THE WRITER'S WAY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15433, 20 April 1912, Page 14

THE WRITER'S WAY.

According to Theodore Dreiser, American novelists have not sought to give in their lwoks a vital expression of national temperament in the way their European confreres have done. The tide, however, he thinks is turning, as evidenced by tic fact that Mr Dreiser's latest novel, " Jennie Gerhard I," of as realistic a type as his " Sister Carrie," received a welcome instead of tho rebuff which awaited hi« earlier book.

The new novel by Mrs Barclay, author of "The Rosary,"* called "Through the Postern Gate," promises to be one of the "best sellers ' of the year. It is said that Messrs (}. P. Putnam's Sons, Mrs liarclay's publishers, have already paid her 110,CC0dol in royalties, and that tic circulation of "ner {our previous novels aggregates 900,000 copies. The sales of the new novel will increase this to more than a million.

Elsa Darker, author of " Son of Mary Bethel," is living in Paris, wliere she is writing her second novol, which will probably be ready for publication this year. This author's first novel, which may be described as a reconstructed life of Christ, came out two years ago, and is still selling in America and England. A volume of verse, "The liook of Love," also appears witn .Miss Marker's name on the title page shortly. .Mr G. K. Chesterton now lives in the country a few miles from London in the dainty little village of Beaconsfield. That is the reason, doubtless, why lie is writing a preface to A. H. volume on tlw agricultural labourer in Kngland. " Tlk're was a revolution," says Mr Chesterton, " in Kngland at the time of the French Revolution. In two aspects it differed from the French. It ma<ie no noise, and it was a triumph- of the rich over the poor—especially the rural poor." Hall Caine lias gone to Rome to finish, amid the monuments of the past, the new novel on the divorce question which he will publish at the end of this year. The newest photograph of Mr Came makes him look like Charles Dickens, an appropriate resembhuico for the Dickons centennial. In his last photograph the resemblance of Mr Caine to Shakespeare was found striking by people who were not disturbed by Mr Spiolman s recent discouraging remarks on the Shakespeare p>rtraits. Mr Caine likes both resemblances. .» William Dean Howells, whose middle name so aptly describes tlw position In? holds in American literature, is preeminently the man to whom the modern American author owes most. Alone, almost, among American writers (an honour, indeed, which he shares only with the late Frank Norris) he lias stood for the critical attitude and for a disi

tinct standard of criticism toward the art of the novelist. In these days of sensationalism, of the " muck-raking " novel, of morbidity and its attending dangers, Mr Howells gallantly holds the fort for clean and wholesome " realism." Though we ourselves (says the New lork Times Book Review) agree rather emphatically with It. Ij. S.'s strictures on Mr Howells's theories of the literary art, wc |>aiiso, ere we pass on to other matters, to congratulate the greatest Ameiican realist on his attaining his seventy -fifth birthday. Joseph Coniad, win is? book of reminiscences, "A I'ersonal Record," has just been puMished, tells of the adventures of the manuscript of his lirst novel, "Alniayer's Folly," and of its lirst reader. " Almaver's l'ollv " was begun in 1889 and finished in 1891. The manuscript went with the author to Stanley Falls in Africa, and was preserved through accidents in which he very nearly lost his life. There were only seven chapters then, and the eighth was' written after the author's return, while convalescing in Geneva. "And then," says Mr Conrad, " that memorable story, like a cask of choice Madeira, got carried for three years to and Jro upon the sea. The first reader was a y<mng Cambridge man, a passenger for his health on board the good ship Torrcns. outward bound for Australia," on which Conrad was an oflicer. " Would it bore vou very much." Conrad asked him one ofay, " in reading a manuscript in a handwriting like mine?" The answer was " Not at all." The next day the seaman writer asked tlie Cambridge man for his opinion: "Well, what do you say? Is it worth finishing?" The critic replied, "Distinctly," Conrad inquired, " Were you interested?" The reply was, "Very much!" Conrad, desperately anxious b get at the. truth, pursued: "Now let me ask you one thing, fs the story quite clear' to you a.s it stands?" As unemotional as ever, the critic replied: "Yes. Perfectly."' This was all that the first reader'of

" Almaver's Kolly" Imd to ssy, hut it was enough to encourage Joseph Conrad to become a novelist.