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    Sept. is, 1887 The Publishers' Circular ...

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  • Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.

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    Realism In Fiction.

    I have been rarely equalled , and never surpassed , I and a few lesser lights , many of whose works are I ] read with pleasure at the present time .

    1 After , and in some cases contemporary with these calibre ^^ j % ^^^* mm- m * - ~— - ^ works , y dealing — — ' ¦ —~ ¦ , ^— were v ^ k - princi ™ —— ¦ — published - ^ ^ pally ¦ mt pp ^ " —— * # with ^^ novels ^^ ^^^^ , military ^^ p »^*™ p ^» ^ m . mmt vr of w ^ b w a or ^^** ^ b li naval ^ g fchi ^ hter v ^ v ¥ ^^* V

    affairs , and which found ready and eager readers recent in ^ ^ mT mmr - those ^ —~ — g ^^ m * lorious - whose ^ ^ P ^ — -wm ~ - deeds ¦» souls — - ~^ ^— ' — ——w were of -mm mmm Nelson M * -mm- mmrmmmr still mr mm . mm , thrilled Napoleon mmmf m w PJ WmT -mr + ^^ mm ^^ b ^ b ^ t y , M ^ and the HMfc ^

    Wellington . heal In thy all and thes vigorous e works tone there ; the was hero a decidedl was ever y

    loved p mmm . ictured « J ^ k ** V ^ ^*/ truth 1 rf ~ 1 as *^ d better a moral W « rf" ^^»*^ than I , noble » "V ^ "V l ~ life * . I ^ "fc - minded - - * itself ~ m V % rf ^ l ^* k J" > , and creation ^ k « IM * -k # ^ althoug n mm * . , who ¦» M « 1—I h many of the deeds ascribed to him were

    im-^**^ m-m ** mm ^ m ^ ^™ * ^ " ^ * ™^ —™^™ ^ p ^ ^ ^^^ ^ mr ^^^^ ¦ p * ^^^^ v ^ pj ^ ^^ v «^ v v ^^ p * ^ pjp » ^ k ^^ v ^ ar ^^ r ^ p ^^ p ^ ^^ p ^ ^ p ^ ^^^ r Mk ^ b ^ p * ^^^ kmmm ^^ possibilities and ^ tended m ' ¦ ^ B * m \ ~~ , to yet increase the _ ^ B . error the was admiration on . the _*» ri g felt ht side for _

    ¦ J ¦ ^»^ — ' ¦ ~ — ^ " — - ™ - ^™~ " ™ ^^ f' - ^^ ~ ^ p *^ " ^^ ^ v " ^ P ° ^^^^ ^^ ^ t ^^ ^^» WpBpp ^ B ^»^ Mp ^ V ^ r ^^ *¦ ^^^^ ^ P »^ Pfc «^ to ^^^ ^ P » mW P »^ ^ p ^ p * 4 * deeds of valour and uprightness . T 3 ie heroine was always the quintessence of virtue and

    modesty , although upon some occasions given to using * j strong ^ , language — ** m—v ~ CTJ ; and ^^ altogether ^^ ^^ m ^ m ^^ " ^^ ^^^^ ^^ ^^^ the ^^ ^^^^ ^^^ ^ novel ^^^ ^ " ^ ^^^ ^^ , »

    if we except the fact that the hero had generally managed to extinguish before the end of the story the lives of a score or more of fellow-beingswas

    healthy in tone ; ; vice was always mercilessl , y punished and virtue triumphant . In time authors began to think the le

    were jaded and wearied with this purely peop melodramatic ending , and in some cases we find the hero and -- heroine - ^_ -- are -m- « v not mmmmmi --r ¦¦ meted fc » V M out the W- rewar b V W d — — —y — — ^_^ — - ^^ ^—* ^ n ^^*^ ^^ ^ yr * ^^ ^^ *^ mm .+ 9 ^ m ^ ^^ ^^*** t ^^^

    j the both feeble succour they ; w but ¦ and yet arrives the if readers not too rewarded late mig , ht or naturall ~ the rm > for hel their y p , expect is con too i i ~ - ,

    stancy — — — — ^ upon — — — — this —J- ^^ ^^ , ^ f mundane ^ ^^ ^^ ^^^ ^^^ sphere . ^^ ^ * m ^^^^ ^ mr ^ , the mm ^ ^ m ^ ^* readers 4 ^ ^^^ H ^^^ ^^^ B . ^^^ are ~^^ i ^ i ^ I never left in doubt as to the ultimate fate of those in whomthey are so deeply interested .

