THE VOGUE OF "BIOGRAPHY."

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 407, 16 January 1909, Page 9

THE VOGUE OF "BIOGRAPHY."

'*v iv- , IS , ca ? e > as we are being' assured, tnaf whilo the sale of autumn books has been, over all, quite up to the average of '• /f rs, - there has, yet been a lessened demand for new novels,: some other 'department-, or literature must be, benefiting at of- fiction. . Can it be that of historical biography/ .One who-runs, his eye. down the publishers' lists: cannot fail to; note an_ increased supply, and cahnot^ail . argue from it to an increased demand. It is not improbable that readers, conscious of-a petering, .out of the romantic" vein in fiction and disliking,, the; outspokenness of the realistic school,, are beginning to search for pabulum m another region. . The historical - biography_-is well enough fitted to take tlie place of'fiction with some people It is as a rule,, written so as to be easily read' and the reader , has the. virtuous feelinc that •be is reading solid history. Its. construction is generally simple. - Tho carecr of somo person interesting for his -own sake is /made the . vertebra ,of the bo.ok, and is cxhibited : against a background of his time made un of anecdotes, .glimpses of. interesting characters, and; curious customs and great events. result is generally not so much a "Life" , a V Mfe It is curious to -. not? how ~T,ho divprce between,'"history as science arid "history as literature" rean- ; 111 such monographs.' -. Those that : are ; written by researchers and hard . students' havn .somptimes .little grace' of, style,- while those rhat .are. popularly written are apt to be. supei-ncial. It is not so in 'Prance. A ■frenchman seldom; thinks so hard or studies bo '.ii-ei; but. that ~he - can .'. put his. results info limpid . and. graceful language, so that nothuw: has been . produced,- among us equal in solid .wprth,-,in genuine iintuition into hu- ■ Pi" 1 ' 1 a, . , d._iii grace,",of expression to the Marquis de Segur's ''Julie de Lespinasso._.. Consequently, while wo; aro . paying tho trench .the. compliment,of .translating their they are not .repaying the compliment by • translating ours.—-'-Munches-ter Guardian."