UNREAD BOOKS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 280, 7 August 1909, Page 9

UNREAD BOOKS.

;■;";Dr7'Johnson's-;confessions'-'.arid; counsels,'of , ■I"■'■■. rolled >tke;- burden;; fromftlife; \(£back' ; !pF;fiiariy ,;' v a,; ; ■ • ; .; \ "Jiterature;":;' Forf'm^tl'fe^^bp^etoiivithe^': — :;Btrairi':,arid-weariness ;'' ';(•;■ ; dfi;: ,: ; V.;'im"pa9|able;.ca : i : .tain ;■ •'■.." Bpyss:'offutilityr^'Not;;tiiatVtneseExcursions;. ; . . fwoul^ ,V;inoro:exciirsiphs, ' ; . : :\\ say, vwh6|;was;;interested (in igeology ' ; ■■■:.thaiiVin ■' ■,\.':'lis}cpmmarid; : ;';Thß ' ;' v : 6uggests;iocal 'guide'bdoks-r-tKe, point 'is -that, : ;>jie\rea|der;;"whiid : : line .-.of "least ■ resistance; -(at ;.;Jeast;/ at'jifirst), - '■". wherejlie^isygoing;-.: '.'.:'■: andt.nbtjpersisfciin'doing 'yi6teßC6i'tp'iis;;ow : n pastes. •. ''■ ; .a; mechanical-process jvoto :■ '; glands' beneath' admass vofihjng'sVwith yhich" . ; ■' 'it haV^npfnaturd): ;,'>yfiic¥".';wiU' :|

'•!':: / '■' /of/ / /'; Vtioi'of :qur';pbwer!of, affinity, with'iany thing; at, ":; : ;j V all.;-. I t"it, q/slow'/arid "yery/unpleasarit/prb'cess; ;::■;,- of .smia&/i;^:^^iti;.v'|Jisi , . :, ;rv ° ; -'.-'>/''/;i'lhe^

