The sun., 1881-04-10
rURE ACADEMICIAM
1 ,,...,,s, Novelist, Hi-torian, and Critic
Juie' .rn. Modern Man Of Letters.

L", Griril,e. Adolph Belot, Andre Theuriet.
pa yoyicr 10 ", n,6pin. are names that one
81. fr,,uontly in American journals. Dutthe
"r,o n, Jules Claretic rarely comes under the
n n those who profess to keep Anglo-Sa&on
p,crs informed OF tho literary and social
I.",cc,ont of Paris. 1t is useless to seek tho
.,oson Of this singular omission. NJ. Carctie
.os mat published very remarkable and
.,i.-tns novel called The Loves OF an In
s,rne" will take advantage OF this occasion
=. ,rcsent NJ Caretic to THE SUNS readers.
.,i,o Introduce to them one Of the mostly pcal
writer's Of modern France.
n C,arctle was born at Limoges In 1910. He
wa elucated at Paris. and while still n school
bov ne saw his first novel published In weekly
;onrrnl called Les Gina Confines Ilttsirss. His
xocatou for literature was Irresistible. and at
,ho ago Of nineteen he regularly entered tho
career OF journalism which he still continues
"a cbronicler in tho most important parislan
pevspnper. the Temps. In tho course OF tho
mast twenty years, without counting innumer-
able articles and letters in the ArtiSte. the
I4,pl,ilace Beige. the Figaro. and dozen
other journals. NJ. Claretie has published more
than 'or'y volumes OF the most diverse nature.
Historian. novelist. critic. dramatist. story
teller anoclOtist, NJ. Clarctio seems to have
tried his strength in every field. and. thanks to
n very varied talent and n singularly high
literary sense. he has never sacrificed quality
10 Quantity, An indeatignblo worker. " a picker
up of EARNINGS crumbs" as Robert Browning
snys, a hunter up OF archives and unpublished
papcr- n man OF Unsuitable curiosity. he has
notvritten line that has not been thought out
felt and reflected upon. All his novels have
been drawn from life. and all his historical
work has boen written from authentic docu-
nen;s Caretie spent ten years collecting notes
for his hook on Camille Desmoulins. which has
been translated into English; he visited every
house in which his hero lived from that Mt
Guisc in which he was born to tho lodging in
the Passage du Commerce. in which he died.
When writing his novel Train IT," Clarete
rode on n locomotives and learned to drive
when writing his novel The Fugitive" the
scene Of which is laid principally in London. he
visited and studied on the spot the slums OF
Whitechapel and Mapping and during tho Inst
six xmoaths, in order to compose his new novel,
he has ueGn an assiduous visitor at tho different
hospitals and asylums Of Paris.
NJ. ClArete put into practice tho naturRlistic
formula before lola had conceived ii his novels
are all scientific novels" IN tho sense at
tached by Xola to that term that is to say. thoy
are the result of direct observation and expert
ment Ia Robert Burat" written in 1866 NJ
Claretie anticipated the "AfHaire Cl6menceau 4"
Of Dumas the younger. At that time the Rerue
des deur NOHdeS saiuted in him new novelist
andthe mighty Aristarchu Us, Sainte- Bouvc. wrote
10 him 4 letter, to be found IN the second volume
Of his correspondence. saying OF this Robert
Burat:' " You have touched true flbres and
attained profound sources OF interest. Modern
life is there Fourteen years ago, in The
Woman Of Prey" NJ. Caretie anticipated
T,, 1t, Ii
lne-the same in all its phases as that Of Zola's
hcroine-M. Claretie hasiiated before no de-
ser rution, no indication no painting. But in this
rs in oil his other novels. II. Clarete has avoid
sd certain iet.d heaps OF ioulnoss in which
Some ot ms successors seem 10 delight to rsvel
,,1lis leads me 10 make another remark on
m. Clarst'e's 9-: wHrk: II IS always the work Of
sont"mporaries. all Clareties works may be
read by young men and maidens. Ho has al
riot and rs man, as well As as an artist. Mas
Ter OF supple and elegant style. he regards ii
be SGs to S ths w sG
jmart-tn short. to cay eyerything-withoutt the
ase of coarse words.
