EPISODES IN AN OBSCURE LIFE - Being Experiences in the Tower Hamlets
Scanned, proofed and corrected from the original edition for your reading pleasure.It is also searchable and contains hyper-links to chapters.
***
"Episodes In An Obscure Life" is a collection of sketches from the diary of an English curate, deeply interesting, and opening to view life in its darker phases, and the workings of benevolence in man and of the Holy Spirit in the heart. The scenes are novel to American readers, but they bear unmistakable evidence of truth; and the book, though small, contains much food for thought, much stimulus for action. The sketches were originally published, we believe, in the Sunday Magazine. J. B. Lippincott & Co., Philadelphia.
This second work of the very able writer Richard Rowe maintains his incognito under the title of his first book, "Friends and Acquaintances", which gave him such immediate and well-deserved brevet rank, appears with perilous rapidity. It is necessarily therefore subjected to suspicions and misgivings concerning the genuine quality of its author's talent. Was his first work mainly a happy hit, floated into popularity by a clever inspiration of the genius and manner of Dickens, or is he, in spite of a palpable discipleship of this master, a genuine artist? As we glanced at one or two of the present series of sketches we fancied some falling off, probably owing to the surprise of novelty and curiosity being wanting.
But as we read on we felt the power of the old spoil, and our conclusion is, that 'Friends und Acquaintances' is second only because 'Episodes of an Obscure Life ' was first. Some illustrious examples notwithstanding, a great organic creation could scarcely have been produced in the short interval that has elapsed since the publication of the author's first work, but light sketches like these easily might. Given the power of delicate perception, sympathetic feeling, and light artistic touch, they may from their very nature be thrown off as rapidly, almost as easily, as a lady's letters.
They are a kind of soufflet of fiction, very delicious, but not to be achieved by heavy labour; there is, moreover, a homogeneousness about them which indicates as yet but a single vein of genius. Every sketch is an imaginative and idealized presentation of the thoughts and sympathies and sufferings of the poor. The charm lies in the poetry of sentiment and feeling which the writer throws around the squalor and coarseness of their life. No East-ender ever was exactly like any one of the author's delineations, although both heroism, poetry, grotesqueness, and religiousness are to be found among them j but the author has evidently drawn from life, and his great merit is that he has found such a soul of good in things evil—that he is an optimist, whose bright hopes and loving sympathies tend powerfully to realize themselves. The influence of such presentations can be only good—good upon those who are thus represented, so far as they know the representations, and good upon those whose conceptions, feelings, and conduct so largely affect them.
Almost all that we said about 'Episodes of an Obscure Life' applies to these sketches. Critically speaking, equal in literary art and power to its predecessorand we heartily commend it. No one can read it without being made by its perusal a wiser and a better man.
1105111337
***
"Episodes In An Obscure Life" is a collection of sketches from the diary of an English curate, deeply interesting, and opening to view life in its darker phases, and the workings of benevolence in man and of the Holy Spirit in the heart. The scenes are novel to American readers, but they bear unmistakable evidence of truth; and the book, though small, contains much food for thought, much stimulus for action. The sketches were originally published, we believe, in the Sunday Magazine. J. B. Lippincott & Co., Philadelphia.
This second work of the very able writer Richard Rowe maintains his incognito under the title of his first book, "Friends and Acquaintances", which gave him such immediate and well-deserved brevet rank, appears with perilous rapidity. It is necessarily therefore subjected to suspicions and misgivings concerning the genuine quality of its author's talent. Was his first work mainly a happy hit, floated into popularity by a clever inspiration of the genius and manner of Dickens, or is he, in spite of a palpable discipleship of this master, a genuine artist? As we glanced at one or two of the present series of sketches we fancied some falling off, probably owing to the surprise of novelty and curiosity being wanting.
But as we read on we felt the power of the old spoil, and our conclusion is, that 'Friends und Acquaintances' is second only because 'Episodes of an Obscure Life ' was first. Some illustrious examples notwithstanding, a great organic creation could scarcely have been produced in the short interval that has elapsed since the publication of the author's first work, but light sketches like these easily might. Given the power of delicate perception, sympathetic feeling, and light artistic touch, they may from their very nature be thrown off as rapidly, almost as easily, as a lady's letters.
They are a kind of soufflet of fiction, very delicious, but not to be achieved by heavy labour; there is, moreover, a homogeneousness about them which indicates as yet but a single vein of genius. Every sketch is an imaginative and idealized presentation of the thoughts and sympathies and sufferings of the poor. The charm lies in the poetry of sentiment and feeling which the writer throws around the squalor and coarseness of their life. No East-ender ever was exactly like any one of the author's delineations, although both heroism, poetry, grotesqueness, and religiousness are to be found among them j but the author has evidently drawn from life, and his great merit is that he has found such a soul of good in things evil—that he is an optimist, whose bright hopes and loving sympathies tend powerfully to realize themselves. The influence of such presentations can be only good—good upon those who are thus represented, so far as they know the representations, and good upon those whose conceptions, feelings, and conduct so largely affect them.
Almost all that we said about 'Episodes of an Obscure Life' applies to these sketches. Critically speaking, equal in literary art and power to its predecessorand we heartily commend it. No one can read it without being made by its perusal a wiser and a better man.
EPISODES IN AN OBSCURE LIFE - Being Experiences in the Tower Hamlets
Scanned, proofed and corrected from the original edition for your reading pleasure.It is also searchable and contains hyper-links to chapters.
