Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-27

Dear Sir: Not long ago you wrote
an article in praise Of the novels OF
Maupassant. Will you kindly name a
few which you consider the best, as
have never read any of his stories and
I have great confidence in your opinion
on almost any subject. I enjoy your
column greatly-have always sized you
UP as a man who gets real kick out
of just the daily happenings of life
Will appreciate any suggestions you
may give me on Maupassant. Sin
cerely, G. Med"
While the novels of Guy de Maupas-
SAINT have never held the place in the
esteem of the readers of the world
accorded to his justly famous short
stories, of which there are several
hundred, the longer works of this
author are very fine in their way.
Just how we'll such tale as Mont
Oriol" is handled can be better APP
preciated by comparison with some of
the works of MaupaSSant'S cotempo-
raries. This novel, which we consider
the best of the half dozen which
Maupassant wrote, seems far superior
work in every way to Emile lola S
Mana" for instance.
The crude, boorish sentences of
Zola's utterly sincere novel-one calls
it a novel, although it is scarcely that
contrast strangely with the reticence
of the chapters of "Mont-Oriol," which
might have been written by an Anglo
Saxon, so delicately is it handled.
Personally, we know of no better in
PRODUCTION to the real French litera-
ture than through the pages OF
Maupassant, for he combined the
Gallo spirit, the inimitable something
which distinguishes this literature. with
a strange decency in handling the
themes which he essays. And this
is all the more strange, Indeed. since
the man himself was to cld up in a
madhouSe as the result of his depraVl-
ties.
pierre and Jean" is our second
choice of Maupassants longer works
1t is a short novel, but one packed
from cover to cover with mental con-
f1icts, which, in the long run, are the
real essence of real novel. In this
story of the jealousy of brother
scenes are worked up to in manner
which makes the actual words take on
reality. Every one has witnessed
family scene" and has experienced
the feeling of dread which overtakes
one at the realization that there is no
way of stopping another one. Pierre
and Jean" goes on from scene to scene.
ending in a mastery picture of real
family quarrel. And if any one wants
to see how real writer gets a great
deal out of nothing. he should study
the final chapter which recounts moth
ing more than the sailing OF the
brother to America. The family sits
in small boat and waves good-by to
him, as he stands on the bridge of the
steamer in the uniform of the ships
doctor. All the poignancy of such a
farewell is there, and it will bring the
tears unbidden to the eyes of the SEN
sitive, not, in the manner of the maud
lin movie drama, but as the result of
true workmanship built up word by
word to an inevitable climax. This
novel contains MaupasSant's famous
introduction, in which he gives his
ideas as to the place of realism in lit
erature. The average reader. after
wading through it, will admit that he
could write better stories than he
could write about them. Narration, not
exposition, was his field. He had the
heart and mind of the true story
teller. Another of his short novels
scarcely more than novelette,, THE
Inheritance" is piece of capital fool
cry, distinguished by picture Of the
life of French government clerks which
shows all the powers of observation of
the author.
Even such a brief account as this
weuld not be complete without the in
clusion of Maupassants most famous
novel, "a Womans Life" The French
title is simply "Une Vie" "a Life), bur
in the feminine form, so that most
translators properly make it "a Wom-
ans Life" We like the unmodified title
the best. This story is not one of our
favorites, although we admit its power
To many readers it is simply a dis
tressing account of an unhappy life.
It might be termed a psychological