Evening star., 1926-12-07
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
I. C. NJ.

Liveright.
Moore-Outside of poetry English
genius has accomplished little or
nothing in nerature.
Gosse-You wouldn't 60. 80 far as 10
say that English genius has &C.
complished nothing in prose.
Moore-It has found abundant ex-
preston in the essay, but English
prose narrative Is the weakest part
Of our literature. English nction
is a hackney. French and RUSSIAN
narrative shows more breeding.
A scrap of talk, this, between Ed.
mund Gosse and George Moore that
points the purpose of "Avowals ana
indicates the critical character OF us
substance. Revolutionary and cnai'
lenging of attitude, subversive In
Judgment and conclusion, the discus
sion stretches from Fielding to Kip
ling, a. sequence Of concrete evidence
In support of the contention In hand:
pure effrontery," say we, schooled
in the long English tradition OF liter
ary self-pride. And, supporting US.
the ghosts Of Fielding and Smollett
and Sterne and Dickens and Thackeray
pass by, along with a host of later
writer's both in the flesh and out or
it. Impregnable as we are, we can
listen In security to this suave,
smooth.speaking Irishman who' 1or
the greater part of his life, mas
stepped in the rich brew OF many IT.
eratureS.
Talking with Gosse in the warm
and welcoming fire-lit room, Moore
goes on to say-at the moment
speaking of "Tom Jones'-that the
subject of literature will always be:
in large measure. DESCRIPTION a Oh
social life. And he reminds Gosse
that social life in England at the
time when "Tom Jones" appeared was
a very new thing. More familiar
were the English then with the
rnoated castle than with the drawing
room, with the sudden defense or
attack of the lord and his retainers
than with the social urbanities or the
salon. "Tom Jones" was the response
to a new need for which neither the
writer nor readers were ready. An
entirely empty book. vague. IKE
fog, yet without mystery, ana 80 im'
personal that we begin to DOUBT the
existence Of the author, and In sell
defense have to urge Ourselves ou.
of the belief that the book proceeded
from some curious machine, !os'
invention of the eighteenth century.
Machinery was in its infancy In
1850. so we know that living man
must have written it or dictated II.
and the theory that it. was gaoDieo
into a phonograph is untenable. Even
so. the impersonality of the book
would surprise us, so empty are the
pages of all traces Of preferences ana
ayersions. In Tom Jones we are In
a fieldless, treeless, flowerless planet;
but even Fieldings Indifference 10
nature would not matter II the pooK
were not passionless; any suooen
movement of passion or feeling Wouio
provoke our sympathy. and we shoulo
see in our imagination the sun nsnt-
ing I'D the middle distance ana the
raincloud above it," Moore admits
that Fielding writes with "gusto. q
quality we seldom meet in modern
literature, perhaps because we are
becoming more thoughtful; and ne
keeps It up like an actor who knows
he is playing in a bad play. JUST
remember that George Moore Is here
speaking of a generally accepted ex'
ample Of the classic in English prose
narrative. Just remember, too, tnat
this is one of the books to wnicn
we, as students coming along tne
WAYS of education, are required 10 PIN
our literary faith. To be sure, we
don't read "Tom Jones', except IN 3,
cleaned.up issue freed from gusto'
but that Is an unimportant oetan'
There isn't time to mention even
what George Moore has to say apout
walter Scott's novels. Too bad! 1or II
would be a great JOY TOT many u
suffering student to sit down Win
Moore here. To Jane Austen he gives
spontaneous praise, quite reasoned
praise as well.
Let's catch an opinion here and
there. unfair as this way is-but there
is no time for more:
"Dickens' mind was richer, more
abundant than Thackeray's; Thack'
erav's always seemed to me meager,
sandy mind, an essentially ungener'
Gus soil, that produced only starve-
lings. He was interested only IN tne
drift and litter Of social life. lie
goes on to say that Thackeray was
lacking in human sympathy. What
he did understand, though, were pref
udices and conventions. and tnat Is
why his novels seem old-rasnloneo u
the Younger generation.
George Eliot is a trivial writer" "
Stevenson is an unfortunate one VINO
cried to write books Of adventure but
who merely wrote q succession or accl'
dents. in contrast to De Foe, whose
Robinson Crusoe' Is a masterpiece OF
creative fiction" In it every incident
is necessary; and every one Is shapen
perfectly and fits into its place; at the
right moment we are told"-and so on.
So on through long talks that wan
der richly and come back laden TO the
thread Of discussion Moore and Gosse
experience together the facts of Eng
lish fiction. For the reader 1t pro,
yides an intimacy and spread OF
yicarious companionship with half
known writer's that proves to be
deep delight. For the first time has
"Avowals' come into the hands OF
the average folks, for it is book OF
exclusive implications. Neyertneiess
its best use is in the hands of the
many, for it is one Of the few books
of criticism calculated to break down
the walls Of dogmatism that shut off
any Independent thinking on the SUD-
iect of books. Never was a time when
readers stood more in need OF compe'
tent guidance than now when DOCKS
are so overabundant. Never was a
time for individual thinking more
needed than now when so few really
do think at all. Critics-wise. cul
tured. untrammeled-like Moore and
Swinnerton and Joseph Collins, to
name those at the moment In mind
are necessary adjuncts to the present
general business Of hasty and thought
less reading. Such as these are to off
set critics who sweepingly damn
like the young man out West who
raves and drivels by turn and who
should be shut up safe somewhere
with his own noise. Or that other
one who in the role Of Ell Toro paws
the ground and lashes his tail and
shakes his horns and rumbles deer
in his own insides. And not against
these alone are the constructive critics
making way in the interest Of the gen
eral reader. 1t is their influence thai
will in time break down the wall Of
dogma that, like religion, learning de
| veloped in it's descent to education