The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-10-27
TRAVELS OF A MARCHICNESS
Prehistoric Romance and Ancient
Natural History.
MODERN ENGLISH CYNICISM.
Fiction, Sport Lexcography-Lterary
Notes and Gossip.
GLE vENTRE DE PARIS"

Gle vENTRE DE PARIS.
NJ Emile lola az wa know, is neither dainty
traditional in his choice of subjects The large plan
OF his Rougon- Macq uart series of novels faithfully
followed precludes any such squeamishness, and
he faces his difficulties without considering them as
obstacles. He stands toward his characters in
dispassionate attitude worthy of an old heather
god has no tenderness tor his heroes than for
his villains. would just soon have scoundre for
his hero as q blameless SOUL and idealizes SO little
that he tired Of putting little splashes of
mortal mud on his people just as he seems
about to give them wings. All this means
that he is great artist of naturalism. His men
and women may BIO met and seen in the places
where he paints them with broad Rubens strokes.
Tho places he describes brought before
With all their belongings. odor and atmosphere
being as much to him as form and color. He is
painting the French of the epoch of the Second En-
pire as nation at any time has been painted. His
plan is simplicity itself-tell everything. But it
needs master mind to do the telling. We know
however that with all his talent and in spite of the
severity Of his resolve. he is attracted by bent
stronger than he resist to dwell upon the baser
and meaner sides of character. That the classic
school OF French art drew mems natures in severe
black pure white. taking the villany for granted
rs tho basest of its kind and tho good as
without earthly stain, led the romantic school
to the expedent Of tricklng out goodness
and badness in tinsel and frippery Thus
the ideal became secondary to the establishment.
1t was rich. Respondent. intoxicating. We had
splendid sorrows fantastic griefs the gigantesque
and the shadowy. The cold marble columns
covered with gliding. and tho moon-the chaste
Moon-became the mother of aromatic crime, unless
indeed. as in De Mussots verse; it was. when above
asteeple. compared to the dot AMI. Against
Of 4
rose-crowned virtue lola has risen in strong revolt.
and. like French revolutionists. he goes to
tremes As there is absolute perfection he paints
none; there is vicousness he paints great deal
Of it, For this he will receive his greatest rebukc.
The shame. the misery. the sin of life his rich
est pastures. II his personsges represented all
Franco in fair ratio no more contemplate nation
could be imagined. His types undenable, but
they do not stand for the greater number. One
sickens over his pages powerful they may be. at
the dreary iteration Of phenomenal dupicity, mean
moss and depravity.
'The Markets of Paris Peterson 4 Bros Phia)
Is the title under which '.Le Ventre do Paris" is
given to the American public in the condensed ana
pithy translation OF Mr.. John Stirling. We do not
think it was to adopt this simply descrip-
tive title or that 1t impossible to render the
strong hgurative one of lola. "The Nav Of Paris
for instance woulG all that lola intended and
more accurate. han n literal translation of the
word centre. Here we find ourselves in the quarter
OF the Hacs, among the great grandchildren Of
Mime. Angot. If we may take that opera bouffe per-
sonage as the type of the fshwomen of the anc,eh
regime. George Augustus Sala in his nearly
forgotten Twice Round the Clock" gave us O
picture of the London Markets by night which re-
called by Zolas strong drawing of the Partisan Haes
Much more striking however. is tho latter, for we
are introduced to the market people. to their hates
and sptcs as well rs their gatherings their families
rs well as their business. Tho deftness with which
long descriptions introduced is striking. Here
In order to see the markets. we follow a starving
tdealis and hungry reast about in the early hours
Of the morning. just as in "L'Assommoir' we looked
at the awakening Of working Paris through the eyes
OF Gervaisc when she watched for the coming home
of Lauter The central character, Florent is care
fully drawn-a gentle-souled creature who plots to
overthrow the Empire and turns pale at the blood of
pigeon. Unreal rs he may appear he has been seen
IN the flesh in oil conspiracies successful unsuc-
cessful La Belle Lisa is another finished portrait
As usual crafty. designing people, gossips and scan
dial mongers, Emphatic men and querulous women
are here in full array. each infinitely differing from
his neighbor and all bearing u certain likeness
which in the Gallo character transfused. The story
Is episode that need not DO detailed. but 1t is in.
toresting all through