Life and Adventures of an Unfortunate Author. By Himself. (Samuel
Tinsley.)—This is supposed to be the autobiography of an author who fails in the great ambition of his life, and htrving staked everything on the chance, commits suicide. It is difficult to criticise a book of this kind seriously. What is meant by calling him an "un- fortunate" author ? So far from being unfortunate, he seems to have been, if only his own folly had permitted, one of the most fortunate of men. The most improbable things occur, to give him all, or even more than he wishes. But he has an ambition to write something such as the world has never seen before ; an essay which is to be the culmination of all wisdom. This is the rock on which his career is wrecked. If the moral is to be that men had better not cherish such ambitions,—very good ; we cannot quarrel with it, though we are inclined to think it superfluous. Most men are only too much disposed to be common-place, and content with ignoble aims. If there is anything that does not need to be preached against, it is enthusiasm. But if a moral is to be enforced, we must have a reasonable, probable story, and here we have nothing of the kind. From beginning to end, there is scarcely any incident or character that we can recognise as natural. The early history, the successes and misfortunes, and most of all, the literary ambitions of the author, are quite remote from ordinary experience, and we read them without the pleasure or profit which the writer might well be able to produce, were his powers more happily employed.
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