large/803/reviews_wilde_0709_librivox_64kb_mp3/reviews_84_wilde_64kb_13
large/803/reviews_wilde_0709_librivox_64kb_mp3/reviews_84_wilde_64kb
English
803
When the result is beautiful the method is justified, and no shrill insistence upon a supposed necessity for absolute modernity of form can prevail against the value of work that has the incomparable excellence of style. WHEN THE RESULT IS BEAUTIFUL THE METHOD IS JUSTIFIED AND NO SHRILL INSISTENCE UPON A SUPPOSED NECESSITY FOR ABSOLUTE MODERNITY OF FORM CAN PREVAIL AGAINST THE VALUE OF WORK THAT HAS THE INCOMPARABLE EXCELLENCE OF STYLE
 Gazette, March 2, 1889.) Mr. Morris's last book is a piece of pure art workmanship from beginning to end, and the very remoteness of its style from the common language and ordinary interests of our day gives to the whole story a strange beauty and an unfamiliar charm. It is written in blended prose and verse, like the mediaeval 'cante-fable,' and tells the tale of the House of the Wolfings in its struggles against the legionaries of Rome then advancing into Northern Germany. It is a kind of Saga, and the language in which the folk-epic, as we may call it, is set forth recalls the antique dignity and directness of our English tongue four centuries ago. From an artistic point of view it may be described as an attempt to return by a self-conscious effort to the conditions of an earlier and a fresher age. Attempts of this kind are not uncommon in the history of art. From some such feeling came the Pre-Raphaelite movement of our own day and the archaistic movement of later Greek sculpture. AZETTE MARCH SECOND EIGHTEEN EIGHTY NINE MISTER MORRIS'S LAST BOOK IS A PIECE OF PURE ART WORKMANSHIP FROM BEGINNING TO END AND THE VERY REMOTENESS OF ITS STYLE FROM THE COMMON LANGUAGE AND ORDINARY INTERESTS OF OUR DAY GIVES THE WHOLE STORY A STRANGE BEAUTY AND AN UNFAMILIAR CHARM IT IS WRITTEN IN BLENDED PROSE AND VERSE LIKE THE MEDIAEVAL CANTE FABLE AND TELLS THE TALE OF THE HOUSE OF THE WOLFINGS IN ITS STRUGGLES AGAINST THE LEGIONAIRS OF ROME THEN ADVANCING INTO NORTHERN GERMANY IT IS A KIND OF SAGA AND THE LANGUAGE IN WHICH THE FOLK EPIC AS WE MAY CALL IT IS SET FORTH RECALLS THE ANTIQUE DIGNITY AND DIRECTNESS OF OUR ENGLISH TONGUE FOUR CENTURIES AGO FROM AN ARTISTIC POINT OF VIEW IT MAY BE DESCRIBED AS AN ATTEMPT TO RETURN BY A SELF CONSCIOUS EFFORT TO THE CONDITIONS OF AN EARLIER AND A FRESHER AGE ATTEMPTS OF THIS KIND ARE NOT UNCOMMON IN THE HISTORY OF ART FROM SOME SUCH FEELING CAME THE PRE RAPHAELITE MOVEMENT OF OUR OWN DAY AND THE ARCHAISTIC MOVEMENT OF LATER GREEK SCULPTURE
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