GHL to John Blackwood, Richmond, [7 May 1856]
Title
GHL to John Blackwood, Richmond, [7 May 1856]
Title
GHL to John Blackwood, Richmond, [7 May 1856]
Sender
George Henry Lewes
Recipient
John Blackwood
Date(s)
- 1856-05-07
Place
Richmond
Letter Content
GHL to John Blackwood, Richmond, [7 May 1856]
MS: National Library of Scotland.
Park Shot | Richmond | Wednesday.
My dear Sir
It is gratifying to find you like the story on rereading. It is but a slight affair, but from the variety of incident may perhaps be amusing. I have however determined on completing it in this third part (which I send by this post) because unless a story has a good backbone of interest and character, the shorter the better. Now the defect of my story, as it seems to me, is the defect of the original play from which I altered it, viz. that neither hero nor heroine have sufficiently marked character. 288
I wanted to do something novel with Victor -- something out of the ordinary hero type -- a semi-humbug. But nuances are not fit for the stage; and require even in a novel more patient development than this character seemed to me to be worth.
I quite agree with you that Nicotte and Goulard are the most interesting and have thrown the burden on their backs.
Ever truly yours
G. H. Lewes.
MS: National Library of Scotland.
Park Shot | Richmond | Wednesday.
My dear Sir
It is gratifying to find you like the story on rereading. It is but a slight affair, but from the variety of incident may perhaps be amusing. I have however determined on completing it in this third part (which I send by this post) because unless a story has a good backbone of interest and character, the shorter the better. Now the defect of my story, as it seems to me, is the defect of the original play from which I altered it, viz. that neither hero nor heroine have sufficiently marked character. 288
I wanted to do something novel with Victor -- something out of the ordinary hero type -- a semi-humbug. But nuances are not fit for the stage; and require even in a novel more patient development than this character seemed to me to be worth.
I quite agree with you that Nicotte and Goulard are the most interesting and have thrown the burden on their backs.
Ever truly yours
G. H. Lewes.
Signature
G. H. Lewes.
Citation
George Henry Lewes, GHL to John Blackwood, Richmond, [7 May 1856], Complete George Eliot Letters(2026), George Eliot Archive, edited by Beverley Park Rilett. https://GeorgeEliotArchive.org, Accessed September 7, 2026. https://georgeeliotarchive.org/items/show/94740