| | 1 | Author: | Flint
Timothy
1780-1840 | Add | | | Title: | The life and adventures of Arthur Clenning, in two volumes  | | | | Published: | 1997 | | | | Subjects: | University of Virginia Library, Modern English collection | UVA-LIB-Text | University of Virginia Library, Early American Fiction, 1789-1875 | UVA-LIB-EarlyAmFict1789-1875 | | | | Description: | Having obtained the ensuing adventures for
publication, as the reader will see, a circumstance,
which I am about to relate, gave me serious alarm,
lest this volume should be classed with the common
novels and made up stories of the day. It would
give me pain to have it lose the little interest which
might appertain to it, as a recital of plain and
simple matters of fact. My apprehension that such
might be its fate, was excited by hearing, the very
evening after I had completed this compilation
from the notes of Mr. Clenning, a critical dialogue
between two old, spectacled, female, novel-reading,
tea-drinking cronies, as they discussed the merits
of a recently published novel over their evening tea.
I seemed to them to be absorbed in reading the
newspapers; but in truth my ears drank every word.
The incidents of the story upon which they sat in
judgment, were as nearly like this biography of
mine as fiction may approach to fact. I considered
their opinions a kind of forestalling of my doom.
The sprites of the lower country did not pitchfork
the fictitious Don Quixotte with more hearty good
will to the burning depths, as the real Don Quixotte
related their management, than did these excellent
old ladies dispose of this book. “The wretch!”
said the first; “he has removed the landmarks
between history and fable.” “The fool!” said the
other; “he does not know how to keep up the appearance
of probability.” “My husband inquired
on the spot,” said the first, “and the people had
never even heard of such a man.” “The block-head!”
said the second; “he should have laid the
scene just four hundred years back.” “He caricatures
nature horribly,” said the first. “He is
wholly deficient in art and polish,” said the second.
“It is a poor affair from the beginning,” said the
first. “The author is only fit to write for the newspapers,”
said the second. “He has been an exact
and humble copyist of Sir Walter Scott, though
he is just a thousand leagues behind him,” said the
first. “He is nine hundred miles behind Mr. Cooper,
dear man,” said the second. | | | Similar Items: | Find |
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