New-York tribune., 1921-08-07
Napoleonic Epic
Revolution Portrayed in
Terms of Real Life

works of fiction the most
difficult to write we'll, He
who essays them cannot give free
rein to his fancy and invitation.
cut must keep within or proceed To the
bounds Of facts. He is indeed the
servant Of two masters, both exacting
and imperious, to both Of whom he
must be loyal. If he sights the one he
will be condemned for writing q
historical novel which is not true to
history--a grievous fault, II he slichts
the other he will be damned for infict-
ing upon his renders not truly novel
at all, but a mere wordy dilution of
history books.
If, however, tho difficulties and
dangers of such writing arc great
comparably great are the rewards Of
rare success. For, II the historical
novel is the hardest to write we'll
when we'll written 1t is tho highest, the
supreme type Of fiction. Moreover. we
may say that the more august the
historic theme, the moro arduous the
undertaking and the more splendid
the victory. In the extraordinary
work before us the theme Is one Of the
greatest that the entire range Of his
history affords, and the attempt to deal
with it is therefore one OF the most
ambitious and daring in contemporary
Literature. We should hesitate to say
how many other writer's have under
taken the task. We know that most
of them have lamentably failed.
Here, however, is no failure-no
mere success d'estsme, even. Flaming
forth, but little hcralded, Torchlight
must be accounted one of the most
brilliant achievements of the time
1T is, we understand, the first member
of a trilogy on the Napoleonic epic
AS such it deals with the Revolution
and the Terror, eliminating with the
death OF Robespierre. Therefore, the
hero of the trilogy plays as yet q
minor part-heard of little, rather
than seen. The commanding figures are
Robespierre, Tallien and, above all
Nine. Talllen. These are presented to
Us, not in portrait sketches or charac-
ter studies or any such futile thing
but in actual life. They are not only
visible and tangible, but vascular; If
you should cut them they would bleed
The known traits Of character. the
known incidents and speeches, are pre-
sented with Photographic accuracy, and
yet with an ease and spontaneity such
as the sheerest invention could not sur
pass. The vivid, vital, palpitating hui
manity of every person and every act
is SO real as almost to seem uncanny
SO that the reader furtively looks
around to see if indeed the tombs have
given up their dead to live again and
TO reehact the deeds of their former
lives. The realism is at times appall-
ing; we can see the soiled bandage torn
from Robespierre's jaw, and hear his
blood-curdling yell of agony. And yet
there is not scene nor word in.
serted for the mere sake of exploiting
horrors, but all is for the sake Of dra.
matte integrity and historic truth
Moreover, there is but little narrative
or description, per sc, but as in vel
constructed play, the whole enhancing
story is told in the actions and words
of the actors.
We would not leap at conclusions, nol
be dazzled by the glamor of first i'm
preston. But cautiously and advsedly
we must regard Nine. Aminoff's work
as one Of the most convincing and en-
thralling historical romances of ou,
time. Standing alone, it would be ar
unrivalled romance-a realistic ro
mance-of the Revolution and the
Terror. If the succeeding volumes
maintain the same astonishing standard
OF historic truth, romantic charm, red
blooded realism and dramatic power
we shall have Napoleonie Trilogs
commanding place in literature com
parable with that which the Napole
onic Era itself holds in the annals O.
the world.