G. P. Danielevsky
Published: 2017-03-02
Total Pages: 408
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The year 1878 was a notable one for Danilevski; it marked a turning point in his literary career, for then he put ethnographical work aside to try his hand at historical novel writing. To these latter belong his "Potemkin on the Danube, '* (1878); "Mirovitsh," (1879); "Princess Tarakanoff," (1883); "Moscow in Flames" (1886), etc. In spite of the fact that Danilevski's delineation of character is somewhat weak, he is nevertheless a splendid and vivid story-teller, and he still enjoys great popularity in Russia. The secret of his popularity lies in his choice of subject; it is always interesting and fascinating. From an artistic point of view, his historical novels are inferior to his earlier ethnographical works, but, on the other hand, they are maturer and are not written so hastily or with such an evident desire for melodramatic effect. Danilevski has always been a great student of the eighteenth century; his historical knowledge is profound and authoritative, as is evidenced by the accuracy and minuteness of detail given in " Mirovitsh" and "Moscow in Flames." In "Moscow in Flames" Danilevski competes with Tolstoy's "War and Peace," and I venture to point out that he was so successful in his effort that his heroine, Aurora Kramalin, the great society beauty, who, deserting her sex, fought in the ranks agamst the invaders, would have been considered an abomination by Tolstoy. This novel has also a somewhat topical interest for it will enable the reader to draw comparisons between the Napoleonic invasion of Russia and the present European cataclysm. Napoleon's frustrated campaign against Russia finally resulted in the Corsican's abdication. Tsar Alexander, against whom the victor of Austerlitz and Jena led his "grande armee," was ultimately received by the enthusiastic Parisians as their saviour, and they flung down their idol from his pedestal. Sapienti sat. Caveat Guilelmus secundus! Will not the present European war end in the abdication of him who craved to be a second Napoleon? We hope so in the interests of humanity and civilisation.