some anomalies of the short story-第1部分

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Some　Anomalies　of　the　Short　Story

by　William　Dean　Howells







The　interesting　experiment　of　one　of　our　great　publishing　houses　in
putting　out　serially　several　volumes　of　short　stories；　with　the　hope　that
a　courageous　persistence　may　overcome　the　popular　indifference　to　such
collections　when　severally　administered；　suggests　some　questions　as　to
this　eldest　form　of　fiction　which　I　should　like　to　ask　the　reader's
patience　with。　　I　do　not　know　that　I　shall　be　able　to　answer　them；　or
that　I　shall　try　to　do　so；　the　vitality　of　a　question　that　is　answered
seems　to　exhale　in　the　event；　it　palpitates　no　longer；　curiosity　flutters
away　from　the　faded　flower；　which　is　fit　then　only　to　be　folded　away　in
the　'hortus　siccus'　of　accomplished　facts。　　In　view　of　this　I　may　wish
merely　to　state　the　problems　and　leave　them　for　the　reader's　solution；
or；　more　amusingly；　for　his　mystification。




I。

One　of　the　most　amusing　questions　concerning　the　short　story　is　why　a
form　which　is　singly　so　attractive　that　every　one　likes　to　read　a　short
story　when　he　finds　it　alone　is　collectively　so　repellent　as　it　is　said
to　be。　　Before　now　I　have　imagined　the　case　to　be　somewhat　the　same　as
that　of　a　number　of　pleasant　people　who　are　most　acceptable　as　separate
householders；　but　who　lose　caste　and　cease　to　be　desirable　acquaintances
when　gathered　into　a　boarding…house。

Yet　the　case　is　not　the　same　quite；　for　we　see　that　the　short　story　where
it　is　ranged　with　others　of　its　species　within　the　covers　of　a　magazine
is　so　welcome　that　the　editor　thinks　his　number　the　more　brilliant　the
more　short　story　writers　he　can　call　about　his　board；　or　under　the　roof
of　his　pension。　　Here　the　boardinghouse　analogy　breaks；　breaks　so
signally　that　I　was　lately　moved　to　ask　a　distinguished　editor　why　a　book
of　short　stories　usually　failed　and　a　magazine　usually　succeeded　because
of　them。　　He　answered；　gayly；　that　the　short　stories　in　most　books　of
them　were　bad；　that　where　they　were　good；　they　went；　and　he　alleged
several　well…known　instances　in　which　books　of　prime　short　stories　had　a
great　vogue。　　He　was　so　handsomely　interested　in　my　inquiry　that　I　could
not　well　say　I　thought　some　of　the　short　stories　which　he　had　boasted　in
his　last　number　were　indifferent　good；　and　yet；　as　he　allowed；　had　mainly
helped　sell　it。　　I　had　in　mind　many　books　of　short　stories　of　the　first
excellence　which　had　failed　as　decidedly　as　those　others　had　succeeded；
for　no　reason　that　I　could　see；　possibly　there　is　really　no　reason　in　any
literary　success　or　failure　that　can　be　predicted；　or　applied　in　another
Base。

I　could　name　these　books；　if　it　would　serve　any　purpose；　but；　in　my
doubt；　I　will　leave　the　reader　to　think　of　them；　for　I　believe　that　his
indolence　or　intellectual　reluctance　is　largely　to　blame　for　the　failure
of　good　books　of　short　stories。　　He　is　commonly　so　averse　to　any
imaginative　exertion　that　he　finds　it　a　hardship　to　respond　to　that
peculiar　demand　which　a　book　of　good　short　stories　makes　upon　him。　　He
can　read　one　good　short　story　in　a　magazine　with　refreshment；　and　a
pleasant　sense　of　excitement；　in　the　sort　of　spur　it　gives　to　his　own
constructive　faculty。　　But；　if　this　is　repeated　in　ten　or　twenty　stories；
he　becomes　fluttered　and　exhausted　by　the　draft　upon　his　energies；
whereas　a　continuous　fiction　of　the　same　quantity　acts　as　an　agreeable
sedative。　　A　condition　that　the　short　story　tacitly　makes　with　the
reader；　through　its　limitations；　is　that　he　shall　subjectively　fill　in
the　details　and　carry　out　the　scheme　which　in　its　small　dimensions　the
story　can　only　suggest；　and　the　greater　number　of　readers　find　this　too
much　for　their　feeble　powers；　while　they　cannot　resist　the　incitement　to
attempt　it。

