Fantasy. By Matilda Serao. Translated from the Italian by Henry
Harland and Paul Sylvester. (William Heinemann.)— Mr. Gosse, who edits the curious "International Library" series of books to which this volume belongs, claims for its author, who, although an Italian by blood, was yet born in Patras, on the western coast of Greece, that "she is an idealist working in the school of realism ; she climbs on a scaffolding of minute prosaic observation to heights which are emotional and often lyrical." The realism is obvious, painfully so. The "minute prosaic observa- tion " is very much in evidence. But we fail to see where the " idealism " comes in. Fantasy is neither more nor less than the story, by an undoubtedly capable and skilful disciple of Zola, of a sensuous, unhealthy-minded girl, who, when she grows up, steals the husband of an old and loyal school-companion, the latter there- upon committing suicide. It would require a Johnsonian capacity of calling a spade a spade to do justice to the character of Lieta. No doubt the " observation " of the growth of the guilty intimacy between Andrea and Lieta is very minute ; but in the end, at all events, it becomes tedious. Power of various kinds, and par- ticularly of psychological analysis, is exhibited in Fantasy. But it is worse than wasted.
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