the modern-day characters are nowhere near as vivid as the 19th-century ones . 
(ROOT (S (NP (DT the) (NML (JJ modern) (HYPH -) (NN day)) (NNS characters)) (VP (VBP are) (ADJP (ADVP (RB nowhere) (RB near) (RB as) (JJ vivid)) (PP (IN as) (NP (DT the) (NML (JJ 19th) (HYPH -) (NN century)) (NNS ones))))) (. .)))
(ROOT (S (NP (DT ) (NML (JJ ) (HYPH ) (NN )) (NNS )) (VP (VBP ) (ADJP (ADVP (RB ) (RB ) (RB ) (JJ )) (PP (IN ) (NP (DT ) (NML (JJ ) (HYPH ) (NN )) (NNS ))))) (. )))