
The story OF The Muster Of BaHantrde
one may take FOR granted: and its great
qualities Of style and character and analy-
sis of human nature are no less well and
widely known. But is against these obvious
and familiar merits there are faults hard
~ less universally felt. although less fully
understood. The story separates as it
were III two Ncin> or strata diverse In
tone and not e"cn entirely appropriate
ID each other, il,,. beads of two colOrS
strung at random along a single thread.
II is dramatic ;ind He!odramatic by turns,
a serious tragedy al character aud 4 wild
yarn OF picturesque adventure.
The two strains mix but viii not com
bine And nearly every reader feels that
the tragic portions of the tale are not only
better worth DOING .han the merely adj
yenturous, hui very much better done
The final scerc. for instance, where the
Master is r,.-.l,''itated from his grave,
comes with stus.. al disappointment: it
ought somehow 10 De more sensational
than it is; and the most uncritical admirer
cannot but find 1t inferior to the first re
turn of the Master from abroad or the
great duel at tie House uf Durrisdeer.
Story. Structure. Telling.
Now, there are il any work of fiction
three several elements WHICH it Is often
convenient to distinguish. First, the
story itself. that >"lTenec Of events which
constitute the subject matter of the tale,
Is We imagiEa tic:n ;,ctuaily to have &C
CURED. Second, tlc .ructgre. the. par
tirular form a. W&.c4 these events are
selected ;ni prs,."r'io:cd and arranged
by the author fvi tie pGrP"se Of the par
ticlilar work II ir>'.rn. THIRD, the exc
.utitl. the ~h..~ v,tug, the manner in
winch ,t,. talr IS odd ~ words and set
d"Wn OF pai,er.
Via. " .a,-'., cat he plot usually
mca!I, the co.s',. ,r,n,. "t ;he first two:
the matriirl story. 90 s,'rraiy arranged for
presentation. the distinction between the
two appear, Hc. PLAINLY ~ The ordinary