New-York tribune., 1922-12-17

IN the conventional flIlutbf tht 9Vthb ""
displays all the seduction OF his brilliant in
telligence and his marvelously facile assimla-
tiveness. Sibermann reads French literature
with passion, with desire to draw out its
secrets and make them his own, for, as the
son Of race without a country, he has made
France the land Of his election. To be a
Frenchmsn and Jew, says Sherman, what
a dream, what an alliance But all the Cath
olic and Nationalist sentiment Of hsssehool
is against him. He draws hatred upon him
self not only because he is Jew but because
he is the best student of his class. His life
becomes a daily martyrdom. The young
Protestant breaks with his friends to defend
the Jew, who, as matter Of fact, is more
than a match for the others.
But Sibermann's father is accused Of theft
and judgment Of the case is confined % the
father Of the Protestant The son Of the
judge pleads for his comrades father He is
brutally refused in the name Of duty and is
ordered neter to speak to young Sherman.
The boy sees for the first time that Christian
teaching and Christian practice arc not the
same. His anguish at this revelation is in
tensifed when an influential politician Sc
cures for the Jew by other means what he
had been denied. Meanwhile young Slber-
mann, discouraged gives up the struggle,
abaidons all idea of French nationality and
literary career and goes to America.
II is an admirable story, sober. lucid com
pact and judicious in its choice of detail. It's
impartiality is astonishing and the portrayal
Of the ethic differences of its characters can
not be too highly esteemed.
FINALLY curious novel Of China is to be
praised. (This has been an excellent
week. The book is called Rene Leys,g and
its author, who died couple Of years ago.
was Victor S6galen. He wrote curious and
difficult French whose vocabulary and syn
tax are beautifully nodded to fit the SYM
bolism Of the Far East. Rene Leys is re-
markably handsome young Belgian who
teaches political economy IN the College Of
the Mobiles at Peking. He has a natural
aptitude (as had Segalen) for Chinese Ian
guages and he is transformed bit by bit
from an insignificant government teacher
into the hero Of as strange and romantic a
story as even kim" is. Nothing is so fasci-
mating as a tale Of double personality, as the
old story of Haroun al-Raschid in the streets
Of his city; we have it here in the fullness
Of its magnifcence. Rene is the chief Of the
secret police OF the Regent, and the lover Of
the Empress. It is the Forbidden the Violet
City. the Palace Of the Emperor, that is the
magical center Of the story. One after the
other the secrets Of the All-Highest are ex-
posed to US, down to the hollow-brick, silk
covered bed Of the Empress and the amulet
she wears between her breasts. All is color,
perfume, charm and mystery in this postum
nous book Of superior stylist.
/ have already written (before reading
them) of the two Balzac Prize books, Job
le predestine." by one Baumann, and Jean
Giraudoux's "Siegfried ct le Limousin.' The
former is unreadable "Siegfried," on the
other hand, is amazingly composed, and filed
with nuts and raisins, like Christmas cake.
It wants, / should say, an exceptional ac-
ouaintance with French and an extreme alert
ness Of mind for proper appreciation.