The Southern Literary Messenger, Vol. I., No. 1, August, 1834Various
General
The Southern Literary Messenger, Vol. I., No. 1, August, 1834
Various
American literature -- 19th century -- Periodicals
Mr. Cooper's letter is partly private and controversial, and partly
political, and therefore any thing like an extended notice or review of
it does not fall within the range which has been prescribed for the
"Southern Literary Messenger." We cannot but express our regret,
however, that Mr. Cooper should have suffered himself to be seduced
into the arena of party politics. Upon that theatre he will meet with
many distinguished rivals--whereas he had none or few to contend with
on his favorite ground of romantic fiction. Is it possible that Mr.
Cooper will suffer himself to be driven from the field on which he has
earned so many enduring laurels, by the criticisms or even illnature of
a few newspaper editors? Why, if we had been fortunate enough to write
the "Red Rover," or even the "Bravo," we would have good humoredly
defied the whole fraternity from Maine to New Orleans. Mr. Cooper
forgets that there are thousands, who form their own opinions of
literary works, without ever once thinking to turn over the pages of a
daily or semiweekly instructor in order to learn its opinion. What if
some of his finest romances have been criticised? Is there any human
production which can be said to be perfect? Even Walter Scott
acknowledged that his "Monastery" and probably some of his other works
were total failures. We hope to spend many a long winter night yet in
reading some of Mr. Cooper's new novels.
DIARY OF AN ENNUYEE. _Boston: Lilly, Wait, Colman & Holden._ 1833.
We opened this book, we confess, with some reluctance. The reading
world has been so completely surfeited, especially in late years, by
works of the same description,--by the diaries and letters of
travellers and tourists,--and many of them have been so obviously
designed to encourage the art of _book making_, rather than to impart
solid instruction or intellectual pleasure, that we had almost resolved
to proscribe altogether that branch of literature. France, Switzerland
and Italy, have, moreover, been so often described, that neither the
theatre of Napoleon's glory, nor the sublimities of Alpine scenery--nor
the classical antiquities of the "Eternal City"--could impart any
longer, it was supposed, the grace or freshness of novelty to the
sketches of a new adventurer. Fortunately for us, however, we did not
carry our resolution into effect, until we looked into the charming
volume whose title is at the head of this article. For rich and
powerful thought,--for glowing and beautiful description,--for chaste
composition and elegance of taste, we have seldom or never seen it
surpassed. It is, too, the production of a lady,--an Englishwoman of
rank and fortune, who seems to have visited the sunny clime of Italy in
order to restore a constitution wasted by disease, and if possible,
alleviate some secret misery which was "feeding on her damask cheek"
and withering her heart.--Notwithstanding her efforts to conceal her
wretchedness, enough is told to excite the reader's sympathy and impart
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