LONGER NOVELS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 134, 29 February 1908, Page 12

LONGER NOVELS.

,-,v It would; be interesting .toknow'fi;pm what .;, data-they aro. arguing wb.a arc telling us that / the?(i 13,'presoatly<to., be, a movement, in Action .ur.tha direction of /'larger canvases,'/ \ Certamly fern of the-works. lvtucTj seem ta'attaiji'v- groatpopularity.: at be: described' V; V py ,, -'fciuit;' jjhira.s e. "V;Sj >• i/c v r; V Novels do not noy usually run to > the dimensions of ' , Y/ . -.■norromances, to,> .the ''dimensions ■' of ."Loma DoonoJ':,,tMaiiijr ■«< aro ;,> eoiistnicted on quite simple' principles. s There arelfew 0-; L , '-'figure,j r oa the nd/grMtvco^- „ plexity in the, fable is sweated: of , y.att, superfluities;/.tha actionem its, progress . • reacbcs from tim* ,to v time. , one of those .situations, ,m, • which.; -to 11 sa ■. Stevenson's phiase, "the tnieads of the story come to- ■ gother and make. a. picture u\ tho'weh;''; and- ; . then eomcs tho deiiouomimt. Qoursoy .v : nor work can,;bs produced on this plan.'This . ; j, i;; generally, happenswhen i tluy dfatogusi,; whiph. . readers, lo.ve ,becausa>it. ,is ; frasy. to. read '-and writers, becaumt is easy ta write, is in excess: ■ largiy novels a? well as BmaU 'bear the raavlc /• -v of that 'faidt. Sir ..Walter. SMtt.sonietim.es suspccts himself lof it., In a discussion be- ; • tiveen Dick Trota'..and-; >(an ; avatar of bir .Vralter hiinself),; inv-vvhich thoformer hun with allowing hii charac- : ? -t£j_to use. : tho.'."gokbox", acid. "patter" too ■< ' ';i the, latter, . a. 1 pQor-de---.1 • •. 'Jlows Dick to.-ha l p tho last. -q'oipd.'and.whofcher.ihQ'had not at times : ; v : --.v , ft is ' readers'"with pages'; of .;t alk, for •••/. " *le idea .which- words' might havs ...jnicated:'". ; .0 . - nqtictable: m ! \Vavei;ley V;-.; 'destroys the, symmetry-;6f;i; ; iiWeL^fof,' ! .::itjho' . slighter sort, and "the symmetry.-of 'th<v'l<it-. ter is one of its great assots;--for'although'ii-highly trained reader hookwith the. feeling: -;..ttiat'. licC. has'.; diiied. maigre, your ■ ordinary?.'h'asty lß'grati- , fied to find that- tho structure 1 of the sfory : has, without a delibflrato reflective aot otf'his part,.imprinted itself-pn his mind, and that, . consequently, in addition to the ordinary pleasure of the. narrative, he experiences tho ar- ■ tistic pleasure of , a-'perception -of i the -syni- . ' metry of the whole. . It is >to bo'boped'that the little masterpieces will .continue'to be >. produced, even'if.'thpjjwho nrodictthe coming ,\ of the larger canvas are right. But where are the signs of its coming?-~"Manqbcster--Guar-dian." . .