The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-27
THE TRIL0GY OF CITIES
zOLA,s MOST AMBITIOUS WORK ENDS
WITH HIS LATEST NOVEL.
Striking Picture of the Corrupt So
ciaI, Political and Journal
fstic Condition of France.
BROOKLYN Eagle.

Brooklyn Eagle.
The reader of Zola's Paris" the conclud-
ing volume of the ''triology of Cities begun
some years ago, win find the book more in
terssting, livelier, more dramatic than
either 'sI,ourdes" or Rome" the first and
second volume of the series. The action is
more varied, the movement greater and be-
ing upon the familiar ground of the Paris
which he loves so WELL lola feels surer of
himself, is more at home and his pen moves
with a certainty that was lacking in the two
books which had unfamiliar localities for a
background. In Paris the author brings
the series to an end, and develops his theory
as to the failure of Christianity, as repre-
scented by French Catholicism, to cure the
evils from which society is suffering. The
reader is fortunate in that he is not obliged
TO rely upon an uncertain translation for
The English version of the book. Ernest AL
fred Vizetelly, who has performed the work
In this instance, is entirely competent for
the task, and as result, we have an Eng
lish edition which conveys much of the
flavor Of the French original The Macmil
lans issue 1t in two compact volumes, max
ing together about $50 pages, bound in the
same style as the former books of the Sc
RES which they have also published. The
translator furnishes preface in which the
general scheme of the triology is set forth
and the scope Of the concluding volume CIV
en-. He points out that the triology, taken
as a whole, is symbolical. In the young
priest. the Able Froment we have Man,
his struggles with conscience, his effort to
find satisfying faith in the church, to find
in her the force which is to reform society
end cure the evils of the modern world.
1t is the struggle between religion on the
one hand and reason and life on the other.
The books portray the failure Of the former
and the triumph of the latter, not by
drawing fancifui picture of a state OF So
ciety which exists only in the dreams OF
enthusiasts and reformers, but by plcturlng
the forces which can bring this great
change about, by showing how they have
operated in the case Of the young priest TO
produce restfuIness and peace. lola, it
must be remembered, writes for French,
a Partisan audience. His vision is bounded
by the horizon Of Paris. and this attitude
will be likely to be resented by those who,
unlike him, do not believe that Paris is the
center of the civilized world. But the pic
lures which he displays of that wonderful
xnicrocosm on the banks of the Seine are
singILarly vivid and revealing. 1t is trlb-
ute not only to the many sided aspects OF
the city, but to the genius of the author as
well, that although he has portrayed Paris
again and again in his other BOOKS he mas
nowhere repeated himself ana IN her the cans q
fresh and new. The reader also should re-
member that the Christianity which lola
attacks in the trilogy is the Catholicism OF
who also may be considered to know some
thing Of the subject, is OF the opinion that
there has failed to achieve the work COM
mitted to her care, and has lost or does
not possess, the revivifying force which is
essential if the tremendous evils OF society,
the inequalities and injustice, the cruelty
and the greed of which society Is guilty are
Of lola and his translator, is lost to the
church. n Zola's mind her place is to be
taken by science. reason and the teachings
of. life So far as France is concerned, in
the opinion Of the translator, the policy of
Leo XIII seems to have come too late. The
democracy cannot be linked with the
Iator's view, is lost to the Christian re-
ligion. On this proposition, combined with
a second one, namely, that even as France
tianity, so she will be the first to promul-
gate new faith based de- on reason, science nee
and the teachings OF life ri IS founded the
Able FROMENT THE HERO.
1t will be remembered that the young
priest, the Able Froment, the hero of the
tale, tormented by the failure of the church
to relieve human suffering and do away
with the injustice of society, first seeks for
the solution in the outburst of medieval
faith as evinced in the Lourdes pilgrimages
and incidents. From that resource, which
fails him, he turns to the fountain head, to
Rome, and it will be remembered that he
goes there buoyed by the hope that he may
find in the shadow of the Eternal City, the
mother of Christian civilization, the indica-
tions of the revival of that spirit which
shall reform and rejuvenate the world.
How bitterly he was undeceived and the
effect which it produced upon him was set
forth in Rome the second book of the
trilogy,. which also showed us pictures of
the society of the Holy City and portrayed
the passions, the ambitions, the crimes that
existed even in her shadow. From Rome
the Able Pierre Froment returned to Paris,
and there took up in his old home the duties
of his profession, but he found nothing but
dry husks: The problem still troubled him
how shall this incubus of suffering and
misery be lifted from humanity? He does
his duty manfully and is revered in his dis
trict as a saint because of the purity of his
life and his compassionate nature. But he
feels more and more that he is living lie,
that he is guilty of deceit in pretending to
uphold a system in which he can no longer
beIleve; Three years are supposed TO nave
elapsed between his return from Rome and
the opening of the story in Paris
In the examination of the book for the
present purpose we are not concerned so
much with Zola's theories regarding the
statement of them is necessary to the
Outstanding Of the book-as with the man
ner in which he marshals his incidents and
cate indeed. there is not very much plot to
the story; it is rather a. succession of vivid
and brilliant pictures, a panorama of weird
power and strength thrown on the screen,
where we see pass before our eyes the null
tiform phases of Paris life-social, political,
criminal industrial Paris. The depth of the
degradation which her society, her politics,
her journalism has reached-au
Vealed. There is no fascination of alluring
wickedneSs about her; it is all naked, grisly,
the deaths head grinning behind the
WreathS of flowers Zola starts out with the
theory that the revolution which overthrow
the old royal and feudal system was the
victory Of the bourgeoisie. of the middle
classes; that they then grasped everything
and have held to it since, piling up
wealth and rioting in power. grinding down
the masses of the toilers and progressing
from one extravaganza to another. callous
and reckless as to the suffering that goes
on about them. 1t is against this hated
class who have grasped all the results of
the revolution that the anger of the Anar-
chst is directed.
In the opening chapter the novelist por-
trays the mental condition Of the young
priest, who preserves the spotlessness Of
mis- character while his faith has utterly
vanished, discharging his priestly duties in
all faithfulness while his heart is devoid
of hope, and looking for nothing but the
cataclysm that shall finally overwhelm So
ciety. So pure is his life, so faithful is he
in the discharge of his duties that in his
parish ne is regarded as young saint, one
especially beloved Of Providence; yet Of
the priest he retains only the vestures; he
is like an empty tomb in which not even
the ashes of hope remain. The author shows