    , When the public was becoming satiated with L this ~ style — - ^ — ^ w ^"" ^^ of ^ " ^ ¦ ¦ fiction ¦ ' - ^^ " ^ mmm ' - ^ mmmmmi ^ another ^ rmr mm—mt ^^ ^ m > —* mmi ~^ mr av » school r * m- ^ mm ^ m-mmt ^ m- ^ mr ^ mt of ^^ m ^ mi authors ^ ml ^* m < mr ^ m ^ ^^^ mmf w * mT sprang P ^ r mmr ^ m * w <*«^ 4 # ** %

    up , and in this school we find the first indications j of realism , as the term is generally accepted . The

    • ! i authors authors or of this this school school we we may mav class class as as domestic domestic novelists . These writers did not turn , over the pages ¦ of ¦ history ¦ for mmm-m the f principal mi-mrmm event t s of their l

    M E ^~\ ^^ . ^^^ ' ' ^^ * N ^» ^ mr ~ m * J , ^ ' *^ ^^ mm- ^ m ~^ mW U ^^ ^^ ^^ ^*^ mT ^ ^ , ^ mW W ^^ * mm * m ^ p ^^ ^ m ^ " *^ ^ " mm ^ ^ mm- m ^^ " « stories , but contented themselves with picking out j some ^ " ^ ~~— ' ^^*^ anomalous ^ m *~ m ^^ m— ^^^ ^^ r ^^^^ m ^ pr ^ V ^ m § ^^ ^^^ ^^ p' condition ^^^ - - ^ v ~ ^^»^ M ^ k ^*^ B | ff ^ ^ . ^ ^^^ ^^ i ^ ' ^^^^ v of ^ i ^ ^ Hl * n societ ^ ^ k ^ ^ fe ^ ¦ ^^ ^^^ VT y ^ , H ^ some ^^ 1 ^^ vM >^ M ^ M ^ h ^ ^ fact V *^ i ^^ V ^^^ ^**

    of science , or some strange fre , ak of nature , and I around the one fixed point contrived to weave a ¦ web ¦ of ~ w ~ ¦ strange 1 bb pjB and startling ¦ B events ir which tfK 4 in mt & -

    * m ^^ v v ^~ ' ^^ m ^ r" » ^^^^^ 1 ^ ' vrv ^ i *^^ ^> wt ^^^ ^ v ^^ k ^^ lp ^^ ^^ ^^^^ ' ^ ' ^ HK ^ . ^ * ^^^ ff ^^^ ^ n r w ^ ^^ JV ^ m ^ ^^^^ mm ^ mm creased and multiplied with every chapter of the i I book — ~— -w- until m 1 mmmmr ^ r m ^ ¦ the ^ v P last »^^» ¦ . « V when W V ^ P »* " * B * i ^^ wit v V h » a . « few «^ P » - » W P scratches ' ^¦ T' V «« V fctfB ^| pr of mr # ^^ ^^ ^"" ' ^ , ^^^ ^^ ^ " ^ " ** ^*^ ^^ ^^^ ^^ ^^* **^ ^^* " ^

    I the author ' s pen the mystery vanished , the existence of the fixed point was explained , the i h clouds were - all cleared 1 |~ 1 away 4 fV and the . H 1 story pfe was f

    I ended ^^ ^~ ^*^ ^~ * - *«^ *^ v . Other ^^^^« ' ^ ipp' V ^^ ^^«« authors ^ ~^ mW " ~^ V ^ V **! ^ k ^ P * ^^ mm there Wm ^ mj W V V were , VA " ^ V ^^ P «*¦> * 1 ^ ^ " ^ ^ m who ^ pr p ^ ^^^ , not ^ V ^ ^ . ^ w rely v « # ^ fP - I ing r- ^ r ^^ on ^^» ^^ ^^ nature p ¦ ^ P ^ ' ^ ^^ ^ mrmimmi ^^ , h p pnBr' hilosop ^^ ^^ ^ h ^^ ^<^ v r ^ PF ^^^ m ¦ * hical *^ b ^^ ^ h ^ pp ^^ " ^^ ^ " truth ¦ ^^^ ¦ ——^™ ^^ ^^ p ^ v s ^ r' , J or ^ fc ^ ^ P" W social * m ~ ' ^ pP 1 ^ pP" ^^ . ^ ^^^

