New-York tribune., 1922-12-17

~ - explaining lhal lhio - +" PiN-N~N
ton work in several volumes whose
~. is Lame enehantee." With "Jear
chnstophe.7 "a Ia recherche due temp
s.,du" and les Thibault' French fiction
,,.m, 10 point 10 the return Of the Vic
,orian "tripledecker"-an further. II ap-
pesrs possible that a century hence French
men will spend their lives reading a single
novel and will listen with incredulity to the
ponagenarian who swears that he possessed,
as a young man, library Of 300 different
books However, it is Mr.. Rolland's right
70 compose as his genius dictates; certainly,
The first volume Of Lame enchantee" is its
own Justification.
ROLAND is an encyclopedia and a contro-
yersialist His books are filed with discus
sion Of politics estheties. philosophy and
sociology. He has, like Jean Jacques Rous-
seau, an unfortunate taste for ideology, which,
some readers believe, he INDUCES too far
But he is a great poet Of sentiment
Annette ct sylvie" is replete with incl
dent and argument. II is the story Of
wealthy orphan Of twenty-five who discovers
that her father had an illegitimate daugh-
ter. Annette finds her half-sister, Sylvie,
10 be a working girl and takes her to live in
her fathers home. The girls are good friends
enough. Annette is Junoesque, morally the
purer Of the two, but more disquieting,
more capable Of passion and tragedy. Sylvie
is an agreeable little grisettc, naively anoral
and thoroughly familiar with certain phases
Of existence. They represent the wise vir-
gin and the foolish one, If you like Per-
hsps exaggerste sylvie's virginity; she con-
iesses. and Annette is properly disgusted
thereat, to "un ami"
They get rid Of the "ami" and live in easy
friendship until they meet an Italian at st.
Moritz whose attentions they dispute vio-
lently. "Quand la passion est lachee dams
une femme" says ROLAND, I'll ne sagit plus
de loyaute; ct de bon sens, moins encore"
With Sylvie it is a game, with Annette a
serious affair. "Malheur aux occurs trop
d6fendusl Quand la passion fait son entree,
!e plus chaste est le plus livre." They come
to themselves in time. RecOnciled, and again
in Paris, inevitably they grow further apart
Sylyie is frivolous and ignorant; Annette is
studious, interested in science has diploma
from the Sorbonne. Ultimately the sewing
machine girl is given a bit Of money and
sets herself up in trade.
Here commences the second part. which
might have been called annette ct Roger
Annette is a bon parti. She moves in the
set called the liberal bourgeoisic since the
Dreyfus affair or the young men who
solicit her hand (and dot) Roger Brissot'
handsome and intellectual politician, pleases
her most Somewhat in the manner Of Dr'
Freud, ROLAND shows US that Annette is not
insensible TO Rogers physical charms. She
thinks she loves him, and she would marry
bin II our confounded author hadn't decided
70 give Us page Of French social history
his he Brissot family that he is after. He
nays them alive, mocks their PRETENDED
rspublieanism and liberalism, and displays
We uhnaginatye stupidity Of their hVes'
Annette cannot endure the pride and con-
cent Of mother and sister Brissot, and her
contact with them shows her the holowness
o. Rogers mediocre intelligence. For the
reader these reasons suffice to explain
break. But ROLAND develops in Annette
nebul0us feminism. Vaguely and ineoher-
emily she demands the freedom Of her SOUL
and Roger is thoroughly bewildered. he IS
certainly ridiculous figure, mais ellie, est
a giaer; she becomes insupportahle. They
break But as she still loves him httle
and as his love for her makes him PitiaDie
she gives herself TO him one night and does
not see him again. The book closes diseon-
eertingly with Annette eneeinte.