New-York tribune., 1886-03-07
SOME FRENCH NOVELS.
WHAT THE pARIsIANs ARE READING.

LA MoRrE, Par OCTAVE FFuMIeT. Paris: Calmann
law. New-York: W. r. Jenkins.
BAccAnn; 1onicr Ct s" cie Yew-YorS: " Il. jenkins.
TuE CRIME d AMOUR. Par PAUL BoItGE1'
Paris: Alphonse Lemerre New-fork; W. h'
Jenkins.
"Tartarin des Alpcs" las had in France sue
cess evoked by the novelty and beauty oil It's
;llustration and the celebrity of it's author ana
,nhiect 1t is an example Of kind OF humor which
almost cludes definition. Daudet, In iartaiin Oh
Tarascon INTRODUCED peculiar type OF Sontherh
Frenclman of curiOnsly attractive Klhu. ie Is
the most prominent citizen in a little Southern COM
muuity the members Of which are all deeply III
fccted with the extravaganza OF statement the
dramatic tendency, the perfervm way OF treat
ing life which the colder Northern temperament
has summed up in the term gasconnade' There
u in this Southern temperament as illustrated by
Dauiet however, q childish naivete, an innocence
of all moral significance, which gives to the nara
five the charm almost of a fairy tale. Tartarln OF
Tarascon is born boaster,an inventor of facts Dnt
he is not altogether romancer, for he seriously
attempts 10 realize his grand promises and assumed
capacities, first by journey to Algeria Tor the pur-
pose of hunting lions and second by the achleNe
ment of great climbing feats in the Alps Ills
Algerian expedition formed the subject OF the hTst
book about him, and made his reputation. lhehce-
forth Tartarin de TarascOn became household
Mr. Plckwick in England, and allowing for the
radical differences of national character there is Ill
his adventures something not altogether unsugges-
tive of Dickens's hero He too is the chairman O
club whose members reverence him profoundly
He too is IN the Alpine oXpeiiton) attended by sew
eral members of his club. OF course such an
analogy must not be carried too far. Tartarn aiter
all is sui geaois He is essentially Southern
Frenchman, and is a most amusing creation, with
his frank faith in his own celebrity with his IN
eraicable tendency to draw the long bow, whch
is continually getting h'm into difficulties with MS
simple confidence in what he is told, even when the
person who tells him Southerner like himself, and
therefore under the gamor of that sun which eXag-
rerates everything amd makes everybody romance,
from the cradle to the grave. The most anus
ing instance of this weakness OF Tartarln IS
his nnq1estioning acceptance of the inventions oi
Bompard his old fellow -tOwnsman who assures
him that there is no danger at all in climbing the
Swiss Alps; that the whole business is managed by
n company which conducts it precisely as theatre
is conducted, making arrangements Tor seeming
accidents at intervals in order to sustain popular
interest. even causing guides to disappear and
spreading the report that they have been swept
away by avalanches or have fallen into crevasses
Bon,pard gravely asserts that no real accident is
nermilted to occur. The result of this theory Is
that the confding Tartarin, who IS at bottom
horribly afraid of the mountains goes with light
heart and absolute calm ness through dangers which
might have frightened veteran member OF the
Alpine Club.
In the course of the story Tartarin is thrown into
the company of party of Russian NlhilSts one OF
whom a pretty girl named Sonia WasSiliei, has
killed Russian official of high rank with her
revolver for sentencing her brother to Siberia The
hero of Tarascon is uneasy when he learns who his
l.,,A Hill IN fhs
beauty of Sonia overcomes his natural tmidty and
his genaty and innocence so reassure the con
srirators that they treat him without any reserve.
At last however he discovers that Sonia will nave
nothing to saw TO him unless he will cast in his
lot with the Nihilists, and when, perceiying his
revolt from this programme, she leaves HIM con
temptuously he feels relieved His final ascent of
Mont Blanc with BOmpard is delicious piece OF
hunior and the catastrophe, which throws upon
each the responsibility of having betrayed the
other is admirably adjusted to the situation ani
the characters. The by-play of the envious vice
president of the Tarascon Club, who burns TO
supersede Tartarn. and the sketches of the other
members, are excellent in their way The authors
touch throughout is Enthusiastically light and
delicate.
The Illustrations are profuse and remarkable.
The book was brought out by Figaro, largely for
the purpose of pop, .larizing the new process en-
ployed. There are sixteen full-page aquarelIcs.
and one hundred and thirtysiX illustrations in the
text, and they are beautiful, the new method Of
using color In the fullpage sketches being at once
quiet and impressive. The entire mechanical work
OF the volume is unusually satisfactory Paper,
type inx, everything is the best of its kind, and
the binding is peculiar and artistic. There is
indeed nothing scrl0us about the book. 1t is an
efflorescence of current literature to speak But
it is also indicative of high state of culture,
whether we regard its subtle delicate humOr the
beauty and refinement Of the illustrative processes
used in 1t, the excellent quality Of all the
materials employed in its manufacture
NJ. Feuillets story is a strong one. Bertrand de
VaudricOurt the hero. is young nObleman whose
religious faith has been destroyed by the evolution
ary philosophy. He is an Agnostic and q Dar-
winian, fond of pleasure but frank honest and
strale htforward. Urged by his uncle from whom
he is to inherit, to marry and maintain the ancient
line from which he springs he falls i'll love with
Aliette dc Courteheuse, devoted Catholic reared
In provincial family equally devoted. Naturally
Bertrand's infdelity proves an obstacle to the
marriage. but Ahettes uncle a pious Bishop of
romantic tendencies allows himself to be persuaded
that his niece, whose affections are engaged, may
be the means of converting her husband and after
some contention the two are welded They 60 to
Paris to live There Aliette begins series of we'll
meant efforts to separate Bertrand from the dissipa
tions of the capital, and to establish homo the
attractions of which shall more than compensate
HIM for the deprivation of his external distractions
He on the other hand desires her to enter the gay
world with him. and is disappointed and then vexed
by her persistent seclusiOn The relations between
the two become more and more strained, until a
benevolent duchess who thinks she has mission to
adjust domestic misunderstanding takes the case
in hand and roundly tells Alete that if she expects
ever to convert her husband she must begin by
humOrng him. Aliette yields. and goes into society
thenceforth with Bertrand. But the effort is pain
full to her. and becomes more as she is introduced
infn the Less orderly and more Bohemian scenes of