Cronin's literary career opened in 1931 with "Hatter's Castle". The success of the novel enabled its author to give up his profession of a doctor and devote his life to writing. A. J. Cronin is known as a novelist, most of his novels being written in the best traditions of English critical realism. To these belong "The Stars Look Down", "The Citadel", "The Green Years", "Shannon's Way".

The dominant theme of Cronin's novels is the struggle of the hero for his ideals under the pressure of the ruthless laws of bourgeois society.

"The Northern Light" came out in 1957. Though infe­rior to Cronin's earlier works in its artistic value, the novel is of considerable interest. In this novel the writer casti­gates the venality and corruption of the bourgeois press and paints a grim but truthful picture of the perishing of small newspaper firms in the process of capitalist mo­nopolization.

In "The Northern Light" Henry Page, owner of a small­-town newspaper, carries on an unequal battle for the inde­pendence and for the very existence of his paper against a powerful newspaper syndicate. His fight, however, is stimulated not only by the desire to keep his property from being absorbed by a monopoly. Page firmly believes in the power of the press, he honestly tries with the help of his paper to serve his people by supplying them with adequate and solid information, by educating and leading them. Against his will Page is involved in competition with a powerful, merciless and unscrupulous enemy. Finally Page wins the battle. The end of the novel, how­ever, is far from being happy. A true realist, Cronin gives the reader to understand that the battle is not over, it is only postponed.

"The extract presented here reproduces the concluding part of the conversation between Henry Page and two news­papermen from London, Harold Smith and Leonard Nye, who pay him a visit, the aim of which is quite obvious from the given passage.

Chapter V

"Now look, Mr. Page." Smith, on the edge of his chair, was really anxious; everything seemed to be going wrong. ''Don't let's be hasty. Take a few days to think things over."

"No, my decision is final."

"Then," Nye said, "we'll have to see that you get a little extra competition.¹ And believe me, it will be hot and strong."²

"I'm afraid yon are making a grave mistake, Mr. Page." Smith threw Nye a look in a belated attempt to shut him up. "We are quite determined to establish ourselves here by fair and legitimate means. We offer to buy, make you a most generous price. You refuse. There­fore we are forced to start an opposition paper. It's a free country. You admit we have a perfect right to come in." *

"You have the right," Henry said, more slowly than before, "but you will never succeed. In the first place, our population is not large enough to support two papers. And in the second, the "Light" ** is so firmly established, nothing will supplant it. Don't you realize that we go back to 1769, when the paper was founded by Daniel Page, the man who fought with Wilkes*** for the liberty of the press and the right to publish parliamentary reports... and that James Page, my great-grandfather, led the struggle to repeal the iniquitious newspaper tax³—the tax on knowledge, he named it—and was prosecuted for it? No, no, you'll never do it.**** I advise you not to try."

"You wait and see," Nye said. "If you want to bet I'll lay you two to one you're out of business in eighteen months." ⁴

"I don't bet. And you can't frighten me. You'll never start a paper here from scratch."

"You're a trifle wrong there, Mr. Page, I regret to inform you," Smith said. "We have ways and means that I'm afraid you are not aware of. Do change your mind, I beg you."

"No." Henry shook his head.

There was a pause. Smith let out a long breath and stood up.

"Well, sir, it deeply grieves me that we've failed to reach an agree­ment and must come into conflict, for, if you will permit me to say so, even though our meeting has been short, I like and respect you. And I will promise you one thing ⁵—that we fight you fair and square, with everything open and aboveboard. May I offer you my hand on that, sir?"

Smith held out his hand, and when Page extended his, shook it firmly. Nye, of course, offered no such civility. He lit a cigarette, dropped the spent match in the corner wastebasket, and preceded Smith through the door.

As soon as they were in the car he let out a few polite oaths.

"I told you he wouldn't sell."

"You didn't help," Smith said sharply. "You only put his back up." ⁶

"He never would have in any case.⁷ He's an obstinate old fool who'll insist on holding on, partly from sentiment, partly from van­ity. We'll have to break him. Mealy-mouthed hypocrite, with his service to the public. What an outfit! It belongs in the Stone age.⁸  Not a lift in the entire dump.* Did you spot the old girl in the back­ground? Like the ghost of Hamlet's mother.⁹ And the bearded an­cestors on the walls... and the foxed lithograph.¹⁰ 'Opening of the Man­chester Ship Canal, 1894', over the desk... "

Smith let him run on. He had his own thoughts. Naturally he was deeply disappointed—instead of a quick result they would have months of work and heavy responsibility—but he was not discouraged. There would be greater opportunity to prove his worth to Somerville.**

Immediately they reached the hotel he went into the telephone booth¹¹ and called the head office. He made his report to Mr. Greeley, his own particular chief. After a long conversation which con­firmed the instructions he had already received, he rejoined Nye.

"We're to go ahead... exactly as planned. Don't worry, it may take a little longer, but we'll do the job together."

"We!" Nye said. "From now on we're just a couple of puppets. They'll pull the strings in London.¹² And we'll stay here and stand the racket."

"No, we're on our own now.* Greeley just said so."

"Have it your own way. But God help us both if we don't come through."

Smith looked at his watch—past four o'clock—and although he felt like sitting down to a good North Country tea, this was not the time for delay.

"Let's get out to Mossburn** right away. The sooner we take up our option,¹³  the better."