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The Peasant of Ardenne Forest. A Novel. In Four Volumes. By Mrs. Parsons. 20s. Hurst &c. 1801.
We have heard from people addicted to the reading of such books as these, that the very life of a Novel is incident, various and endless incident. This, then, is a very lively Novel; for incidents, not a little wonderful, are crouded into almost every page. Whether they be quite natural and probable, we will not stay to enquire. One incident, occurring in vol ii. p. 281, cannot indeed be called unnatural, from the pen of a female. But doubtless, the fair author knows more exactly than we do, what sort of adventures best agree with the taste of the generality of her readers. The characters are sufficiently discriminated; which is a considerable merit in novel-writing. Some of them are coloured beyond nature; as that of Eleanora, and of young Douglas; the former is monstrously wicked, and the other is marvellously weak, in his unextinguishable attachment to her. The two principal characters are well supported, till we come to the winding-up of the tale, and few readers, we think, will be satisfied with the final arrangement of their fortunes. [complete]
Provided by Karen Morton, December 1999.
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