WRITERS OF FICTION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 16007, 27 August 1915, Page 9

WRITERS OF FICTION.

Coon AND RAD INFLUENCES. An interesting address on early Victorian literature was given by Mr. Justice Cooper at the Leys Institute last night.' Mr. 1. W. Leys presided over a large attendance. Judge Cooper expressed his appreciation of the complete equipment of the institute The period taken l.v the lecluiw r was from 1837—the date of the accc.-sio i of Queen Victoria- to 1875. That period, lie said, after reviewing the literature from 1800 to 1837, saw the opening of a new era. not only in the literature of the Empire, hut generally. Since 1875. the English world had been flooded with novels of all descriptions, many being of very high merit, many very bad indeed. I he sexual novel had produced immorality and c: ime. He felt very strongly on the subject of "penny dreadfuls," -because in Ins judicial capacity he had seen the lives ot young men and women spoiled by that pernicious literature. He wanted "to go back to a more healthy period of literature with a view to recreating interest in the great writers of fiction of that time. Judge ( ooper referred at length to Dickens and lhackeray. He dwelt upon Dickens's parly life as revealed in David Copperhold, and analysed and illustrated the high purpose of the famous novelist's writings. There could never be, he said a more healthy writer in the realm of faction than Dickens, who taught lessons in Christian charity. No writer had a greater influent*, for good upon the nation than Dickens.