MR. KEENAN'S " TRAJAN."
[To TILE EDITOR OF TEE " SPECTATOR."]
So.,—In your review of Mr. Keenan's "Trajan," you say that its appearance in England has been " heralded by nearly as emphatic a enlogium from Mr. W. D. Howells as that passed by Mr. Henry James on the author of 'Nana."
I have to beg you to state, directly from me, that I have passed no enloginm on "Trajan," for the reason that I have not read it.—I am, Sir, &c ,
Boston, U.S.A., May 11th. W. D. HOWELLS.
[The appearance of "Trajan" was heralded in this country by the following announcement, which appeared in a variety of quarters, and among others in the Times on April 1st of this year :—" This is a new novel by a famous American journalist, who is reputed to be one of the most brilliant writers in the United States. Mr. W. D. Howell says that Trajan' is the best book he has read for many years." Is it very surprising that a reader of such an announcement should come to the conclusion that a slight misprint had been made in it ? As the matter now stands, it would appear that, in the United States, there is a Mr. W. D. Howell, as well as a Mr. W. D. Howells, whose opinion on the character of a new American novel is worth circulating far and wide.—En. Spectator.]
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