New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-04-26
FICTION
Roman Rolland's "Jean-Chris
topic" Completed
Tile LAST PHASE.

-.
NAY ctlrrsTOPHE: JOu kNh1
'EHn Love and Friendship the ne, lb,l ulu,
inc Rush. the New Dawn, canaan
Peiland Translated by Gilbert al di'''a a.,
With portrait Of the a"''''
sol Henry Holt 90
II is nearly two years since 'he ''''.
yoi,,n,o If Mr.. Cannan's translation ol
This extraordinary French STUDY oi ''''
life Of an imaginary man OF genius "p
roarod and If is only by rereading I'll
Tho preceding two volumes that one
can obtain a clear view Of the proper
tions of this remarkable perlornla".9
in contemporary fiction. the hrS' VIZ
ime aroused enthusiasm through the
certainty. of the authors purpose III
ever returning 10 his hero. however i"'
he wandered a6eld through the CON
etaut relationship established between
,his budding musician, with the an
o,,,larities of his age and exceptional
mentality strong upon him, ana the
main currents of the life ana tne
Thought Of his contemporaries IN t"e
second volume. Jeau-C hristophe was
frankly releRated 10 the backgrounds
the interest being centred In the ar'is'l0
and social life of Paris and all France.
Here the author himself speaks un-
hesitatingly i'm the first person Tor no
foreigner. however gifted could posi-
bly formulate So consistent. many sided
and trenchant "a criticism of nation
fin $50 short a time. and from the OBJ
scrre position occupied in Paris by the
hero But as a criticism it is all inc
more enlightcning because il is so open
ly NJ. hollands own.
I'm this third volume. now before u.s.
Jean Christophe comes into his own
again. II is perhaps the best ot the
three. as human as the first but more
naturelv dramatic. The man himself
is apparentIy. so far AS his outward
and professional life is concerned, a
composite of many great composers
OF WAGNER first of AN. and Beethoven,
with touch hero and there. in certain
episodes. of the experiences Of others.
Rut as human being. as a character
study. he is of one piece. remaining III
many WAYS what hc was at the begin
ming. notwithstanding the suhdninS
processes Of life. while showing in oihcr
directions the modifying Influences OF
the Years. An enemy OF oppression in
GERMANY in the days OF his youth in
The first volume. We ind him in the
third i'm his maturity. in ,he midst OF
"a MAY day riot in Paris forced 90 fie'
to switzerland. a. once he had found
refuge I'm France. close ass the reader
comes o. him at times. Doc is always
set apart as behind a Veil the aura,
if one may use that mystic word, Of his
supreme gift. For Jcan-Christoph'
reaches the heights in the worlds opin-
ion as well az 10 the achievement al
what his inspiration drives him 10 90.
There is always in this vast panorama
Of contcmporare NE che doubled inter
est of IFS marInarg hero. who comes
So near 10 reality. and 81 an mcieiNe
criticism ~ or own day. 100 IFS artistic.
intellectual and social aspects. Drama.
literature. music. they all come within
the scope OF the authors picture. as
they are foetcreI or hampored i'm to-"
countries that hafhor the composer In
This sense Christophc' is soclo-
historical novel whose interest as q
picture e. period viii grow with the