:'./"/;':':':■/; flu*y3bnly. 'hooks/ '^' <i ' y : : )^x'^:'\:. : f : ' r ';( i '/ / ■;.'.'-:'///-;:"Werßf wdmati'sj/looksi/!//'//'/" •;"//'//""'J/. /-'; An'd .fplly^iali/the^^/itaughtvme,"^^ ; '/ ; ' './of :af •'■■ : : ?/gretted :■':/liberal ';• :/huinaft'; |tp/cburtSg : /placc'is St /least/ah ;e^icab^eVndinb;!dpubi.! /-/BLbsdrbing >pur'suit.,/ -But jtb.-Joso.;; pjir^timerr,' :'-.. • and ■':'y.'.- : '«f.'fusty|-p.aperp;tb < atJ.:;dpM '~; h uman! responiej'tb/bur^'attentions^';J/simply, V: because'the.aM : r , /:■//in ; ; -: like|the/:;taste 'if/ /as?:.wp';dojTt / :'/ why/: this; ■'■ is/ ghoulish ./for/; ':■ tfe: ;/ : ghpulsfpresum ; /:/ It is fa; deliberatb/ : •. i,"cuse/bf ,cindeMating/pr'pj/ ;" /pensitieS /of/piir? infancy./ Q'™s. \ ;///■/Z;//"/jZ :/// What'his/all /this' tb/db; ; with r the:stibiec(i;ofi : : onreail.'books?./Simply//this, s -that;the/,hbad- : .'/ing the books-Sye/hayb ,". /read/' arid -yet/not books/wo/ read; //'wneh; 'iriclina-? : :'-. Jions,|we' ki ■ or/fishing,/pr^niaking/JoveV : :or' ./'..loafing•''profitably;:at/a faUway./statibnTrthe .v-/ Vdpks that ■haye.lef /' 'their/titles., - : -/ pressibii of,'intolerable, ennui./''/Arid'/tp think, //that: '/'deed; riot /only -pleasurb', arid' health: and 'Kri'owT? ' /ledge/ ./..immortal'fsoiils-^shutting/bur^^ \tindly : offices friendship ■ land :from '//the. -./.: right ~/selling/purriribfalyhirthrjght>/fdr%:/ihess /of/' //; •', fusty, >;indigestiblis ; jpottage :,-/ dowhSun^th ; >.i errip Qote^arirlfausti^Faust: 1 : ;;.:'■ idiot;/:/He.iknw,i^ha^;he^want^;;'aua.;he^ot: /";; JBopks-^bt3osbS|RMd^i^ /,. ppisbri''|is : /; ;;De ? ?ihe/citatioh^;bf/'read, //persqrial/mtter-^ore^ /.the/questioii/df./Dibat'.arid/ .. './people/iwhpsp/'literary.'tastes' may^ob^a's'l di^ '/.the;, horse, //conceive ■-■-.the/:/ratheK;rus!y;/^ockb/bf:;/the;?''{Human' / to whpiii'Hbbtes'.'isJa rii'ere; Joriah l , ; (bta'-nierital .;/cons'tituthin^piiual;^;Hall/ira .-', / confron'tedtwith^the/^rjtik^der^PveirienAVeri , nunf ; The", first/itwp'vpf -.iriy/ibw'n; /.;'read;>ud;Viiqt^r^d;^b^is^^Tfi6;:]a's't/twoiaw - :amonK/my.::e'sc ; ; .enbugTi: : sen?'e/to/,l.e'a;y^ :. striekari my:throat, like bread; .af,Sunday:--morniiig;ih' the''tlirbat'df a Satur-. - ; day night ./ .tho/niountairi''-walj^^-:ihat/encircled.Sinb'ad, : :in' /; the: : Vallby?-'df-:;Serpents.~''./Lat.er;',. a Rdc"'came ' along,'--in-.tho; shape/bf;.Edward :.Gaird ! s/bdok,: : /. and I followed' Shiba'd's' cxafiiple', arid/got ■■: tovjthe: ; top.i.'Whatil.'.saw-'therb, 'except "some /.things called .antilrio^res,.'l^do;jibtVremcmb r er : :by/nqw./;:/But;,the-aifc:was- bracing,;'arid/ 1 ■; fancy/this/jou'riey^^d , /rnb:ub;harnl//As' ; fpr/ ./ Hallam,/['hiive■;/always ■'/-'•l'caii; read huh—whenever,, -I,want'to.''Books. /. don't:run;away.' :Lifcdoes/"/^://;;///•//"/. ::;/ ~ / :own:/maturd/opinion/.:isv//:that"'/thb/ ~ "Leviathan"/and the 1: "Essay/-otf.the-Hririian". /Uride'rstandirig" v arc r books 'that nb : '<>rie"-should' ■-.-read through -'■'spiring,- arid if.eroly, transitional;'/to read", a •" , good /digest of thcin As i .m(3rd'/thari.;sufficierit. ;To.;,(lip jntov'thenlis :only;toexplor'u/a/lqrig- : /:einpty_...ljypnss'.of, ; thought V/ivh'ereps -to/read :a //book likp Plato's /' , Eepiib!ic"/is;' : to'drink/at ;/th'e' l'diintainhead of:■Ein'dpban:.-civllisatipri. .•'.•'•"Thfl./A'Ctohstitutio^ ,/:. belongs: to :anothor ! ',cate^bn'.;'::/.'lt/',-;appeals' //; priin.-irily .to tho specialist, /'anil /ifs/human /: iritwost.: can/ bb /appreciated.; ,;// wlip^p.;minds liaye.:'asccndc(l.naturally,/and, ... .gradiliilly from, •;,' :frbni''■,t).io;;'p/ii-o.chiiil 'to tlin ; national ..view; of ;. /- Hiiiigs,.;ii.n<l to. 'whom./the/coinriiiiiu'.t)'/li'ds/-hsr,' /::(«m<^;a«'^l' l aiM:;vjtaf;;ari^ljlltity:/as:;tlle ;: m .'■ : :di,vidiiaXb;lii;. like^riiannbrXiKant:/'■' appeals/ /:.<>iijy to' liiiosii wlioso strong"- thinking.-powers ■', ..•'ilift'yn /risen• \from • . tlib,/ 'cbnteiriplation'./'of, '//.thought,:itself—froin":-fhe liiorb.'registering/of '■? /"Bfirisaljioiis :\ o the laws' by which: ideas" 'are .Co-pidinaUid—frpin ; ooriyentiorial -ruJea nf

