_Question_. Who, in your opinion, is the greatest novelist who
has written in the English language?
_Answer_. The greatest novelist, in my opinion, who has ever
written in the English language, was Charles Dickens. He was the
greatest observer since Shakespeare. He had the eyes that see,
the ears that really hear. I place him above Thackeray. Dickens
wrote for the home, for the great public. Thackeray wrote for the
clubs. The greatest novel in our language--and it may be in any
other--is, according to my ideas, "A Tale of Two Cities." In that,
are philosophy, pathos, self-sacrifice, wit, humor, the grotesque
and the tragic. I think it is the most artistic novel that I have
read. The creations of Dickens' brain have become the citizens of
the world.
_Question_. What is your opinion of American writers?
_Answer_. I think Emerson was a fine writer, and he did this world
a great deal of good, but I do not class him with the first. Some
of his poetry is wonderfully good and in it are some of the deepest
and most beautiful lines. I think he was a poet rather than a
philosopher. His doctrine of compensation would be delightful if
it had the facts to support it.
Of course, Hawthorne was a great writer. His style is a little
monotonous, but the matter is good. "The Marble Faun" is by far
his best effort. I shall always regret that Hawthorne wrote the
life of Franklin Pierce.
Walt Whitman will hold a high place among American writers. His
poem on the death of Lincoln, entitled "When Lilacs Last in the
Dooryard Bloom'd," is the greatest ever written on this continent.
He was a natural poet and wrote lines worthy of America. He was
the poet of democracy and individuality, and of liberty. He was
worthy of the great Republic.
_Question_. What about Henry George's books?
_Answer_. Henry George wrote a wonderful book and one that arrested
the attention of the world--one of the greatest books of the century.
While I do not believe in his destructive theories, I gladly pay
a tribute to his sincerity and his genius.
_Question_. What do you think of Bellamy?
_Answer_. I do not think what is called nationalism of the Bellamy
kind is making any particular progress in this country. We are
believers in individual independence, and will be, I hope, forever.
Boston was at one time the literary center of the country, but the
best writers are not living here now. The best novelists of our
country are not far from Boston. Edgar Fawcett lives in New York.
Howells was born, I believe, in Ohio, and Julian Hawthorne lives
in New Jersey or in Long Island. Among the poets, James Whitcomb
Riley is a native of Indiana, and he has written some of the
daintiest and sweetest things in American literature. Edgar Fawcett
is a great poet. His "Magic Flower" is as beautiful as anything
Tennyson has ever written. Eugene Field of Chicago, has written
some charming things, natural and touching.
Westward the star of literature takes its course.
--_The Star_, Kansas City, Mo., May 26, 1892.