Young Days of Authors. By Ascott R. Hope. With Illustrations.
(J. Hogg.)—" The stories," as stated in the Preface, "are founded upon autobiographical materials, supplied by the heroes themselves, with here and there a passage quoted or translated out of their
works The lives have been chosen less for the sake of their position in the literary world than with an eye to fullness of interest against a background of the social and political history of the time " Accordingly, the only "historic" names are those of Heine and Alfieri, the rest consisting of the Chouan, Alexis Francois Rio, Captain Basil Hall, William Hutton, "the Birmingham book- seller and book-writer ;" Mrs. Grant, of Laggau, "a successful authoress at the beginning of this century ;" and lastly, Thaddeus von Bulgaria, who has been styled, undeservedly, "the Sir Walter Scott of Russia," and whose story, it is believed, is now first pre- sented to English readers. The "Lives," extending to nearly four hundred pages, supply much interesting and profitable reading of very diversified character, not the least interesting being that of William Hutton.
Previous page
