MRS. HUMPHRY WARD CRITICISED,

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 587, 16 August 1909, Page 3

MRS. HUMPHRY WARD CRITICISED,

Mr. . W;' L. ! Ph'elps'. contributes • to the "Forum" v ; for /April a somewhat scathing criticism'of Mrs.; Humphry Ward, whose prodigious vogue,,he says,-is ono of-tho most extraordinary literary ■phenomena of our day. This-appears tc be. much more'true or the, • American thaii of itho.British public. .Mrs. "Ward is resnectcd antV respectable-.in,-this country. ii To spet,k of '-her: Jii>>thoyexaggc-'. rated terms; of; sonfe American eulogists does : not occur' tcEritish/ 'critics. ■:•'.,"': ' .'■ ': ■■ ■Mr.'Phelps. is .'proydked. -to;.•.deliver his' mind on'tho subject.,i.Her work,-.ho thinks, shows ' industry and > talent f rather ■-. than genius,. and is emphatically ordinary rather •than extraordinary. Whatever novel sho Writes she : appeals to the ordinary public, and so achieves tin extraordinary success— 80 extraprdmary. that Mr. Phelps remembers : a-large sign, which appeared, fifteen years ago,'in a Now Haven Apothecary's window, to the effect'that copy of "Kobort lusmere" would bd presented freo to each purchaser'.of'a cako of s'<Va'p\ : '". ~%.', Proceeding.on his,critical way, Mr. Phelps ' says'that "DatkTGrieve" is tho best of her ' works, although ■ tho. ending is weak, for she has never learned the fine, art of sayingr.farewell, either to her characters or the-reader. In "Marcella" she ; ; gave.; ■ 'Us a .poliuwl-didactic-realistic novel, which, sho/.has i continued to'publisli steadily ever since, •under different/titles.- "Marcella,", as a dooumeiit, ' is "both" radical and reactionary;, but. there .is .not a single page in t the'book which can be said to be in. any sense, a serious contribu- ' tion to. the greatestVof ;; -all purely political problems. -~ " -..,,•". :''•.;■'■'-. :■. . ■■ '.'».. Mrs. : AVard is. totally -lacking .in a keen '■ sense of hiimour.. ■ Tho Jack" of humour dc- ''■ stroys : her sense' of proportion! The principle, of selection is conspicuous only by its absence. There is an astonishing' Bameness ' in all her book's. All that we can remember is an immense number ■: of ■'■■. social functions and an immensb amqilnt of political a long sad level of mediocrity. :." Her books are filled .with tired and overworked men, and with,; women jaded and "stale. Many of lior characters ought to bo in a'sanatorium." books are devoid of' charm, but lior characters substitute phrases for ideas. 'In all her dreary pages of serious conversation'there is -no "real illumination. The -novels j'of-' Mrs;. AVard bear about .the r ■ same-relation to Orst^class-fiction that maps • and atlases'bear to great paintings.--..Tliore.is.• '.an. almost total .'absence' of. freshness, spofr .- taneity,,and originality. .■ • \\- . itU ~, -.;,„ There'.are no "supreme"/moments, . in her books, no great dramatic situations; "What, then, is the secret of her success?. Mr. Phelpa: ■'eays:T7-;. ''.J';""-''.'. ■.•■.-'. ~".-';.■■■■■■.■'••.■,'•■■ •■'■■■' : -, ■ ."'■■-.• The-fact is, whether we- like it or- not, that ;' she .is one of .the most widely..' read of .all ■jiving! novelists! .Well, in ■ the .first place, '' sho is. absolutely, respectable and safe. It is .assuredly to her credit that she'has-nevei stepped for popularity. She, has never des-' * "■' cended to melodrama, clap-trap, or indecency. .She is neyer spectacular, and declamatory like Marie Corelli, and she is never morally offensive like some popular writers who .•' might be mentioned , . She.writes for ascertain class of readers whom she thoroughly understands; they are ths;readers who abhor both vulgarity and pruriency, and -wh<. like to enter vicariously, "as, they certainly'do in her noyols, into the best English society. In her social functions her readers can have the pleasure of; meeting ! ''prime ' ministers, lords, and all the dwellers in Mayfair, and they know that nothing will.be said that is '' shocking or improper. -Her books can safely be recommended to young people, and tho.y reflect the current .> movement ■, of English thought as well as could be done by a standard review. She has a wcll-fuu-■nished and highly developed intellect;. she is deeply read; sho ( mal:es lier-readers think that they are '.thinking.' She tries to make up for . 'artistic deficiencies by an immense, amount of ''.information. , ■ '~'•.' . .;