3 JANUARY 1880, Page 31

Studies in Paris. By Edmondo de Amicis. Translated from the

Italian, by "W. W. C." (New York : G. P. Putnam's Sons.)—Here are five essays, of which the most noticeable are two, on "Victor Hugo" and " Zola " respectively. S. de Amicis describes in a very graphic way his visit to Victor Hugo, and gives us as good an idea of the personality of the great man as we have seen anywhere. And he and his friend seem to have interviewed Zola, and got from him an interesting account of the question "how he wrote a novel." This is a quite remarkable paper. We venture to say that no equally com- plete account of this writer has appeared before. It is conceived, WO think, in too favourable a spirit, but it is unquestionably able, and worth careful perusal.