My　theory　does　not　wholly　account　for　the　fact　（no　theory　wholly　accounts
for　any　fact）；　and　I　own　that　the　same　objections　would　lie　from　the
reader　against　a　number　of　short　stories　in　a　magazine。　　But　it　may　be
that　the　effect　is　not　the　same　in　the　magazine　because　of　the　variety　in
the　authorship；　and　because　it　would　be　impossibly　jolting　to　read　all
the　short　stories　in　a　magazine　'seriatim'。　　On　the　other　hand；　the
identity　of　authorship　gives　a　continuity　of　attraction　to　the　short
stories　in　a　book　which　forms　that　exhausting　strain　upon　the　imagination
of　the　involuntary　co…partner。




II。

Then；　what　is　the　solution　as　to　the　form　of　publication　for　short
stories；　since　people　do　not　object　to　them　singly　but　collectively；　and
not　in　variety；　but　in　identity　of　authorship？　　Are　they　to　be　printed
only　in　the　magazines；　or　are　they　to　be　collected　in　volumes　combining　a
variety　of　authorship？　　Rather；　I　could　wish；　it　might　be　found　feasible
to　purvey　them　in　some　pretty　shape　where　each　would　appeal　singly　to　the
reader　and　would　not　exhaust　him　in　the　subjective　after…work　required　of
him。　　In　this　event　many　short　stories　now　cramped　into　undue　limits　by
the　editorial　exigencies　of　the　magazines　might　expand　to　greater　length
and　breadth；　and　without　ceasing　to　be　each　a　short　story　might　not　make
so　heavy　a　demand　upon　the　subliminal　forces　of　the　reader。

If　any　one　were　to　say　that　all　this　was　a　little　fantastic；　I　should　not
contradict　him；　but　I　hope　there　is　some　reason　in　it；　if　reason　can　help
the　short　story　to　greater　favor；　for　it　is　a　form　which　I　have　great
pleasure　in　as　a　reader；　and　pride　in　as　an　American。　　If　we　have　not
excelled　all　other　moderns　in　it；　we　have　certainly　excelled　in　it；
possibly　because　we　are　in　the　period　of　our　literary　development　which
corresponds　to　that　of　other　peoples　when　the　short　story　pre…eminently
flourished　among　them。　　But　when　one　has　said　a　thing　like　this；　it
immediately　accuses　one　of　loose　and　inaccurate　statement；　and　requires
one　to　refine　upon　it；　either　for　one's　own　peace　of　conscience　or　for
one's　safety　from　the　thoughtful　reader。　　I　am　not　much　afraid　of　that
sort　of　reader；　for　he　is　very　rare；　but　I　do　like　to　know　myself　what　I
mean；　if　I　mean　anything　in　particular。

