The Yale Literary Magazine (Vol. I, No. 2, March 1836)Various
General
The Yale Literary Magazine (Vol. I, No. 2, March 1836)
Various
College students' writings, American -- Connecticut -- New Haven -- Periodicals; Yale University -- Periodicals
We finished, and were disappointed. We had expected something of
genius—the rich, fervid style—the original thought—the bright and
glowing paintings of natural beauty, or the thrilling description of
high-wrought human energies, that stirs the soul. These we found not,
and then we waited for the cunning delineation of the human heart—its
workings, and—the “sequel.” Our reward was the “unvarnished tale.” The
work bears no mark of a mind capable of original conceptions. The
descriptions of natural scenery, throughout this and all the author’s
works, are but imitations of the works of masters, served up in dim and
changed colors. The thoughts are trite; and the sample piece, the
tit-bit, that was served up to _water_ the mouth of the public—we mean
the description of the destruction of the Georgia guard, which occupies
by far the fairest page of the work—is but a scene familiar in plot and
story. Guy Rivers himself is but a sorry deformity of one of those dark
spirits, which require the genius of a Byron or Bulwer to throw an
interest around them, and the hero has hardly a character. We can only
conceive of him as a love-sick somebody, to whom is given the name of
Ralph Colleton.
The next work dealt out to the public is “The Yemassee,” and to this we
can only afford a passing remark, as our principal business is with “The
Partisan.” “The Yemassee” is the best production of this author. When
speaking of the _best_ of such works, we mean it has the fewest faults.
The author advertises that he shall insist upon its being considered a
_romance_, and (as near as we can gather from his remarks) that he has a
right to say and do as he chooses. Some of the scenes might have been
made exciting, did it not seem that the writer had measured his paper,
and said “this description shall fill _so much_.” It might be read with
some interest, perhaps, by one who had never read “The Last of the
Mohicans.” But those who have, should wait until the memory of the
latter has become faded and dim. There is enough in the story, to have
made a pretty tale of fifty pages; at least, it then would have had one
merit, which now it has not—brevity.
The last production from the pen of this author is “The Partisan, a tale
of the Revolution.” As the author is very particular, and at times a
little dictatorial in his _advertisements_, let us look there for what
he promises, and then examine the tale for the fulfillment.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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