    I anomalies , made a starting-point of their own ; a ' theft , a robbery , a forgery , or the secret frailty of one of the female characters Vy JLlCU l sufficed 3 and by KJ

    ; VlIVj shroud \ Jt , ing UJLJ . O these JLVjLLJLCi in JLV ^ mystery . C * lV ^ UV ^ , which O ( U ii . JI they V ^/^/ VA , j CdLJ afterwards . ^ 1 . J en ^_/« . O - . cleare ^^ *^ *^^ ^ ^ ^^ v d " ^ a ^ " ** away ^^^ mr ¦¦ V V . ^^^ H V , introducing M . ^^^ ^ pv ^^ ^ mm * «<¦¦ ^ Mp ^ p " ^ . ^ «¦« ^^^^^^^ h ^ a i ^ W strong P" ^*^ ' ^ l ^>* ^ P ^ | p ^^ v ^^^ S element ^^^ ' *** ^^^ ^¦¦^¦ b *^ ^ B ^ F p > pv « f of ^* pr pi ^ vpj

    ; love , a sequence of desperate and often very I transparent acts of villainy , they built up what it they upon were the pleased world to trusting style a to novel either and fo floated rcible

    language , minute , descriptions of some odious 1 plague spot , or , worse than all , the sayings and I « doings ^» ^^ PPk P ^ m * ^ h ^ k pfe ^ of —! ^ ^ mq a mer ^ m notorious mmm ^^ ' ^¦ pr- - ^» - ^ i ^ p ¦ ^ v ^^ ~» " m ) * , m courtesan — ¦ ^ ¦ ¦ ^» " ^ ^^ - ^^ ¦ pp P ^ - —^ " - ™ ~^^ disguised — —¦ ^^ f ^^ J ^^ ¦ ~ ¦ " ¦ ¦ ¦ " ¦ ^ - ^ under ' ^^ i ¦ ¦ —¦ ^^^ ^

    I a feeble alias ; to give the worthless creation of a morbid mind a notoriety which otherwise it would never have gained .

    ! It may easily be supposed that the latter class I of of **¦ writers V { W JP * J % mmf ™ mm * p * V f ^^ eagerly ^^ P * *^»* 1—\ ^^^ ^^ ' ^ V welcomed ? V ^^ P ^> ^ V ^^ P ^ P ^ - '"«^* ^ 1 ^ ^ tf ¦* the m ^ m , ^ m ^ pp advent PJT W ^>^^ V ^<^ f % iP ^ ^^ of ^^ P * M « realism P «^ ^ B ^ W V pPk **« P * p I d b

    the coarser and more w-orthless description into , the realms of fiction . We had alreacly accepted one ¦ sort of realism at the hands of Dickens and

    ^ r + M , v / » J \/ A mj V *** JLm J , \> i « A . AK / AAA I ^ W ^ # * . *^_« AAMIA ^ I , ^^ . ^ V ^ . ** . «—f AV / AA . VAAM |^« AVI , J George Eliot ; but very different from their style $£ t- ' . ' —

    .. . — was that brought into fashion by the translations n ot Of Zola Zola . -Daudet Daudet . and and Flauhp Flaubert / rt . In Tn Dickens Dio . V «^ na and n . n rl

    George , Eliot we , find realistic authors of a praiseworthy to describe -mr and — the honoured — - minute ¦¦ type details , who of when vice they bring stoop the

    — — - — — - ^ — — .- — — — ' ^ ' ^^^ w ¦ —p * -mm -mmr ^ Wl ^^ mm m m * m m t ^^ T ^^ » m + * ^^ ^ mr wmmT m ^ ^^ mWmm ^ m ^ MmW mmmM % ^ mr whole weight of their powerful intellects to bear upon — - it - , ™ not — for — . the -m- — -. * mr purpose H m — ' ^ v- ^ b pw ^ mW m * mw - ^ mW of ^ mW mmm painting W m ^ m ? mm *^ * mm mm B ^ B W ^^ ^ p ^ k ^ it mt m * in p ^^ Pb 4 PB

    glorious colours and decking it out with tawdry robes and tinsel crowns , but showing it up as it really and truly exists . In their works we find

    no queen enthroned whose sceptre is her bold beauty or brazen shame , but we find the victim or follower of vice meted out mt a just mi reward . No

