The Humour of Russia Translated by E. L. Voynich. (W.
Scott.)—The plan of this volume is to give extracts without comment. Eleven authors have been laid under contribution, and we are left to form our own judgment about them. Russian life is curiously remote from ours ; it happens, consequently, that what is really comedy, sometimes reads like farce. But it is a more serious matter that what we are intended to regard as humour is really tragedy. On the whole, there seems to be but little geniality in Russian humour. Fun, in the true sense of the word, the fun in which our own literature is so rich, is, to say the least, not conspicuous. Nevertheless, this volume will be found of considerable interest. It gives some characteristic specimens of literature which, whether we can rightly call them humorous or not, will repay perusal.
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