New-York tribune., 1910-02-19

THE nIvERTING ADVENTURES or
MATuRIN. \ Translation from IN fhe
French of Jean Aicard by Alfred Aim
son. N. a. 12mo, PIP. 5'I. The John
Lane Company
THE JOURNAL. OF a RECIUSFt- Trans
lated from the Original French. From
tispiece. 12mo, PIP 554- ihoihaS 4
Crowen & Co.
The French of the Midi have been
made we'll known to us in legendary,
poetic way by trouveres and felibres on
the one hand and in a critical vein by
Alphonse Daudet on the other lie, VINO
knew his own people so well, chiefly saw
their Weaknesses incarnating them in
Nouna Roumestan and, in lighter man
ner, in that unrivallcd' trilogy of satire
the Tartarin series. Elsewhere IN IilS
writings are found sidelights on these
children of the South, who are dlfteren-
tiated so much and in 50 many ways,
from their Italian and Spanish cousins,
their nearest brethren in spirit beng
perhaps, the Hungarians. Jean Alcard
sketches of the ProvencauX In The Dl-
verting Adventures of Maturin' make
distinct addition to the literature on the
subject. which has the attraction for us
OF the North of the warm sunlight ana
thoughtlcss gayety that make under
standab certain foibes, and, in d way
explain them. There is whole gallery
of kitkats here. drawn with delightful
skill that takes notice of the value ana
significance Of environment and back
Ground custom and tradition. Aicard,
Meridional like Daudet knows his pco-
la
them from another viewpoint, or at least
shows them to Us from a different angle
of vision. Maturins adventures are d.
yerting If not always edifylng; the
esprit Gaulois" has free play in them.
The admirable literary workmanship of
the original is preserved in an exception
ally good translation.
The publishers claim for THE journal
of a Recluse" that it's author, like
Rousseau or Amel, seeks to tell the
whole truth about himself, sparing moth
ing, condoning nothing" This sounds
PROMISING, but in the reading the book is
decidedly disappointing. because the per-
sonality revealed in it is insignificant,
negative OF introspection, of the poig-
nant self-kncwiedge of Amiel, there Is
not a trace; and any comparison what
ever with Rousseau, even in the matter
Of concealing nothing. is inaccurate be
cause this Tecluse, SO far as one can
see, has nothing to conceal. AS d psy-
Geological document, his journal IS OF no
value: a secluded life does not neces-
sarilv mean an introspective, or even
Ioa J
Scotch gardeners son, who, educate ted
above his station by the lord of the
manor. falls in love with that lord
daughter. is spurned by her when he
tries to warn her against his dissolute
Italian rival, and thereupOn emiGrates to
America in the first half of the last
century. He sees the New World with
Mrs. Trollope's eyes, suffers acutely from
the sharp ways OF business, is cheated
ont of a small amount of money 10y a
friend, and. happening at the moment OF
this second disillusion upon the works OF
Thoreau. resolves to become recluse.
With Thoreau's example near by, he yet
crosses the continent on foot Il rather
improbable undertaking for shrinking
soul. and settles in California Here,
after many years. he is Joined by his
niece, with whom he has platonlc.
vacillating love affair, which ends in her
marrying another man. one fails to sec
anv reason for the writing of this jour
nal, and wonders, in the end, why TINS
Scotchman, who spent but few months
of his long life in France. should have
written in French at all. His reflections
on men and life are as unimportant as
his self-reVelation.