“THE NOVEL.”

Hokitika Guardian, 29 May 1928, Page 4

“THE NOVEL.”

LECTURE BY MR J. H. E. SCHRODER. CHRISTCHURCH, May 28. "The Nineteenth Century Novel” I was the subject of a lecture given by Mr J. H. E. Schroder to the Society i for Imperial Culture on Saturday cvenj ing. Air Schroder said the subject was ■ almost an embarrassing one, as the I novel was a form of literature in which Engish writers had been most prolific. The lecturer contrasted the 19th. century novel with that of to-day. Tlio early type, lie said,, had far more assurance, against which modern fiction was a protest of disillusionment. He

consider the vast mass of fiction in generalised classes, in what lie was accustomed to call tile “little world,” the “real world,” and the “ideal

world.” 'l’he first class was the product of wits, the second of philosophic observers, and the third of humorists

and pha.ntasists. As writers of the first type, the lecturer quoted Jane Austen and George Meredith. The second class, a very large one, was repressii'.c.l ’ y Scott, Thackeray and George Elliott. In the third, Dickens, of course, was preeminent. The first type left out all the factors irrelevant to the characters.

getting exclusive concentration on them in themselves, and shutting out the rude world, even to the extent of the earning of a living. “Even the clergymen, I regret to say, seem to have little to do,” said Mr Schroder. In this way, Jane Austen made her readers enjoy a calm and minute scrutiny of the foibles of her chararteis. 'flic novels of the “real world” went right into the rough and tumble of life, said the lecturer. Scott, one of the writers of this class, was often derided. “His heroes and heroines arc often like starched linen, hut never was more lively conversation' as I tween his soldiers and gentlemen adventurers.” Thackeray, a man cf Ire-

j Tuendous genius. wa.> under a cloud at the present day. His almost morbidly sensitive nature did not appeal, said the speaker. He mould not let himself £<■> with his characters, or when r,e did he destroyed the effects he had created I.y apologetically reminding the reader that after all they were only puppets, and that, he was pulling the strings. Thackeray knew clubland intimately and was responsible for a long range of skilfully-drawn characters. “Dickens is incomparably the greatest English novelist,” said Mr Schroder. “He creates a noisy, hustling world, cram full of vigorous spirits. All his characters are alive, which is his merit and defect, for all of them are city characters.” Dickens’s novels showed little of the reflective or philosophical, but. Dickens had a liyclv

shrewdness in observation. He• left I out polities and religion, and all professional men “got it on tho nose,” said the lecturer. Dickens was filled aril his life with sympathy for those with whom he had lived in his. early days. He had the pauper’s contempt of the legislators of the day, and did something to kill the workhouse system and the cruel debtors’ laws, although he never made any actual suggestion in this. He had nothing to advocate hut kindness to one another. One could net imagine, said Mr Schroder, any of his cliarcaters appearing in the books of other authors. Therefore, they were not creations of the real world, but a world of liis.own.