New-York tribune., 1922-12-10

foreign novelist becomes the subject OF
study so voluminous and elaborate
- a. this life OF Fogazzaro, but then II Is
equally rare for foreign novelist to enjoy
the vogue which resulted in the translation
and wide sale OF Fogazzaros works during
his lifetime when one looks at the list;
"Malombra," "Daniele Cortis," I'll Mistero
del Poeta." "Pieeolo Monde Anteo," "PieS
colo Monde Modcrno," "Il santo" and
"Leila." all OF which appeared in English
and other translations, il is evident that
here. at least, was fortunate adventure
into the treacherous region Of Continental
European literature. Giovanni Verga was
not heard Of after his "Malvogiar appeared
in English as "The House by the Medlar
Tree" Alfredo Oriani and Luigi Capuana
have been passed over, and even DAnnunzio
remains largely untranslated. These are
the four names which are already ranked
as the classics Of modern Italian fiction
How obscure they are compared with Fogaz-
zaroi And would Verga or D'Annunzio even
survive as names were it not for Mascagni's
opera and the Fume adventure7 ] doubt
il they are ever read now in English. al
though France, It is true has rendered
u
Leda senza Cigno" and "Notturno" in
French versions.
It might be imagined that the success Of
Fogazzaro was due TO causes no less cx-
traneous than D'Annunzio's swashbuckliag
in Austria. or Verga's relation to "Cayalleria
Rusticana" in Mascagns score have
listed his works in chronological order in
anticipation Of this point. II was "The
Saint" which led TO Fogazzaro's condemna-
tion by the Congregation OF the Index in
1906, but the bulk Of his work had appeared
before that date, and il the decree against
him helped enormously to advertise that
book and its predecessors, IL did not make
Leila" which followed, a success at all
comparable to that OF the earlier books.
which were widely read before the authors
fall from ecclesiastical grace. The con-
dennation Of Leila" shortly after his
dea.h, was the last blow delivered by his
enemies. II did not send one-fourth as many
readers to it as TO "The Saint" Fogazzaro's
popularity. especially with English readers,
rests upon no such ephemeral basis
THE secret Of this Italian nOvelists sue
wa 70 Ahf nuuulc-heudeu
philosophy and the essentially prurient re-
spectability Of his sentimentalized love
stories He has all the requirements OF best
seller in New Brunswick. y. j.; he has not
the frank sensualty Of his compatriot Guido
da Verona, whose highly colored romanees
fuldll in Italy the same function as A. S. N.
Hutchinson and the Rev. Robert Keable. He
held that Genesis and Darwin were reeoneil-
able, he toyed with spiritualsm, his political
eredo was Christian Socialism or something
very like il, with the church and state recon
ciled and the capitalist wolf lying down with
the proletarian lamb; in short the whole pro-
gram Of the pseudo intellectual novel as il
has encumbered the shelves Of circulating
Libraries since the days OF Charles Kingsley.
He frankly declared his intention Of making
fiction the vehicle OF these bright ideas. and
he did 50 most successfully from his point
Of view until he finally landed into a conflict
which had defeated better men than he His
parlor phiosOphizing, always preoceupied
with theories Of God and the soul, spread
out until II caught up modernism in It's
strangely filled net; then the church inter
yened with disastrous results 10 his name
and his peace Of mind as a deyout Catholic.
The Saint II appeared, contained state
rnents concerning fhe state Of the soul after
death which eonAieied with orthodox doc
trine. as embodied in the pronouneements Of
the Council OF Florence. Fogazzaro would
gladly have deleted the hereteal Passages,
but these were merely the technical excuse
for condemning a work whose whole spirit
was deemed offensive.
The present biography is primarily devoted
20 an explanation Of Fogazzaros spiritual
.Li.anrr and The cnlnninnlinr ircilnni 81 HE