The Sun. — 1864-01-02 (London, England)

LITERATURE.  A Woman's .Ranscm. By Frederick William Robinson, author of " Grandmother's Money," &c. 3 vols. Hurst and Blackett. A mania for excitement has unfortunately seized upon the novel-writers and readers of the day, the extravagant has taken the place of the natural, and horror is regarded as the only legitimate element of interest. To such al amount has this pernicious influence extended, that even those fiction-writers who had already distinguished themselves as truthful painters of domestic fife have been carried away by the stream, and like the dog of the:fe.ble who dropped the substance for the shadow, have cast aside the essentials to true success already within their grasp in the hope of realising a shadowy popularity,which, if attained by such means, could only prove evanescent. Among this number we are sorry to find the author of the popular novel of "Grandmother's Money." His new work, " A Woman's Ransom," has actually been recommended to general admire tion as the Novel of Crime !—such an epithet being undoubtedly in the present day an attractive distinction. Those, however, who may in consequence turn to its pages as a delightful stimulant will be also sadly disappointed. According to Lord Byron ( who was well qualified to give an opinion on the matter, being himself a master in the delineation of either character), Scott's Lord Marmion lacked the essential elements of attraction, either good or bad, being " Not half a villain, and but half a knight I " In like manner " A Woman's Ransom," while emulating the horrible reputation of some of its con temporaries, does not actually venture to realise its own evil ambition. We hear of the elopement of the wife of the bad hero of the book, but after awhile it appears that the report is a falsehood contrived by the husband himself, who is the murderer of the * unfortunate lady. An interest is at length, after long and weary delays, attracted by the supposed discovery of the dead body, when, lo and behold, the lady is alive, and no murder has actually been committed. The character of Herbert Vaughan is a marvellous compound of unnecessary criminality. Ho is evidently'prepared to commit every evil under the sun, and gives himself an immense deal of trouble to concoct and carry out schemes of Machiavellian duplicity without any adequate reason for their contrivance. The sister of this evil spirit,Mary Zitman, is a young widow, who is left in possession of her husband's large estates, on condition of her never leaving the estate; or never taking another husband. The brother contrives to enjoy the mastery of this property, and takes every possible precaution to prevent his sister's second marriage. The situation is so far well contrived, and the question of Mrs. Zitman's emancipation from this state of thraldom, which is preying upon her health, and unsettling her nerves, gives its title to the book—" A Woman's Ransom." The character of Mrs. Zitman, which at first promised well, degenerates as the story advances, and she becomes feeble and commonplace. Far more interesting is old Mrs. Ray, the covetous sister of the deceased Mr. Zitman, and who is to inherit the property on the death or marriage of the youthful widow. This old lady is a compound of avarice and cunning, and her character, disagreeable as it is, is cleverly drawn. A powerful scene occurs, when at last her seared conscience is touched with a late remorse ; it is entitled  ♦