***
"Episodes In An Obscure Life" is a collection of sketches from the diary of an English curate, deeply interesting, and opening to view life in its darker phases, and the workings of benevolence in man and of the Holy Spirit in the heart. The scenes are novel to American readers, but they bear unmistakable evidence of truth; and the book, though small, contains much food for thought, much stimulus for action. The sketches were originally published, we believe, in the Sunday Magazine. J. B. Lippincott & Co., Philadelphia.
This second work of the very able writer Richard Rowe maintains his incognito under the title of his first book, "Friends and Acquaintances", which gave him such immediate and well-deserved brevet rank, appears with perilous rapidity. It is necessarily therefore subjected to suspicions and misgivings concerning the genuine quality of its author's talent. Was his first work mainly a happy hit, floated into popularity by a clever inspiration of the genius and manner of Dickens, or is he, in spite of a palpable discipleship of this master, a genuine artist? As we glanced at one or two of the present series of sketches we fancied some falling off, probably owing to the surprise of novelty and curiosity being wanting.
But as we read on we felt the power of the old spoil, and our conclusion is, that 'Friends und Acquaintances' is second only because 'Episodes of an Obscure Life ' was first. Some illustrious examples notwithstanding, a great organic creation could scarcely have been produced in the short interval that has elapsed since the publication of the author's first work, but light sketches like these easily might. Given the power of delicate perception, sympathetic feeling, and light artistic touch, they may from their very nature be thrown off as rapidly, almost as easily, as a lady's letters.
They are a kind of soufflet of fiction, very delicious, but not to be achieved by heavy labour; there is, moreover, a homogeneousness about them which indicates as yet but a single vein of genius. Every sketch is an imaginative and idealized presentation of the thoughts and sympathies and sufferings of the poor. The charm lies in the poetry of sentiment and feeling which the writer throws around the squalor and coarseness of their life. No East-ender ever was exactly like any one of the author's delineations, although both heroism, poetry, grotesqueness, and religiousness are to be found among them j but the author has evidently drawn from life, and his great merit is that he has found such a soul of good in things evil—that he is an optimist, whose bright hopes and loving sympathies tend powerfully to realize themselves. The influence of such presentations can be only good—good upon those who are thus represented, so far as they know the representations, and good upon those whose conceptions, feelings, and conduct so largely affect them.
Almost all that we said about 'Episodes of an Obscure Life' applies to these sketches. Critically speaking, equal in literary art and power to its predecessorand we heartily commend it. No one can read it without being made by its perusal a wiser and a better man.
***
"Episodes In An Obscure Life" is a collection of sketches from the diary of an English curate, deeply interesting, and opening to view life in its darker phases, and the workings of benevolence in man and of the Holy Spirit in the heart. The scenes are novel to American readers, but they bear unmistakable evidence of truth; and the book, though small, contains much food for thought, much stimulus for action. The sketches were originally published, we believe, in the Sunday Magazine. J. B. Lippincott & Co., Philadelphia.
This second work of the very able writer Richard Rowe maintains his incognito under the title of his first book, "Friends and Acquaintances", which gave him such immediate and well-deserved brevet rank, appears with perilous rapidity. It is necessarily therefore subjected to suspicions and misgivings concerning the genuine quality of its author's talent. Was his first work mainly a happy hit, floated into popularity by a clever inspiration of the genius and manner of Dickens, or is he, in spite of a palpable discipleship of this master, a genuine artist? As we glanced at one or two of the present series of sketches we fancied some falling off, probably owing to the surprise of novelty and curiosity being wanting.
But as we read on we felt the power of the old spoil, and our conclusion is, that 'Friends und Acquaintances' is second only because 'Episodes of an Obscure Life ' was first. Some illustrious examples notwithstanding, a great organic creation could scarcely have been produced in the short interval that has elapsed since the publication of the author's first work, but light sketches like these easily might. Given the power of delicate perception, sympathetic feeling, and light artistic touch, they may from their very nature be thrown off as rapidly, almost as easily, as a lady's letters.
They are a kind of soufflet of fiction, very delicious, but not to be achieved by heavy labour; there is, moreover, a homogeneousness about them which indicates as yet but a single vein of genius. Every sketch is an imaginative and idealized presentation of the thoughts and sympathies and sufferings of the poor. The charm lies in the poetry of sentiment and feeling which the writer throws around the squalor and coarseness of their life. No East-ender ever was exactly like any one of the author's delineations, although both heroism, poetry, grotesqueness, and religiousness are to be found among them j but the author has evidently drawn from life, and his great merit is that he has found such a soul of good in things evil—that he is an optimist, whose bright hopes and loving sympathies tend powerfully to realize themselves. The influence of such presentations can be only good—good upon those who are thus represented, so far as they know the representations, and good upon those whose conceptions, feelings, and conduct so largely affect them.
Almost all that we said about 'Episodes of an Obscure Life' applies to these sketches. Critically speaking, equal in literary art and power to its predecessorand we heartily commend it. No one can read it without being made by its perusal a wiser and a better man.
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EPISODES IN AN OBSCURE LIFE - Being Experiences in the Tower Hamlets
EPISODES IN AN OBSCURE LIFE - Being Experiences in the Tower Hamlets
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Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940013048829 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Leila's Books |
| Publication date: | 08/24/2011 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| File size: | 3 MB |
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