New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-05-17

Alfred NiZetely. In TWO Volumes .'"'S' Pf'
viii 434 473 New-York: Macmillan q CO.
rho ,scond mart Of NJ. Zolas elaborate trilosy,
1ourdes," Rome" Paris" appears under peculiar
circumstances Rome" Is brought out In an Eng
lish translation by conservative house, WHOSE II"
print may be taken as an assurance that NJ Io'a nus
not made himself altogether Impossible IN MS ia,e'
work The assurance proves to be Trustworthy.
Tho author has made but slight concessions 10 the
bad taste which has governed him hitherto ana "oSo
loarItIes obnoxious as they are. do not color the
huIl of the book There NJ. lola Is quite decent
unite jnoffensive But this time ne mas not "rN'e'
roysi II Is an invective, a polemic, pampn.et
against the Roman Church, combined WIN su'ue
n the Eternal City. Undoubtedly his attack upon
the Pope will arouse bitter discussion But 10 the
,r,,.rtial reader who simply asks that a DOCK shah
no well written and sanely interesting. that hoNe'
should be a novel. Rome VIII prove ho'h'"s "'o'e
than a dull disappointment
II may seem Incredible but II Is neVertheess 'r"e.
that until the 1921 page Of the second volume OF
Rome" IA reached nothing happens 10 excite more
Than n tepId curiosity In the reader Then the pc
oinnnps Of murder are found. Up 10 that time the
hook Is chiefly occupied with the ruminatiohs OF d
Young French priest, who has come 10 i'A'! " W
fend book OF his soc!alisc in tendency "h''n INC
Papal censors have denounced. lie wishes 10 Keep
this hook New Rome" out OF the Index Expursa-
,orns h4cause II embodles Ideas which he believes
o,,d lad y, flo regeneration OF the Church and the
rescue Of mankind IL permitted TO grow among
churchmen ami people and II fostered by the ioiie
NJ lola proceeds to show what everybody KNOWS
that the socialstic sympathies OF the Naucah sue'
&C rhey are never come TO the surface except IN inc
most cautious and ambiguous manner But the ann
of Rome" is in simplifying this fact to portray ,'e
.r,ire organism OF the Roman Church. The MURDER
10 which aluson has been made, ana with "n'c" ''e
love interest In the book II mechanically connected
Ia brought upon the scene as INK IN me cha' "a
evidence whereby NJ. lola hopes to show that the
md fall
hands OF Jesutical men who seek to es'aD'Sn d"
earthly rather than a spiritual kingdom
The argument OF the story constantly drir's INTO
an account OF the past history or presen, iho""-
ments and typographical characteristics OF Rome
and the translator assists his author no" anu tne"
with notes OF marvellous perspicachy On the hrs'
mage an address IL set forth. the destination OF the
you,g priest from France Via GIulis. Palszzo
Boccaners" Pierre says to the cabman. Where-
upon Mr. Vzetelly adds an owish note; bocca"e'"
mansion Julia Street" These notes OF inc uahs-
la,or NAV. 10 reader with sense OF humor. APP
pear tho finest things in the book On the io"r'"
mage o, the first volume one s surprised by com
harrison OF NJ lola. odd for a Frenchman lie u
Speaking OF the Corso and states that II is ABOUT
as broad as Fleet Street" Al the foo; OF the page
Mr. Vizetelly writes M. lola likens the Corso 10
the Rue St. Honore in Paris but nave thoush'
that an English comparison would be preferaoie III
tho present version" A just comment on TINS
would be that NJ lola should be made TO say. IN a
ok circulated in America. that be Corso Is ABOUT
ne broad" az Broadway or Twenty-thru-st'
Examples OF absurdlty might be multiplied OUT
they divert attention from NJ lola Inc truth iS'
however that II such diversion Is easily PoSsio'e'
n Is because the author OF this BOOK Strives hoPc
Iessly 20 stir the Imagination. 10 touch the SYM
pathles 10 awaken more than sluggish interest
Vba, has he TO say about Rome? Nothing that
every touris; OF the shallowest reading ana slender
ssi experience does not know already what mas
he TO say abou, the Pope and the Church Nothns
which has not been made tediousy familiar through
the dispatches and articles in the newspaper OF tne
dav. through the essays printed by the popular
uay,zinc Mr. Crawford has taken the public
irnni,ely nearer 10 the condition OF the Roman
Church. in spite Of all his shortcomings. than NJ
lola even begins 10 take hls reader And MT |ra"-
ford has romance. NJ. Zola has nothing not even
genuine passion. The love episodes In Rome
are trivial and theatrical beyond measure Their
carefully famed fires melodramat'c. And Pierre
Frorncnt the idealistc. humanitarian hero OF the
hook Is not hero at ALL but just puppet used by
the author for the exploitation OF his superncal
thesis NJ lola has done much the same sort OF
thing before lie did It in 'l.ourdes but III
Rome" he proses on with dulness. cheap
philosophy OF history thin acquaintance WIN
that history. whereby he surpasses hmselt iU
complete and unspeakable badness
Probably the novells,s admirers Will find something
10 Ike IN the descriptive pages when go 10 swell
the work to its inordnnte length. but 1t IL neon
ceivable that any OF them with knowledge OF
Rome should praise this book FOR It's
ure The facts are there. but the soul Is missing
NJ Zola might have written his book without ever
having approached the city. When he makes MS
priest abandon himself contemplaiive ecstasy
medtating about the glory and grandeur ana pathos
OF Rome the dithyramb falls TO ring true. Nothing
rings true In these two volumes. unless II IS their
sensationallsm. But the patry personalities about
the Pope characteristic OF NJ lola as they may be.
re not TO be taken seriously. In no respect Is IL
possible to take the book In that way Briefly 1t Is
commonplace book. lngcn!ous:y put together. but
without ray Of feeling to illuminate its dreary
pages of desicca ted church history and halfbaked
Socialism. II It achieves In this English translation
the vogue which 1t Is to enjoy in its French
form the fact will be testimony To the capacity OF
the American public for being bored.
A DAUGHTER or THE NORTH
Tha Tsrk