442 



LITERATURE, CONTINENTAL, IN 1887. 



Sea expedition (1876-"T8) is looked for with 

 much interest; only two parts have as yet 

 appeared. Prof. Dietrichsen furnishes a small 

 volume on reform in fashions and clothes ; it 

 is said to be marked by good sense and easy 

 application. As a comfort to the doctors, it 

 may be stated that a new edition is under 

 way of Kjaer's " Dictionary of Norwegian Phy- 

 sicians." We close with naming two works of 

 interest and importance, Captain Jacobsen's 

 "Journevs to the Northwest Coast of North 

 America'" (1881-'83), and Dr. Carl Lum- 

 holtz's "Among the Cannibals," the results of 

 four years' sojourn in Australia. 



Russia. Despite the chronic troubles and 

 excitements in Russian civil and military affairs, 

 literature manifests a good degree of life and 

 activity, as the present brief record will show. 

 Early in the year, January 29, O. S. (i. e., Feb- 

 ruary 12), the semi-centennial of Pushkin's 

 death was celebrated in Russia. This great- 

 est of Russian poetic geniuses foolishly threw 

 away his life in a duel, fifty years ago, at the 

 age of thirty-eight, before he had had full op- 

 portunity of serving the interests of literature 

 and humanity in his native land. The anni- 

 versary was observed with great enthusiasm by 

 the entire nation, and new editions of his 

 works, as well as biographies, reviews, criti- 

 cisms, addresses, etc., abounded throughout 

 the empire. We can name now only four or 

 five books called forth by the celebration : 

 P. Ustimovich's " Memoirs," V. A. Yakovief's 

 " Recollections," P. O. Morozof's " Pushkin in 

 Russian Criticism," V. V. Nikolsky's " Push- 

 kin's Ideals," and Archbishop NikanoPs elo- 

 quent discourse before the Novo-Rosky Uni- 

 versity. Count Leo Tolstoi, who has been ex- 

 travagantly lauded in certain quarters, pro- 

 duced this year his first contribution to the 

 dranvi. It is entitled "The Power of Dark- 

 ness " ; or, " Tie up the Claw and the Bird is 

 Lost." The critics note with some severity de- 

 fects in it as regards its tendency and realistic 

 proclivities, yet at the same time pronounce it 

 to be an undoubted work of genius and high 

 art. Much attention has been bestowed upon 

 Tolstoi's other works, such as his profession of 

 faith, " Anna Karenin," etc., and his religious 

 as well as social and political teaching meets 

 with sharp criticism in reviews, pamphlets, 

 and the like. Among dramas which have 

 had good success are Krilof's " The Family," 

 Sumbatov's "The Arkasans," and Kulikov's 

 " The Aunt." Novels and works of fiction 

 have, as in former years, been very abundant. 

 Stchedrin still holds the front rank, and his 

 new series of sketches, entitled "Trifles of 

 Life," furnishes excellent reading. Other writ- 

 ers in this line whom we may note for our 

 readers' benefit are Korolenko, " Sketches 

 and Tales"; Leskov, " Holiday Tales "; Bibi- 

 kof, "Pure Love"; Madame Vinitski, "Nov- 

 els and Tales " ; Bobourikin, " One of the New 

 School"; Mikhailof, " The Homeless "; and 

 J. A. Gontcharof, who after long silence again 



appears before the public ; this last holds very 

 high rank among Russian novelists. Prof. 

 Buslaev's " Folk Lore " has been brought out 

 by the Academy of Sciences, and Strakhov has 

 published his " Struggle with the West in the 

 Field of Literature." Prof. Koudakov presents 

 an excellent study of the " Byzantine Churches 

 and Monuments of Constantinople." In history 

 we may note Tcheshikhin's " History of Livo- 

 nia"; Heyden's "History of Dissent"; Prof. 

 V. C. Nadler's able discussion of the once 

 famous Holy Alliance; I. A. Galaktianof'a 

 work in two volumes on the "Reign of Alex- 

 ander I"; and N. Kareefs "Researches into 

 the History of the Middle Ages." In biography, 

 akin to history, K. Z. Zeidlitz furnishes an 

 interesting life of Zhukovsky, tutor of Alex- 

 ander I " ; Shenroch has added to the mass 

 of Gogol literature his " Biographical Re- 

 marks " ; and Ostrogarsky and Lemenof have 

 written biographical sketches of Pirogof , Ushin- 

 sky, and Baron Korff, noted for their devo- 

 tion to the cause of education in Russia. Here 

 also may be mentioned a work which is under 

 way, on a grand scale, viz., " Critico-Bio- 

 graphical Dictionary of Russian Writers and 

 Savants," by S. A. Vengerof. In the necrol- 

 ogy of the year must be noted the death of 

 Mikhail N. Katkof, editor of the " Moscow 

 Gazette," intensely devoted to Slavic unity, 

 and consequently high in favor with the Em- 

 peror; the premature passing away of the 

 poet S. Y. Nadson, who, although only twenty- 

 four, had already attained eminence, and the 

 death of P. V. Annenkof, distinguished for 

 critical and biographical work, at the age of 

 seventy-six. 



Spain. Spanish literature in several depart- 

 ments has exhibited more than usual activity, 

 and the number of books published has been 

 large. Secular education seems to be bearing 

 good fruit. Historical and other compilations 

 are on the increase, and the Royal Academy 

 publishes regularly its monthly "Boletin," the 

 tenth volume of which contains several re- 

 markable papers on subjects connected with 

 the history and archaeology of the peninsula. 

 Balaquer has brought out the ninth and last 

 volume of his " Historia de Catulofia"; Sefior 

 Castelar, the far-famed orator, furnishes a new 

 volume, " Galeria Hist6rica de Mugeres C61e- 

 bres," highly spoken of by the critics; and 

 Sandoval gives an essay on the middle ages in 

 Spain. Local history, archaBology, and numis- 

 matics have received a fair share of attention ; 

 and geography and travels furnish a few but 

 not important books. Poetry, lyrical and 

 dramatic, prospers as in former years. New 

 devotees of the muse are numerous, and the 

 outlook is encouraging. Among these may be 

 named Don A. C. Y. Navarro, a brilliant writer 

 in prose as well as verse, in his "Literary Pas- 

 times"; Cristino Murciano, in his "Drama of 

 the Cross," a short narrative poem describing 

 the passion of our Saviour ; Vincente Colorado, 

 in his light, airy, graceful poems, "Kisses and 