    — - — - " — — " ' ' » ' — ™~^—^— ^ v- — - -mr — — - ^ v — ^ v ¦ Vp-V — Wm' « pr ^^ ^ mT W W ^ P ^^ F ^^ 'I P » mg pjp ^ ^ ^ mr tinsel or mock-regal robes here ; on the contrary , we find a Nemesis i closel -mm * at mmrmi hand Npfc mmfmf mt and although mmrmr mt

    true ~ - -w ^—^— to — nat — - — ure * — , ¦ -m ^ they p ^*^^ ^ m * ^ " ^ may -m ^ mmr ^^ y ^ » for m , m p ^ a short mmm ^ mm ^ , W ^ mf + mmmt spac ^ pr ^ pj - ^ mt mm e ^^ - ^ h ™ allow mw *^^^^ % t ^ m ^ , m » vice - •» -w » p »* to ¦ -- ¦** triump —¦ ¦ ' — — — - ' ^ mr h ——• , and mm—mm ,-m tmr . -m its -a , V mmr votary w ^ mT mr » fcrmHL W to » t / - ^ 0 step ^ JT - * ^_ f m ^_ - on - ^ j r " the VAA - ^ first T " ~ wp' **

    rung of the ladder , leading to power and riches , she is quickly dragge -m- > d back -mw ¦ mg mil and miWhtf hurled ¦¦ Pt into fc the 9

    - ^ ^— - ^ -mr m— - ^— —m -m ~ m - — ^ ^ _^ p ^^ m -mm . m ^ > ^ p- »^^ ^^ ^ PP ^ K VJ ^ « P ^ ^ m ^ m' ^ p ^^^» m ^ ^ mT * mmrmm . ^^ slough of despair ^ , dying of hunger , clothed in rags ^™ ¦ v ff ^^ , or ^^ ^^ , worse ^^ —^ ^^ than ^^ ¦ ^^ ' eith " ^^ ^^ ^^ ^ " ^— er ' ^^ ^^ , ^ m dragging ^ m ^ mfmmr v # VHpV M ^ k ^^^^^ h Vp & on ^^ «^»^ dpj a wir ¦ weary v mmm' mmmfmW w

    existence , her mind racked with remorse , her beauty - — — — — - — ^^ j faded - — , ^ g and — — - — all — — — . her —— —^ - — surroundings - — —— —— ¦ h ^ —^ m" ^^^ " ^^^ " ^^^ ^^ ^^ ^^^^^ " ^^^^ PB ^ Pfc ^^^ adding ^^^^ ^ ^^ p ^^ p ^ ^^ ^^ pi ^^^ -w ^ ¦ p ^ p ^ k an ^^ p ^^ ^^^ " ^^^

    unerring point to the moral lesson sought to > be inculcated- Could the authors of this day follow ¦ the worth - — y steps of ¦ ¦ the ¦¦ two we v have named PP mrmr VB the

    ^ " ^ . - ^ m ~ » w v ^^ m - ^ - ^ pa- ^ p ^ w > ^ p- ^^^ ^" ^^ » ^ ' ^^ pr ^ ^^ ^^ mmmmjmmT " ^ fc ^ ^^»^» ^ po ^^^ ^^ ^ gp ^^ ^ pp ^ H ^^ ' ^ iP ^ answer to the question wei asked at the commencement of this article might be easily

    given ; but we fear there are few , if any , of those whose works now flood our circulating libraries v who would not acknowledthemselves

    far ^^^ m ^^ p > ^ p * p ^ , ^^ p very ^ vw ^^ ^ p ^ - ^^ r ^^^~ far ' v ^^—^^^ ¦ , the v w -m * ^^^~^ inferiors ^^^ ^>^ ^^ ^^ w ^ bv ^ p ^^ ^ p > ^^ VflP of ' ^^^^^ ^^^>^^ Pj the ^^ p ^ V V ^^ to ^^^ P two ^ ^*^ ge ^ p ^ Ph ^ m ^ great mr ^^^ p ^^ ^^^ p ^ ^^ p ^^ pj ^ P ^ p ^^ p prac 1 ^^^ F 4 pB ^ v mtm * r ^ - tical moralists who , writing books not only for

    gain but also with a noble object , have won for themselves the admiraiion of the whole of the civilised world .