lmsoning. to absolute reason itself. Considering,, therefore, ; : fhe. small number of peopla. to; whom politics is anything more than an arena.for'pi-ejudice or greed, or a pasturage for hobby-horses, -or. .to',; .whom ;thought is administer.';to; iliqn, pleasuro/r.br idle/? curiosity; !■ the -triio Tpaders of 'Hallam-and'/Kaht/must : bo very few.; And they- can .noiio of them be very .yoiing. ■■■";/: '- v .;■; A ■ ;■ '■"■'■,'.'". ■';' ".:;:!;•.".; -■". ' ' ■~' '■■■■■■: ',:■.,■ ■-.'. i-'--. Dlclvens and' Meredith. - ■, /.iyTlie'.category-ofj'iihread books—to take the litc-rally.-'-includes many in which tho stumbling-block!is'not so much .tho subject-, 'matter/as'.tho manner in which it.io treated. A : prominent example in my own experionco is -itferedith's ,',' Tragic Comedians." _• To most peoplo*'. it"; is' by means the .most'difficult of his books'.;.. .It was' not its difficulty that' 'gravelled, mo'': V had honestly ;enjoyed:"Tlio Egbist'!.-;' I "'had.'enjoyed .the larger melodic, ,of:-' : "Ono of .Our Conquerors," and oh ad 'accepted'-.'eye n '.'its* most fantastic- varia-:-.tiqiis,-'!and/finical'. inversions on .tho ground that/ if a man makes his own 'theme ho has a/right;to;.dp;with it;;what he pleases.'-;j. : I had.never 'been able to read *"Thb Shaving'pf 'Stagpa't';" rbirt I s.iw.. no/--;reaspn-. why' other!, ;peop,lo', ; ;sliould''■not,' feadVahd Je'n'jo'y xit,-. /Bii't; '~'.'Thb': . Tragib;' .Cpmedians'.',;.offendod;!my,' criti-'.; ,cal yseiise. 'Tho .real'-Xassalle!; and 'flio real ;Couritcss;Ha'tzfeldtiwe're, so 'absorbingly.intt'resting, that I. regarded the interposition pf/;a,'psychological'John" Susan ! Roe ieiwecii them-and mo.-as. a literary impertinoiico; particularly as the .'advoqate had taken the. liberty of dressing up Jc-hn Doe.'and Silvan J&/accqr.ding/tb'liis.o'\vn tastes,'and sot-, 'iiig fchem. to dance tp_ his oivh tune. -And what of ';ShakesSe^re, ! Shakespeare's stories .were ,6hT-'.ones,':or 'legendary' .ones, or badlytold ones'before -lie/.told:,.them '.' ; Ho (put old jade and coal. into his, crucible,-.and they came'/out /diamonds. • Meredith' snatched' aV now-cut diamond from; lingers of con-,' .toniporary ;history,,;-..-'and. .stained' it' ,witii r ! (tints.' l/It,/ .was.. ;olwcfly;.'.; 'done; rbut"^^^.^^''^'^ shbuld vp-refer'a, hack -writer's biography ;of .LassaJlej.'if;'it 'iWer'o conscientiously written, tp/a hundred "Tragic Comedians." •" ;'; -Tins, however, may ,be, a matter of personal prejudice; I. havo 'not seen,- Meredith's hook .objected! to "on;tlie;.!above .'grfiiirids;..-:. But'-'-I" havo.'. heard ',-recently. ?_of peoplo who 'could not;-read"''Da'v.id';Copperfield" : bri'.account'.of .its/lack of/construction.''-...0f course I am. not ;sp l pjokens;'; they--.are /subjects'-for ■pathological., hot.' critical, treatment.''."David Copperfield/ .' : lik^ ; /;="Tlip/;!,yTragio.- Comedians," /.follows, 'yagiiely'/'aflirie"' of fact; only,.Dickens's use', •'of.: [facts' was -justifiable, "■■; because: they : w'erp ;persph'al'-.tb iimselfj-'-and; would probably, not 'hayp.-b3ien;known;otherwise than through his ■ rioyeb;; But !wHereas 'Meredith ;tied his. bo'r-' rowedyiiueV too ..tightly and;, neatly,' ;Dickens left;-.':looso..;: ends,,;'.to,: '.his.; autobiographical - tlifeads.'.'!;/;T-he/bbokfil;'a'':daordmay a/pic-' itiirp.///The/detail.;'/is/ ,so /alisorbing,; tho bfiaraoters'O'fvwe^liaye'fread;the "book wheri-_ we/were .young,, whep .'it'vshoiild; be ready are' "abqiiir«-suoh .-"iitr' 'alienable -KriijlitSf ;; ;df '; citizenship.!;in- our! memories,;, that it ; is .only with a- gritdgo that, wpybow'tp'the' dictum : that! "David; Copperr. 'field'';is,,not/ strictly,; speaking,.•!a;iibyel at all .T4ribt;;;ertn;'a"pict'uresqu'e;; - oner-that,-/ ;con--sidered,as::a'-:'wnole,!.;it:;is,;bad art..' Wo shall ;iiot/loVe.:it .the iless/for.thati^But' .'■ beVablp' to':-"do, /all the 'more justice to .some, of, the fatpr!'/books'; of Dickens .that' : - : a'r.o , 'only no-nr! beginning /to Hake'; their■ ..proper:- 'place among .his'.wbrks; andVso do moro justice .to Dickens himself,' ,liy, seeing him, in his right: artistic: perspective.' How long it has taken! criticisin'to/do .'-.this.- may -be,, judged from. the fact /th/at'i Swinb.m - ne't'','essay/'bf : , a few years ago., was' the/-firstj' : sb';far as" I■'/am; aware, that'.placed flthe ;crown 'of Dickens's achievehas /since confirmed /-it :'on : . ;: "Gr'eat "Expectations."—"W.P:, : ;ih:tlie. ; '!Glas2bw;Herald.'.', ;-•':,.. ■/ , '• S I