less to depreciation of. lola. whom | admire
profoundly as u writer and as q man. that
make this comparison between his work and
that of NJ. CarsLie. Both have. above all things
The sentiment of truth and OF humanity, the
sentiment Of modern life, and Of modern lilu
occupatons. ita regrets, its aspirations. its in
hmat sufierings-the very SOU. in fact, OF the
mink that I am somewhat warm in praising
Ihis author with whom no is probably uuac-
9nainted. Il It had not been for the strange
the CoItin mt. l should not need to summon
EItresses 10 support my testimony. Sainte.
Beuve We lave already called. and since he said
lsthcre.' the writer has been constantly pro-
gross ng. Among other witnesses to Claratie's
lnpp in fiofin in iGtn in ion
might be cited the historians Michelet and
Thiers, Preyos!!; ;paradol, George Sand, and Ed,
m0nd About II is history OF the revolution oil
to7o-7l one o! tho most popular and successful
books tnat has appeared since that fatal date
obtained for its author noble letters from
nNmoctta. Lahoulaye. Jules Simon. and Louis
Blanc.
In tHis time Of foul literature. Of stupid litera-
lure AM OF literature written without care as to
styIe or form. confess a strong admiration for
Jules Clnretie. should Ike to see American and
EnelIsn readers prefer his novels 70 the sensa.
. tonal works ot Montepin and Belot. because
: the works OF Mont6pin and Belot are untrue
and unconscientious These authors are large
life which ere current among foreigners in
general. Whether as historian. novelist. oil
critic Claretie works conscientiously and moi
sss nero handicraftsman; in all his produc
tions you hear tho voice of an honest man. WHO
fympathizes with nll that is noble and good
f2gr 81 hs 5essSH. fras h99sr' nni rh
trt1 fnd an otssTyuton Of iiS that have not oitsl
added the curious study. The Loves OF an In
ternr."
jules Claret!e's motto is Freely books" II
has realized the ideal o the modern literary man
and hv twanty years Of incessant labor-no da,
without n line-he has arrived at modest wealth
In comfortable house, 10 Rue de Douai
Llaretie occupies the third fiat. lie lives ther
with his wife, his little son, his pictures, ant
his books. II Ia tho home OF an artist. with
touch Of the bourgeois. But are not the day
East when long hair. eccentric hats, consptcu
Gus wnistcoats. and stil more cons picuous live
were the characteristics of literary men? Tn
modern nCvelist and man of letters hastens L
get married 70 lay up stocks, to have hi
aionaire; A!phOpss Daudet is married, has ty
children, and IL anxious to he. and on the way t
become. y millionaire. Jules Caretie ressm
bIes his iiustrious colleagues in this respect
lhat he is married and tho father OF Il family
he differs from them in not being greedy q
wealth. In n parentheSis | may remark tina
Aiphonse Dauders forthcoming novel. Mum
Roumestan," will soon appear Simultaneous
ly in tho Paris Illustration, in tic Londo
Graphic. aud in tho Ne1 Free Press {
Vienna ard each OF these journals will Ray tn
su'horl !rRnc 80 centimes line, so that 5efor
ihe novel appears in volume NJ. Daudet wi
have received FOR II about 80 600 francs.
But TO return to the subject OF this sketcl
Ciaretlo rs the most popular of Parisian Ioul
nhli5ts, ms tho most amiable and obliGing
men, and as the brilliant chrouicer OF IN
Temps, is the most ubiquitous OF Parsians nm
at the same time the most modest. This latte
puaIity Is 50 rare In u parisian that IL deserve
% bc noted. Cnretie is not only modest he
eimid to such degree that he hardly dares
Eo INTO shop TO ask the price OF somethi in