The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-12-18
SO NEOF THE NEW
BOOKS REVIEWED.
"Child Of Pleasure" Translated by
Georgina Harding.
ANNUNZIO'S LATEST NOVEL.
Tcnnyson's Homes, Friends and Work
An Admirable Nolumc-Intcrcsting
and Valuable-IIoIiddyP ublica-
tions-kitty Boys Amas.


CHILD OF PLEASURE: BY Gabriel d
Annunzio Translated from the Italian
by GcOrgiEa Harding. The verses trans
lated and AN Introduction by Arthur
SymOns. George ii Richmond & Sons.
New York. For sale BY Hunter
Company.
The author Of this book. snu young.
has challenged the attention Of the crit
ics by genius and force Of which they
speak with a reservation, but which they
nevertheless are forced 70 admit. They
are unanimous In recognizing the power.
They are also unanimous IN depl0riHs
what they style Annunzios immortality.
In our opinion they speak inaptly when
they call him immoral. Ills pen seems 10
us TO be the pen of morbid mind.
which prefers shadow 10 light and the
contemplation of disease % health. Yet
he certainly presents truth, for that
shadow and disease exist as surely as
do light and health who viii deny? An
nunzio is now only 81 years Of age, hav-
ing been born at Pescara. in the ADruzzi,
in 1864 He published volume of poems,
Primo We're In 1851. second coilec-
ton. Canto NovO. I'm 1852 and third.
IntermezzO di Rhine, I'm 1sS The first
collection Of stories Terra Nergine. APP
pcared I'm IS3 followed by second. II
LibrO dele Nergini and a third. San Pam
taleOne. Since these there have followed.
IN brilliant succession. LIsOtteo. Ia
tilmcfd 1T lldftIts Iuf i-Nffn- IHIA-
disi8c0. Eicgie Romano L'Inn0ceHte. Clio
vanie EpiscOpO. obi Naval, the TriOnfO
della Marie. lie Nergini della Rocco II
SagnO di Una Mattlna % Primevera, and
IL Citta NOrta. Another novel. ii FuocO,
will appear shortly.
A reading Of the "Chnd of Pleasure"
will Justify Mr. Symons happy suggcs-
ton 10 AnnunziO's competent translation,
Georgina Harding. that she use the name
Of the French translator. Llnfante dc
Y0lupte.' Upon the cover appropri atoly
appears a butterfly. bright-colOred. beau
tful. gay, the creature Of the light and
the creature Of a day.
Mr.. SymOus Is q warm. and logical de-
fender OF AnnunZiO from the critics.
"Annunzio." says he truly, seems 10
feel. more passiOnately than others. the
heat Of sunlight. the Juicy sOftnesS or
ripe fruit. the texture OF women's hair,
and also the distress Of rain. of rough
garments. Of the cloud that interrupts
the sunlight, and his sense Of inc beauty
and ugliness of these things comes, more
directly than with others, from the exact
force Of their physical action upon MN.
II IS here that he t. so Latin. so specil-
caHv Italian. for the Italians. among
al Latin races. are the least sophisticated
I'm their acceptance OF physical facis.
They have no reticence IN speaking OF
what they feel. and they have none OF
those unconscious TeticeuceS IN ieeln6
which races drawn further from nature
NV civilization have thought 10 needful
40 invent fn their relations with nature.
This is one of the things which people
mean when they say that dAnnunZlos
H7riting is immoral Well. nature IS I'M
moral. Birth is a grossly sexual thins.
Death is a hrutally physical thing. the
ending certainly Of the animal. Whatever
may remain over. inside that white fore
head. I'm which the brain has stopped
working
CHIEFLY with the study OF love, chat
very mortal passion which betts ar so
MANY Of the closed doors of the unl-
verse" has Annunzio concerned hlmSelI
in his literary work. and beauty IS nus
supreme aim. "His early stories pro-
oeeds Mr. gvmons, "were crude, violent;
done after the French models OF thal ddy,
The man himself coming out I'm tncm oh-y
Inn the direct touch. there already on
physical pain, more than or pnyslcal
pleasure. But with "The child OF Pleas
IRE" he has begun. little uncertainty
to mould "a form OF his own. taxing inc
hint. not only from some better fItHch
models. but also from AN tnghshmah'
Patcr." IL must be remembered that the
novel was written when us author was
only twenty-five. yet. MS MI Symons re-
marks. how 10 suggests the lIee l.lIh ~,
tha Trionfo della Marie ana le NHhiH
della Roce. How the Imaginative l'tHHs
az Inc descriptions Of Rome stru--ie7
with the scraps of tedious conversation
between golden young men at lhe ,iv'
or ON the course, lt IS The book OF YOUTH
and has the Oyer-plontitude OF llal pl.7,
norous age Certain ft is that me move"
CLOVIS with genius.