Evening star., 1938-09-18


volume contains a story which seems
to have interested the author sum-
ciently to make him reduce his accom-
paniment of Interruptions to q mini
mum.
This story in the first book-the vol
ume being divided as usual into two
concerns the adventures Of the Able
Mionnet in Rome, whittier he has been
sent by the joint efforts of Poincare
and Gurau to enter on a secret inves-
tigation Of reported anti-French ma
neuvering in high clerical circles. 1t
is suspected in Paris that German
party" is being formed in Rome, with
for its purpose the furthering of dip
lomatic Vaccinations detrimental to
France The Cardinal Merry del Val
is supposed to be the moving figure in
the conspiracy. Mionnet's adventures
take up almost the whole of this book.
but fail to carry him to any definite
conclusion.
In the second book there is less of
single story. the interest there being
the whole state of Europe as it moves
and is carried toward the war So I'M
mense historical theme must needs
be presented to the scanting OF indi-
vlduals, and NJ Romans proceeos here
as he has in previous volumes, by
shifting from one group Of characters
to the other and from critical point to
critical point over the continent Of
Europe. Rome and Merry Del Val.
Paris and Poincare, London through
the eyes of Jallez, Cracow and Ienin-
these scenes and men are duly reported
in their reference to the halocaust
The intertwined threads OF intrigue
are traced and the accumulated weight
Of inertia IS shown. There are, we
are made to see. men of good will in
every country who would prevent war
If they could or knew how. And yet
war is demonstrated to be completely
inevitable-and nobody's fault, par
ticularly.
There hardly seems to be any point
in commenting on M. Romans great
project. 1t has already been hailed
in superlatives the epic of our CEN
tury." 1t is. Of course, history written
with fictional latitude. that latitude
being severely disciplined, however, to
show what intimate and personal tend
encies Of the time influenced history's
course. Certainly it has great power,
certainly it Is a magnificent achieve
ment for an author to have brought
of. Beyond that it seems proper to
let the work speak for itself.
MEEK HERITAGE. BY F. A. sillanpaa.
Translated from the Finnish by
Alexander Matson New York: Al
fred A. Knopf
THIS is one Of those overpoweringly
simple novels which, in a day
Of laboring stylists and neo-Joyces,
cannot but make one remember po-
tently how well a plain tale can put
them down. It is such q story as has
been told a thousand times recently
by buring proletarian writer's as they
hastened to catch the market before
the fashion for their wares should
change-and never yet has it been
told better.
1t Is the history OF the life of q
peasant, a man of almost unrelieved
Ignorance, no native gifts and no
strength of character-just 4 human
beast of burden, and one not particu-
larly we'll fitted even for burden bear
ing. 1t takes him from his birth to
his death, and has the perfect nat
ural proportions of lont t-drawn sigh.
It is utterly uncommenting, has no
bias, raise no out cry against injustice,
slorifies no theory and blAmes nothing.
1t simply tells. how the man lived. If
it excites any reader to question, it
will be as to why We human beings
should exist at all, and not as to
why some Of US are better of than
others. Quietly. almost colorlessly,
this book Is = masterpiece.
Its character is born in poverty and
misery in . Finnish village, grows,
marries and begets children in proverty
and misery. hears In his old age some-
thing about democratic movement"
wanders after that dream and Is shot