FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98  
99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   >>   >|  
nd Peace;" all these books are marked by the same general characteristics: entire purity of tone, warmth of feeling, clearness of judgment, insight into human nature, genial humour, a sharp perception of social aspects, a strong, clear style, and unusually vivid descriptive powers. Her plots are simple, and her incidents natural. In fact she seeks them in the ordinary scenes of domestic life, in its joys and sorrows, in the duties and pleasures, the lights and shadows of home--and is never induced to venture into the regions of melodramatic or philosophical fiction. In 1841 the works we have enumerated were translated into German, to attain in Germany to as great and enduring a popularity as they had acquired in their native country. In the following year they were made known to the British public, through the labours of William and Mary Howitt; and the reception accorded to them was as enthusiastic as could be desired. Their merits, indeed, were precisely those which English readers might be supposed to appreciate. It may be interesting to note that in "The Neighbours," more than in any of her other works, Frederika Bremer drew from real life. Aged Mrs. Mansfeld is almost a literal portrait of one of her most familiar acquaintances. As for Francisca Werner, she is the authoress herself. Alternately despondent, dreamy, energetic, enthusiastic, housewifely, such is the character of Francisca, and such was Frederika. She represents her heroine as small of stature, with a plain face, which is yet not without some charm of expression, as a woman of excessively simple tastes, a student, and an artist. It is an exact portrait; and "The Neighbours" is a record of her thoughts and a history of her heart and its generous impulses. * * * * * An author has gained a good deal when he succeeds in pleasing his readers; but to ensure a claim to immortality he must bare to them his personality, the secrets of his soul, the feelings of his heart. This has been done by Frederika Bremer. It is true that she reveals no stormy passions, no wild and wayward emotions; but she shows us _herself_, in all her love of things good and beautiful, in all the breadth and purity of her sympathies, in all the elevation of her thoughts. We see, too, her knowledge of the _domesticities_, her intimate acquaintance with the duties and responsibilities of home. Her judgments are always sound and prudent; the advice she
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98  
99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Frederika

 

duties

 

Francisca

 

readers

 

Neighbours

 
Bremer
 

portrait

 

thoughts

 

enthusiastic

 
simple

purity

 
knowledge
 

dreamy

 

energetic

 

housewifely

 

character

 

heroine

 

despondent

 

stature

 

elevation


represents

 

intimate

 

familiar

 

prudent

 

advice

 

Mansfeld

 

literal

 

judgments

 

Werner

 

authoress


domesticities

 
acquaintance
 

responsibilities

 

acquaintances

 

Alternately

 
passions
 

stormy

 

reveals

 

ensure

 

pleasing


succeeds

 

secrets

 

personality

 

immortality

 

wayward

 

gained

 
breadth
 

artist

 

beautiful

 

sympathies