Books And Their Writers

PREFACE PART I NOVELISTS I. INTRODUCTORY II. COMPTON MACKENZIE III. NORMAN DOUGLAS IV. FRANK SWINNERTON V. STEPHEN McKENNA VI. JANE AUSTEN VII. CLEMENCE DANE CONTENTS VIII. DOROTHY RICHARDSON AND NOVELS PART II POETRY AND POETS I. INTRODUCTORY II. J. C. SQUIRE III. SIEGFRIED SASSOON IV. ROBERT NICHOLS V. DORA SIGERSON VI. CHINESE POETRY PAGE 9 13 19 27 37 45 51 6 75 131 8 CONTENTS PART III BOOKS IN GENERAL PAGE I. EMINENT VICTORIANS 167 II. TRIVIA 192 III. Q AS CRITIC 200 IV. ALICE MEYNELL AS CRITIC 231 V. LAFCADIO HEARN 242 VI. SIR EDWARD COOK 277 VII. SET DOWN IN MALICE 300 VIII. THE HUMOUR OF SAKI 811 IX. WOMEN 381 PREFACE LET me make it quite clear at the outset I have laid no claims to be thought a literary critic the following papers are not studies in literature. While other men were more healthily and patriotically em- ployed in digging up their allotments and gardens, for physical reasons I was forced to confine myself to the garden of my mind, by no means a fruitful soil I have but little creative genius abandoning this barren task I then began to dig in the gardens of other mens minds this book is the result. All I have sought to do has been to convey some of the pleasure I have gained from desultory reading of all kinds during the last few years, to those who take the trouble to turn these pages obtruded my own personality more than was abso- the art of criticism is not mine. I have not lutely necessary. I have merely walked about prolific vineyards and orchards and plucked a cluster of grapes here, a plum there, to entice you to share some of my golden pleasures. That I have missed some of the best will be obvious to any one who looks at the chapter-headings that I haveincluded much unripe and indigestible, or over-ripe and putrid fruit I beg leave to deny. There was so much that was very good that I could have filled another volume with ease. Some of these essays have already appeared in print. For permission to include them in this volume I wish to thank the editors of The Fortnightly Review and To-day. PART I NOVELISTS AND NOVELS Oh, its only a novel . . only some work in which the greatest powersof the mind are displayed, inwhich the most thorough knowledge of human nature, the happiest delineations of its varieties, the liveliest effusions of wit and humour, are conveyed to the world in the best chosen language. I HAVE lately read a book by W. L. George who appears to write with equal facility about everything on the Modern Novel. I remember to have been astounded at his selection of authors now that I, in my turn, find that I want to say some- hear the critic thing about the novel I can already saying, What an amazing selection. It is quite impossible to make a class list. It is like the competition of finding out which is the best of Keats five Odes, or Shakespeares greatest tragedy. I have no favourite author. The last time I dared to write generally of the modern author I was taken to task for omitting to mention Charles Marriott. It never struck my critic on that occasion, I suppose, that there are writers who dare not talk about some to fill volume after things because the temptation volume would be so strong...