Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-05-07

"T lLUL1" is Illusion, and it is a
- pity that for clarity's sake. in
the English translation, this production
was not so called. The note descriptive,
printed on the temporary paper cover
which protects the binding for the in
formation of the general reader and the
guidance in particular of the reviewer,
calls this book "a farce And clearly
the form, the setting by way of scene,
the procedure by way of dialogue, all
is dramatic; but when we consider the
dramatis personae, which contains a
score of crowds" and choruses, dis
tinguishable each from the other, be-
sides such personages as Master God,
Duerer's Beast. Polichinello and Buri-
dan the Ass, IL is plain that representa-
tion on any stage could scarcely have
been contemplated. The designation
farce" too, is peculiarly misleading /;
for the situation of personal predica-
ment, real merriment and fun for fun's
sake, all are foreign to the ironic,
sntirtcal atmosphere Of this strange and
original production, its dealing in
masses by way Of abstraction, its allie
CORY. its premeditated confusion, its
bitter probing beneath appearances. It's
sardonic pessimism. ''Lilult" is really
a trenChant satire; its subject the dis
illusion which has fallen on our some
time SNUG world. The author takes no
sides, he spares none, and he leaves us
in the end with no hope. Read super,
ficialiy, it Is an unpleasant book; read
carefully, a terrible one.
T CAME across "Lilulr' first q couple
OF months ago. 1t repelled me.
could not understand how the author OF
Jean Christoph." that extraordinary
success in French fiction just before the
war. could have written such a oooS'
and l failed to get up the curiosity
necessary to find out. Turning up
again in a batch of books for review the
other day. ! was stimulated to second
reading and an answer to this ques-
ton. Romain ROLAND, It will be re.
membered, was sometime professor OF
the history of music at the Soroonne
University OF Paris). distinguished
biographer, especially Of Beethoven
and of Tolstoy. by which latter he has
Born in Burgundy. in eastern France,
ROLAND. while of many generati ions Of
French ancestry, has none the less in
him much Of tho Teutonic spirit. In
deed. Jean Christoph." with its Ger
man hero, was an effort to reconcile the
contrasts, antagouisms and mutual mis-
understandings which separate Teutonic
and Latin cultures and it would have
been difficult to conceive of one better
fitted for that delicate task than ROl-
and. with his enthusiasm at times bor-
dcring on sentimentality, that passion
for art. especially music, and that spe-
ces Of transcendcntalism which we
associated, at least before the war,
with the Germanic genius. But ROLAND
possessed, too, the clear. logical train
ing and polish and finesse which We as
sociate as inevitably with the traditions
and culture Of France. When the war
came VI. ROLAND was one OF those un-
fortunates in whose very veins the clash
of empires throbbed Born French
man, though living cosmopolitan life,
il is not for any one TO judge his 20.
siton much less his conduct, OF which
know little. \ man past the years Of
military service. he appears 10 have
lived in Switzerland during the CON
tIict. That he hated war is assurcdlv
rot to his nor to any mans discredit.
Whether he is, or was, an actual pa
cifst ! do not know or care. Certainly
the satire Of "Liluli" accepts the text
Of Mercutio: "A plague on both your
houses