    In running over a list of those authors of the present day who have developed a talent for realistic v ^ h ^^^ ^* w ^ mm ^ m ~ writing ^ ^ ^^ " ^^^^ ^^ ^^^^ ^^ ^^^ J ^ 'm ^ ^ , pj we v ^ - ^ m ~ find ^^>^ p ^ ^^^ ™^ ^^ ^^ a ^^^^ few ^^^^ ^^^ ^ w humble p ^^^ i ^ p ^^ f ^ b ^>^^>^^ ppi w ^ t ^^ ^ m * ^ ^^ m ^ disci ^^ ^ ^^^ *^^ ^ P ^^ r ^^ " ples K ^ 1 ^^ ^^> ^^^ ^^^ ' ^^ of ^^^^ ^^^^

    George Eliot and Dickens , but we find many others whose works cannot claim to be written with any object of elevating or purifying the

    minds of their readers . During- the last few years the works of -these men have increased to an enormous extent , and

    if a check were not speedily placed upon them , it would be impossible to guess the amount of mischief that miht be wrought .

    The men of this g type dispense almost entirely with plot , and plunge headlong into the thick turgid stream of vicedragging forth from its

    muddy reeking depths , a creature of the lowest and most filthy description . This creature is ^ mad - ^^^^^^ " ^^^^ p ^ m ^ p e ^^^^ to « ^^^ > serve ih ™ ¦ — » ¦! , as ^» ™^ v the ^^ - ^ ^ — ™ centrepiece - ¦ rr ' - — —— ™ - -r ^^ v h ^^^ ^ i ^ ^^^ v ~^^ m" ~^ m- of ^ p ¦ i ™ the ^^ — i i - ^^ r story ^ r ^^~ ^^ ~^ m ~ p ^ i ^ g , mm

    around which all the events to be described and the characters to be introduced revolve . In the majority of novels the creature is of course a

    woman ( if we may give the honoured name to one so vile and so horribly repulsive , and be forgiven ); sometimes she belongs to tie

    aristocratic circle and mixes boldly and fearlessly , even aggressively , with the belles and beaux of le haut tortwith whose habits the author always

    professes , to be perfectly acquainted , although in many cases , if his presumption is justified , we think m ^ m ^ w ^ flm 4 piP 4 0 mrmm > «¦ he " * ** ^ mm * pb has . « ivwntf little ppb * pb mm m' **• —bi ~ to w ^ ppr be v ^ w ^ pipp- proud pw ^^ ^ m ^ ^ b *^ ^ pp « pj of - | i ~ b . ^ . At mm «^^ p , mm- others ^^*~ ^ p ^ - ^ m *^ m \ ~ i i ~ a— ^ p" j she * mw mmmmmrmmm ^

    wretched is ' a child thing of , , the -whose peop sole le ' : recommendation an ignorant , vul is gar a , pretty lpp face i or a voluptuous ¦ -r- ¦ f fi ¦ ¦ gure H . ¦ ¦ In either ¦ case ¦¦

    p *^ m ^ ^ pr ^^ m - ^^ w p »^ " " ^ " ^^ ^ wm ~ —^^ ^ —^ » ^^^ ™ — ^^ p »^^ ~— ~ w f - * —— ~ » ^ pv ^— r —w — - — —— ^ " ' ~ - ^—^ — ~ w ^^ I *¦ mw ^ m v ^ P ^ ^^ T ^^ T ** " * the course of the story is much the same . This creature wades through social filth and . mud of every - ^^ r « ^ mmm ~ ppipi w descri ~^*^ m ^ mr r ^ r " ^— ^^ * —¦ ption mymr ~ ^ " " ^ ^ mr —¦ ^^^ , m ^ the ^^ " ^ ' ^ P' composing ^ mr — —¦ ' ™ h ^ — i p ^^ pp ^— ^ P ^^ fc atoms •"' ""¦ ^» ¦ ^^^ ¦ ¦ » r ^ of ¦¦ ^^ p » v whicji ^ ^ p ^^^^ ^^ ^^ p- p «^^

    are carefully exposed and analysed for the benefit on the ( tide ?) ox of the prosperity public to . , be She surrounded to floats gail , by y to alon those g whose one p ^> ject seems contribute her . - ^ ¦ * . •¦¦« •• • ¦ _ * - ' ' * ' — - — ¦ ¦ ..., « .. — ..,. . . . j . ^^

    Sept. Is, 1887 The Publishers' Circular ...

    Sept . is , 1887 The Publishers' Circular IOO 9 I _ ' — * — — . —

• Citation
  • Publishers’ Circular (1880-1890), Sept. 15, 1887, page 1009, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/pc/issues/tec_15091887/page/11/