The New York herald., 1922-06-11
THE IMPORTANCE OF ANATOLE FRANCE

To do that is sadly to misunder-
stand, for one need not at all agree
with his attitude to see its sincerity,
its nobility and perhaps the warning
of wisdom it holds for the future.
His spirit" says NJ. Gsell, has
been saddened by so many catas-
trophies. The interminable butchery
was a cruel trial for heart overs
flowing with human compassion.r
Looked at in a larger way. his criti-
cism OF war, as such, is in itself a
comment of no small import to those
who must shape the civilization OF
the future. il it is to be shaped at
all. and not allowed to slide into a
new abyss of barbarism. 1t is worth
observing in passing that Anatole
Frances political philosophy, unlike
Rolland's. does not derive from Toll
stoi or trend toward sentimentalism.
1t is rather the product of an in
exorable. logical mind, working to
conclusions from indisputable facts.
Perhaps ii is little blind to some
other facts. But with that sugges-
ton let us leave Anatole France, the
political philosopher, in his retire-
ment
IL is rather as the creative artist
and the Illuminating critic of every
day life as it must be lived by all
than as politician that he will live:
as the creator of Sylvestre Bonnard
and of the several volumes that
make up the 'iHistoire Contempo-
raine" and as the master of the
short story in scores of examples.
Many a fortunate high school stu
dent has made the acquaintance of
lie Crime de Sylvestre Bonnard."
and If the process of introducing
him, or her. to simple French has
not been too clumsy or unnecessarily
painful the intelligent youngster will
have concluded that it was worth
while TO struggle with even the
irregular verb in order to read that
story. 1t was his first great popular
success. and is probably still the best
known of his books to English read
ers, as there are good translations.
incidentally it may be noted that
there is a fairly complete edition OF
most of Frances writings in English.
by Frederic Chapman and others,
published by John Lane, as well as
numerous versions of separate VOL
umes
1t was in 1881 that "Sylvestre Bon
nard" appeared, and was crowned"
by the lnstitut de France without
paratively few cases in which a
classic" met instant recognition.
Before that he had published two
volumes OF verse, "Poemes dores"
dedicated to Leconte de Lisle, and
somewhat experimental in form. and
partaking a little of the ''Parnassian"
movement) and LES Noces corinth-
iennes," but he has never quite
reached the same mastery in verse
as in prose. His first book was a
critical study of Alfred de vigny.
published i'm 1868.
He was born at Paris in 1874. and
was the son of a famous bookseller.
said to have been almost the last of
the race of bibliophiles who were
more than mere dealers in literary
merchandise. His real name is
jacques Anatole Thibault. There is
something almost prophetic in his
choice of France. as a pseudonym:
an arrogant selection. but one that
he has justified. since he has ex-
pressed so much of the spirit of the
France he loves.
From the early SOS his output was
extensive: novels. essays, short
stories, plays and, most Importantly.
series of mi-autobiographicai.
discursive books, part novel and part
comment on life in general. such as
the exquisite "Jardin d'Epicure" and
lie livre de mon ami" which are
more definitely personal. and the