New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-03-26

DID, 415. Paris: q. Chaipchuei c. wv
York: ". Il. jenkins.
MI, coo,trg reader might find fault with the
.,.,a ~ zoa,s new novel the general gfOnhu tA'
the whole Of this authors fiction consisted IN sonuc9
nj " the human beast" but in truth the u'e mas
specal meaning 1t is not t. be douD'cu '''' 81.
dominant motive Of this terrible story "as suBAcS'ou
bv tho whtechapel murders ana IL Is equ'iN o''u'"'
that zola perceived in the Character o. uic ui'o"''
author OF those crimes a fitting development OF INC
ca,erat,ons Of vice and crime through which nc mas
Do,ducted the Rougon- Macquart family. lie might
indeed have found in history many notfplc eNi"i'cS
of the terrible perverson illustrated III ''o>o o"
from, the time Of Imperial Rome TO that Oh "lcS NC
Rais the original of the legendary BiueDedru ]" '"o
cr.opth century-a perver,ion stl later eXemplihed
in the eighteenth, by the writings Of tlat MARQUIS "o
saae whom his contemporaries called mad not with-
90, Ransom The extension of research in ply o!oSy
and psychology during the last hundred years mas
taueht the world something OF the tremendous po"o4'
of beredlty and of the memorable descent 10 "0
children through many generations OF tne 'a'"o'
and mothers sins and defects. II is Zoa's purpose
N exhibit the lowest step in such sinister line Oh
inheritance in the person Of man who as nc p"'S
q s annarently impeed to avengc all the wrongs doc
his family BY women IN the past by indughe hc'oo
craving for their blood.
The symptoms which announce to Jacques Laniief
the approach OF one OF his homcidal ATTACKS oo'eN
resemble those Of certain forms OF epilepsy i"0
commonly expressed a crimson mist wells his VISION
and while it persists, he is under an uhcoh''ol'"o,0
imn,lso to kill whatever living creature comes Id
his path. With Jacques Lanticr the lmpui>e' now
ever points only to women ana he strnsslcN WIN Wv
horrid craving much a dpSomal"c WIZ" '
disease 1t would be idle to deny that " La bc'c
Humaineo is written with extraordinary power.
There are many scenes in it which live In the mfiors
through their virile force. The authors s'uuS Vi
,oi,road life and mechanism has been so close t'd'
bs nicturcs of this kind are faithful and minute
as Dctaille's military paintings NO one has "r'V'o"
so well about the movements OF engines anu u'iN,'
Tho whole story centres upon the railway between
Hayre and Paris. one of the priholpai ohH''N ''''
T., an Assistant superintendent at the liavrc terminus
The "bete humane" Jacques Lantlcr Is oco'o'i'o
engineer on the same line. one OF the most Iii
norant nlaces in the tale is point on the Inc where
q signalman Nvcs--a harmless looking. inslehlh'ahv
fellow. who marries great grenadcr 81 "o'n""
and puts her 10 death by slow poisoning oe'a"No
she will not give up to him legacy OF 'ho"'"i'
francs which he covets. The struggle between thcsc
,wo Is not one of the least grim and ghaSty Things
in the book Phese knows that Mlsard Is poSoil'hs
her. but she will not call on the law for pro'to''o"
Gu contents herself with watching him. trying 70
avoid eating or drinking anything he mas toucheo
a consoles herself with the thought that she has so
ennningN concealed the money as to MAKE inc '''u
ing of it impossible should he get the De''r Oh nor "
this awful duel He is too astute for hcr III Inc
end and succeeds in killing her. iut ne cannot n'u
the hidden treasure. ,. l.,
There Is much mention of blood and mud. IN
NJ Zolas pages, and it must be SAID that inc "n"io
,torv carries an odor of the shambles. There are
three MURDERS suicide. and quarrel whioh costs
two lives The extent to which railroad phenoinoii"
preyadc the book is perhaps it's Distinguishing 'nai
acteristic All the "drtnatis personac are ei'hei
railroad employees, or the friends ana connexions VI
railroad employees All the action occurs on or near
The railroad The huge express engines pay a.
familiar a mart in the story as do horses in ordinary
fiction and the triple companonship OF machine chel
necr and fireman j. expatiaod upon with kno"ieuse
and insight. The curious fact that no TWO engines
are ever alike has naturally been remarked DIV VI
lola Every engineer knows this. Each engine hdN'
in fact what can only be called an individnaly-one
might almost say chalactcr-of IT. own anu
each machine has TO be studied a patiently ana
,areullv 10 ascertain and control s idosyncr>ies,
az though ii were a living thing so the picture oil
Jacoues Laner's relation to La Lison Is pe'1rouN
genuine strange as it NAV appear. ana al rN"o"'
men will recognize the realism OF these ue'ih>.
The daily work Of the great terminus Is described
with equal fidelity: the arrival and departure of
the trains: the making up OF trains the sounds the
sights the functions Of the various employees
the use Of the signals-every de'"'
has been conscientiousy mastered by the dilscht
author The last scene in the story, where Jacques
and his fireman quarrel Wille III charge VI d" cNP''7
train full Of soldiers their way TO the front and
falling of the engine are cut to pieces by the wheels.
affords the opportunity for astonishing piece OF urd
description The long train crowded with soldiers,
drinking and singing is seen rushing onward without
Guidance with full boiler and furnace tearing past
the stations ignoring the signals. its speed rising a. IL
GOES the stricken authorities clearing the way
for jt-and So with blast Of wind and a dzzylng
rush il passes ont OF sight with its doomed passengers
and the book ends. leaving its catastrophe untold
All the power all the genius exhibited in the
parts referred will not. however, swceten WORK
which is befouled by VI. Zoa's worst faults. Never
save in La Terre." has his realism been more IL
nohlv expended upon the bascr vices and passions of
humanity. From first to last II is the scamy sidc o.
life that is shown only that side. There is not
wholesome. clear minded man or woman IN the book
The trail Of serpent is over them all There Is
no faith no honor no purity TO be found within these
covers. Marvellous powers OF psychological analysis
are prodigaly lavished upon tendencies, impulses
passions all of which are either direct survivas from
sayacery or products Of that most horrible a'avism
enccndercd by the vices Of civilized society The cen
tral figure is an idcaizaton OF Jack the Ripper"
and from that bad eminencc in morbid iniquy the
scale descends through many grades OF vice 70 the
common. squad animal traits OF mere brltlsh gnOr-
ance With its rd setting persistent strain as Of
tremendous natural Tor supernatural forces bearing the
actors resistessly on to the terrible ends imposed
upon them bv heredity and environment. La Ectc
Humane might almost be regarded as CHASTITY carl
.ature Of the evolutionary philosophy. us dominant
notes are cyncism and urelieved gloom Tragedy
broods over it, The human nature 1t reveals Is less
human than Internal corrupt TO the marrow, and in
durable because hopeessy involved in the meshes OF
an iron necessity. 1t is, in short. book 10 wonder
and TO shudder at.