In　this　instance　I　am　obliged　to　ask　myself　whether　our　literary
development　can　be　recognized　separately　from　that　of　the　whole　English…
speaking　world。　　I　think　it　can；　though；　as　I　am　always　saying　American
literature　is　merely　a　condition　of　English　literature。　　In　some　sense
every　European　literature　is　a　condition　of　some　other　European
literature；　yet　the　impulse　in　each　eventuates；　if　it　does　not　originate
indigenously。　　A　younger　literature　will　choose；　by　a　sort　of　natural
selection；　some　things　for　assimilation　from　an　elder　literature；　for　no
more　apparent　reason　than　it　will　reject　other　things；　and　it　will
transform　them　in　the　process　so　that　it　will　give　them　the　effect　of
indigeneity。　　The　short　story　among　the　Italians；　who　called　it　the
novella；　and　supplied　us　with　the　name　devoted　solely　among　us　to　fiction
of　epical　magnitude；　refined　indefinitely　upon　the　Greek　romance；　if　it
derived　from　that；　it　retrenched　itself　in　scope；　and　enlarged　itself　in
the　variety　of　its　types。　　But　still　these　remained　types；　and　they
remained　types　with　the　French　imitators　of　the　Italian　novella。　　It　was
not　till　the　Spaniards　borrowed　the　form　of　the　novella　and　transplanted
it　to　their　racier　soil　that　it　began　to　bear　character；　and　to　fruit　in
the　richness　of　their　picaresque　fiction。　　When　the　English　borrowed　it
they　adapted　it；　in　the　metrical　tales　of　Chaucer；　to　the　genius　of　their
nation；　which　was　then　both　poetical　and　humorous。　　Here　it　was　full　of
character；　too；　and　more　and　more　personality　began　to　enlarge　the　bounds
of　the　conventional　types　and　to　imbue　fresh　ones。　　But　in　so　far　as　the
novella　was　studied　in　the　Italian　sources；　the　French；　Spanish；　and
English　literatures　were　conditions　of　Italian　literature　as　distinctly；
though；　of　course；　not　so　thoroughly；　as　American　literature　is　a
condition　of　English　literature。　　Each　borrower　gave　a　national　cast　to
the　thing　borrowed；　and　that　is　what　has　happened　with　us；　in　the　full
measure　that　our　nationality　has　differenced　itself　from　the　English。

Whatever　truth　there　is　in　all　this；　and　I　will　confess　that　a　good　deal
of　it　seems　to　me　hardy　conjecture；　rather　favors　my　position　that　we　are
in　some　such　period　of　our　literary　development　as　those　other　peoples
when　the　short　story　flourished　among　them。　　Or；　if　I　restrict　our　claim；
I　may　safely　claim　that　they　abundantly　had　the　novella　when　they　had　not
the　novel　at　all；　and　we　now　abundantly　have　the　novella；　while　we　have
the　novel　only　subordinately　and　of　at　least　no　such　quantitative
importance　as　the　English；　French；　Spanish；　Norwegians；　Russians；　and
some　others　of　our　esteemed　contemporaries；　not　to　name　the　Italians。　　We
surpass　the　Germans；　who；　like　ourselves；　have　as　distinctly　excelled　in
the　modern　novella　as　they　have　fallen　short　in　the　novel。　　Or；　if　I　may
not　quite　say　this；　I　will　make　bold　to　say　that　I　can　think　of　many
German　novelle　that　I　should　like　to　read　again；　but　scarcely　one　German
novel；　and　I　could　honestly　say　the　same　of　American　novelle；　though　not
of　American　novels。




III。

The　abeyance；　not　to　say　the　desuetude；　that　the　novella　fell　into　for
several　centuries　is　very　curious；　and　fully　as　remarkable　as　the　modern
rise　of　the　short　story。　　It　began　to　prevail　in　the　dramatic　form；　for　a
play　is　a　short　story　put　on　the　stage；　it　may　have　satisfied　in　that
form　the　early　love　of　it；　and　it　has　continued　to　please　in　that　form；
but　in　its　original　shape　it　quite　vanished；　unless　we　consider　the
little　studies　and　sketches　and　allegories　of　the　Spectator　and　Tatler
and　Idler　and　Rambler　and　their　imitations　on　the　Continent　as　guises　of
the　novella。　　The　germ　of　the　modern　short　story　may　have　survived　in
these；　or　in　the　metrical　form　of　the　novella　which　appeared　in　Chaucer
and　never　wholly　disappeared。　　With　Crabbe　the　novella　became　as
distinctly　the　short　story　as　it　has　become　in　the　hands　of　Miss　Wilkins。
But　it　was　not　till　our　time　that　its　great　merit　as　a　form　was　felt；　for
until　our　time　so　great　work　was　never　done　with　it。　　I　remind　myself　of
Boccaccio；　and　of　the　Arabian　Night