The Portland daily press., 1877-02-03
Recent Publications.

sDoNIE, Fromont Jeune ct RisIer Aine). From
the French Of Alphonse Daudet. Boston: Estes
g. Laurat For sale by Loring Short & Harmon.
Alphonse Daudet is journalist who has
come to wide and sudden fame by the writing
of a novel. "Fromont Jeune ct Risler Aine''
is the talk of two worlds. In France it has
reached its sixty-third edition and has been
crowned by the Academy. On this side the
water the translation into English under the
title "Sidonie' has awakened general attention.
1t is now no secret that the translation is the
work of Mrs. Mary Neal She rwood of this city.
The charm of "Sidonie' is strong upon all
who read it, 1t is not in the novelty of the
story certainly, for the theme is that familiar
theme of the French novel, the violation of the
seventh commandment. The plot is simple,
and though deeply interesting not OF the
phenomenal interest which commands world
wide attention. The attraction of the story is
in no small degree due to the people of whom
it treats, but in much greater measure to the
manner IN which it is told. Daudet has been
compared to Bret Harte, for what reason it is
not easy to determine. Both men have ten
der appreciation of nature, brilliant sense of
color, felicity of phrase, but they have these
qualities in common with other authors, and
there is really little upon which to predicate a
comparison. The method of NJ. Daudet is widely
different from that of Mr.. Harte in dellnea-
ton of character he is greatly superior, and he
has command of style whose excellence the
American writer has never reached. In
pathos he is scarcely inferior and it is only in
humor that be must yield precedence
The literary style of NJ Daudet is exquisite,
in narrative he is intensely dramatic, and the
quality of his pathos is rich and genuine. The
story is utterly free from the false, mawkish
sentimentalty which is the characteristic OF
the ordinary French novel. No tears are
asked for the weakly wicked, no praise is
sought for the strong nature that delights in
evil. But divine pity is excited for the noble
hearts which break because of the weakness
and wickedness of others. The novel is as
healthy in tone as it is brilliant in style.
The Characterization is fine. Sidonie herself,
that child of Paris is drawn with hard real
ism, a rigid fidelity, which forbids pity. She
has been accepted as typical representative
of certain class of Partisan women, brilliant,
heartless. venal, unscrupulous, vulgar, and the
author has suffered no glamour of romance to
disguise her sordid nature. From the day we
first know her as 'Little Chebe' to the day she
appears on the concert stage her character is
artistically developed, and her last appearance
is no surprise foriit is the fitting crown of such
a career. In his other people the author has
been quite as successful. The actor Dolabelle
with his infinite faith in himself and the COM
ing manager, Chebe exhausted by the labor
of others" the crippled DesiIee with her hum
ming birds, the wings of which on sad and
weary days were widely spread as if eager for
flight from petty cares and trials, the old Swiss
clerk, the two wives, one of whom has found
her husband out while the other never breaks
her idol Of clay, the weak Fromont, so utterly
contemplate that the furies are not at the
trouble to pursue him, Frantz, and old Gardi-
nois, are all portraits which impress one as
being no less faithfully than brilliantly drawn.
Risler is grandy heroic, but too much after the
pattern of those impossible men whom Victor
Hugo loves to paint.
For the translation we have only words of
praise. 1t is brilliant it is correct and it is in
idiomatic English. The pathetic sweetness
of Daudets manner is admirably preserved,
and Mrs. Sherwood has been singularly happy
in rendering his fecities of phrase. The
authors purity Of thought and expression have
fortunately done away with the temptation to
omit or tone down, and the translation faith
fully and spiritedly reproduces the original.
The translator has done well to take the name
of the heroine as the title, for though the story
tell the fortunes of house of Fremont & Risler,
the figure in whom its interest centres and
about whom its incidents cluster is Sidonie.
MOTHERS AND DAUGHTERS. Practical Studies for
the Conservation of the Health of ,irls. By T. L
Verdi, NJ. D. New York: j. B. Ford s. Co. For
sale by Dresser, Mcclellan s. Co.
The purpose of this little work is to give to
young women instructions in the physiology
and hygenic management of the functions
peculiar to their sex. The practical suggestions
are, for the most part, valuable, and are cal
culated to do good; but the physiological ex-
plantations are often atrociously incorrect. The
anatomical descriptions are marred by errors
which are simply inexcusable in person who
presumes to speak authoritatively on the sub
ject. Finally, the style of the author is often
sive from its fabby turgidity, and leads one to
suppose that his teacher of rhetoric (f he ever
had one, had neither wisdom nor good taste.
1t is pity that the good which this book
contains should be mixed with SO much trash,
for the object at which it aims is an important
one. If it were only as sound and well written
az if ia pure in tone, could give it as hearty
| a recommendation as we now can not
+. II. G..
STUDENT LIFE AT HARVARD. Boston: Lockwood,
Brooks s. Co. Portland: Dresser Mcclellan s. Co.
Harvard men can best judge of the faithful
ness of the scenes described, but the general
public will be gratified at the pleasant aspect
in which life at our leading University is
shown. quiet plot runs through the narra-
tive, and though we cannot get up the same il
| terest in Sam Wentworth that we fe ell for Tom
| Brown, we still find him a very attractive and
| pleasant character. The hazing scenes are
we'll told, and the descriptions of boating are
| excellent yet Holmes class poems give an idea
| that there is some inspiration in Harvard that
] the author has failed to catch.