Hall Caine
THOMAS HENRY HALL CAINE, since 1918 Sir Hall, of Manx descent, was born at Runcorn, May 14, 1853.
He was trained for an architect, but was attracted to journalism and to the writing of novels, which have frequently been reproduced on the stage. His best-known stories have attained an enormous circulation in print, and reached great audiences on the stage. "The Deemster," "The Bondman," "The Manxman," "The Christian," "The Eternal City," "The Woman Thou Gavest Me," are among the best known in a long list, which have passed from the printed page to the stage, and finally, in some cases, to the films.
It will be interesting to see how his books last. A certain force he undoubtedly has, and he knows extremely well how to choose a subject with an appeal to a large audience; he has, however, a considerable crudity in thought and expression, and his emotional passages sometimes have the air of being created to order.
No English-speaking author has ever been so extensively advertised as Hall Caine. He must wait a generation or so to see whether in the end it pays to advertise.