New-York tribune., 1910-12-25
Inheritance OF yesterday, but to him Is
given the strength to voice it.

Inheritance OF yesterday, but to him Is
given the strength to voice it
The nleritorious translator OF the first
four volumes Of this narrative Of a nlu-
eician'S life, which "a the original has
already reached the sixth, predxes to Il
an Interpretation Of its deeper meaning
as he sees #, and a brief biography Of
Its author. from which we learn that he
was born IN 1865 at Clancy and edu-
Gated at Paris and Rome. In the italian
capital he came under the intellectual
influence Of a gifted German woman, an
exile OF the troubled days Of 1S4S, who
gave direction to his youthful aspira-
tions and ideals, chiefly based upon Tol-
etoy's writings. Since his return to
Paris, NJ ROLAND has been associated
with movements for the renaScence CT
the theatre, and been a lecturer on
music and art at the Sorbonne. It will
be well TO remember his biographies Of
Beethoven and Hugo Wolff. and. above
al, his preoccupation with music, since
It IS Jean-Christophe's own
In his Interpretation Of the stcry, the
translator tells US that the author him
self has always thought Of the life OF his
hero and OF the book as q river. This
conception is literally exact, for one can
not Judge Of the course, the influence and
service Of river upon and to the coun-
try through which II flows until every
turn has been explored, its depths al
plumbed. and its mouth reached, If it
Goes reach the ocean Its end may be
the true beginning OF its wider service TO
mankind, or tt may lose Itself in a
desert. disappointing the dwellers in its
basin OF their high hopes 1t may have
TO be helped to its destiny by the locks
snd canals constructed by other hands
and heads. understanding .ts possibilities
and endeavors. end carrying them out.
The river OF the life of Jean-Christophe
is still very near !ts source, IN his
earliest twentteA when these first four
volumes stop.
The first OF tho four books" into
which these volumes have been trana-
5orned-in this English version IN
single one-most stikingly illustrate the
s,pinion expressed above that N. Rel
lands method Is not so much new ce-
parture as an elab nration of the realism
Of detail taught to a Western school by
the Russians. Tolstoy first among them.
Dawn" thc first book, dealing with
tean- -Christophes birth and infancy,
contains great deal OF delicately in
.uitive rather than scientific psychology,
but st IS mainly a study Of environment,
Of his grandfather and father, musicians
both in the small, stagnant capital Of
small German principality. and of his
mother, an ex-servant loving and IN
competent, as al educator. because fg-
norant Of even the existence Of a mean
1us Of life. The father is a progressive
Grunkard It IS ell exceptionally able
and convincing work, felt by the author
es he makes the reader feel It The
picture IS compIete-the coming OF first
perceptions, Of love and hatred Of th9
parents who in their ignorance are un-
.ust, OF fear and the first knowledge CT
Death, OF the first raptures Of music
For 1n that poverty stricken household
the only civ;lizing, uplifting influence Is
the drunken fathers piano, and his en-
thueiasn, faring UP out Of his degrada-
ton 70 teach his Oldest the traditional