Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-18
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

George Sands Little Fadette" was
favorite book on the parlor tables Of
the '80s and COS in this country.
! There was a desire on the part of the
average cultured person to appear up
10 oate by having French novel or
TWO, put no householder wanted to risk
exactly the sort that had made them
famous around the world.
SO the compromise was made on
Little Fadette" ia Petite Fadette).
often called "Fanchon the Cricket" in
translation. To-day 1t is not so easy
TO get copy of this we'll told story.
Inc best edition we know of is that
OF the Scholartis Press, translated by
This Is a better told tale than "The
Devils Pool" 1t has more plot to 1t.
more real character study. and lacks
the fairy tale atmosphere which dis
tlngulshes that delightful peasant story.
IL Is long enough to merit the title
OF short novel. After all, a novel ought
to have some length. There is sense
OF lnsufnciency felt by the average
reader in a skinny story, which no
sooner begins than it ends.
Proper narrative flow, it would seem,
demands that a certain quantity OF
mere words be interposed between the
beginning and the ending While there
is no doubt that a master hand can
make something great out of little, it is
unquestionably true that the average
novelist runs better chance of sue
cess with a long work than with a
short one.
Think over the great fiction pieces
OF the world from Don Quixote" down,
and you will realize that bulk has had
something, at least. to do with their
success. Not only does the passage of
time required in the reading give the
reader the impression of the passage
OF time in the story, but he is above
all made to feel that these characters
and these scenes are worth lingering
with. He is affected by the stabilizing
power OF quantity, whether he realizes
1t or not, and whether he wants it to
affect him or not.
X y
Little Fadette" is one OF the worlds
great stories, and as such ought to be
read by every one who wants to have
some sort of grasp of one of the worlds
most delightful art forms.
The novel, the tale, the romance. has
held its own now for many years. and
at this writing there would seem to be
no indication whatever of loss OF
prestige. 1t is true that biography has
cut into its field In the past 10 years,
but so many of the biographies are
great as 1t seems at first.
The vast popularity of the novel has
LED TO tremendous output throughout
the world. For many years there were a
great many more novels published than
all the other types OF books put
together.
In this stream of fiction there was
nothing to 1t but that time would
obliterate all except a few. Each gen.
Grafton knew its popular novelists,"
who wrote and sold thousands OF copies.
but whose names and works we're fated
TO oblivion just the same.
Only the great names are left. When
we come TO our author of the moment,
we have just q handful OF her 30
novels. Among these Little Fadette"
ranks high
1t is good story, in the first place.
because 1t deals with twins. There
always has been something mysterious.
unusual, about human twins. Five
puppies or kittens as Allie as peas in a
pod are normal, but two Identical twins
strike humanity as distinctive.
Landry and Sylvanet. the two peasant
boys Of The Little Fadette," are so
alike that even their own mother
scarcely can tell them apart. But the
FIRST is normal boy, whereas the
second is given to selfish love for his
twin
Little F'adette" is good, In the second
place, because 1t manages to fool the
reader as to the plot. This Is not done
In the modern manner of q detective