Mr. Christopher Katydid of Casconia. A Tale. Edited by Mark
Heywood. Two volumes. (Saunders, Otley, and Co.)—Unable to make much of the novel, the reader will perhaps in his despair turn to the preface, and we shall be much surprised if he derives much assistance from that. It seems, however, to be intended as a satire upon the society of the Southern States of America, and upon " sensation " novels, but written in no hostile spirit to either. The style aimed at would seem to be that of Satollett, bat except in coarseness the resem- blance is not remarkable nor the imitation happy. Some claim the writer seems to put forth to having given a faithful picture of Southern scenery and manners, nor can we pretend to say that he has not from any personal knowledge of our own, but if it be so, Southern scenery can have nothing very distinctive about it, and Southern manners nothing very attractive, Indeed the book seems to us to have very little merit, but it is pleasantly distinguished from most American pub- lications at the present time in one respect. It makes no allusion what- ever either to the civil war or to slavery.
Previous page
