The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-02-06
Toll of Men, by I. Querido. &C. P. Put
nam s Sons.l

IOl OF Men 1fSl saw the IGN
abroad under the title of "Mensehen-
vice." that is, Human Fate which has
now been brought out in this country
by the Putnams under the title Of Toll
of Men,
Isreal Querido, born in Amtesrdam
in 1S73-great year that, anyway, but
never mind why-was descended from
a Portuguese family of noble birth.
At the age of 81 Querido, the young
Dutch realist. is creating a sensation in
Europe and would do the same III this
country if We only could consistently
spare the time from the George Barr
MeGutcheons, Meredith Nicholsons.
Randall Parishes and so on ad infini-
.tum, or the other word which usually
goes with the "ad" there used
Querido lived Us early days in pow
erty and worked as boy in dia-
mond factory, making his literary de-
but at the age of %.
For sevaral years Querido contrib
uted to ,ae briinant Paris journal
| 'Mereure de France" on musical and
dramatic subjects, as we'll as literary.
and he is at present the leading critic
on the "Hsndesblad' in Amsterdam.
One of the most remarkable of Quer-
ido's essays is An Introduction to tnt
Study of the Confessions of Jean
Jacques Rousseau" Others concern
chopin, Carlyle and Ibsen. They are
all militant. Into the camp of the h.
senites, Querido filings a bomb, name
~ that lbsen rs not a great dra ma
fist because he IS lacking in imagin-
alton, in emotion and in the love of HUI
nan1ty.' Furthermore Querido insists
that 1bsen is lacking in nobility,
unhealthy and"-the following is SAID
to have done its deadly work In the Ib-
sen eamp-.he Is utterly bourgeois
Those who have read much of what
-uerido has written claim that he is
exactly opposite to what he insists h.
sen was in life and is now still with
us In L. books.
This reviewer has read only Toll of
Men the only book of Querido pub
ilshed in this country, but from that
reading the former believes, as ole
critic speaking of Querido generally
put It: Both as critic and creative
ARTIST he Is POLITICALLY imaginative and
emotional and his love for humanity
seems all-inclusive. He is healthy, as
earth Is healthy His style is musical
and picturesque. It is said that an
oriental strain runs through his blood.
to which source French critic is in
cllned TO attribute the warmth of his
word eoloring and the exuberance OF
his magination."
Inc publication abroad in 1908 OF
Ion OF Men" was hailed as a great
-ierafS event. With one possible ex-
9epiioh no work by Dutch writer has
eyer met with suea a reception
throughout Europe.
As 10 tie book discussed itself.
Toll of Men. is an epic of The Dutoh
market gardens. Book l. winter. hook
n spring; book Ill summer. book ~
autumn. The volume divided into four
JOCKS carries .one from harvest To
'afFesl' through the winter Of unem-
1ioA lilehl and grinding poverty; the
'Hrili OF springtine and renewal of
"otA III the helds; summer with it's fe
Feflsh toll and competitive saline
eliminating in the eight DAYS, orc,
81 the hermis: back 10 autumn MA
..ie STOW desperate sinking again. info
unemployment and hunger For tbo
: ~ "e1iers who own their land. FREQ
ON mortgages and debts are few and
- Is not OF their comforts that ouer.
~ writes Out of the hardships of ira
49, ma its.the small tenant gard
eaers and day laborers.
The climax of the novel .aro,,
% d terfine August thunderstorm, -
destroys the crop of beam 80, "AieH
.
many FAMILIES. One group IN -. r+ia,,ia,
S.a,ar OUT from this background in fra gic
taHure-old Gerrit Hassel. a tenant 80.
qener' with his british sons Ditk 49,
re, giant workers of the soil; his hand
S s lheFcenary daughter ready to sell
~ quile respectfully, If possible. fo
tue highest bidder; the old VIE ,haa.a W |
ana crazed; KEGS, the poachar ne
port u 10 10 sup
sumo OF the most poignant chantars
III the DOCK are devoted to the love NJ
hees Tor his little crippled son hi.
logged efforts to find work and kean
SOBER while the boy is alive. and bis
49,. uecllhe into sot and wife
49,, "i.er the death of the child. Old
iaassel' Honest Flowerpot," a, his
helshbors call him, is in reality a tlan
yoinanlac, goating over a wretcbe6 IittIo
noaIu OIL nlched treasures which he keens
secreted in corner of his cellar I,oad
eu with oeots, his land mortgaged 10 the
iase acre, frantic sometimes with any
iety over MS crops, old Gerrit Uassel
ms us one consolation in the indul-
sehce or his one mania-that is klan+o
mania. His tortures reach Thai ~
IN the storm which DESTROYS niIltons 80
Hihons or the beans on which bic 60
tunes hang. He must. paw his rent an
ieaNe ms holdings. in November One 90
many ne goes to the notary to beg an
extension Of time for the payment of HE
rent and debts. A scene of intense t,s
teIest follows Old HassePs request ia
leluseo. me old mans keptoma MIA
biazes up in his. terror and desnair a,.S
ne is detected in the act of staaiina
money and valuable lens from his frian5
the town photographer He 10 arrested
and taken to prison. His british SONS
mix ana Pet cursing their father, are
degraded to the condition of day labor
ers. me mercenary daughter sells her
sell but not respectfully, as the world of
lals Gay ana generation view it.
ana the whole family. like the crop OF
Deans, Is In wreck and ruin
mere is one notable thing about .eToil
o. Men. particularly its brilliant autb6-
lsraei eeuerfdo no matter how degraded
cohdltlon he may be describing. max
ing real before the readers very ewes
ne brings TO the surface those good i'm
purses "hich exist even (as ,'good. people,
would say in the most degraded human
being. i'e''''"
Toll of Men" is not intended for. NOR
should 1t be read by those persons who
believe In Glasses of humanitv." rhis
scribe doesn't mean classes of people
put cl2sses OF humanity such as the
criminal class and the non-crfminal class.
classes ike that; because such readers
would be terribly bored
But for the discriminating. the lover
Of the best in literature, "Ton of Mem
will prove delight. really
OF course. If you are busy with s,rrux
ton King. The Mystery OF the Kitch
en-, or Who Sat in the Pie did She
Eau Or Was She Pushed" etc, ad nau-
scum. then this scribe does not recon-
/ tn Toll