Evening star., 1949-01-30

SUZANNE AND JOSEPd. Two
BY Georges Duhamel. Translate
Holt & Co.; $780,
Reviewed by M
Georges Duhamel's position in
contemporary French letters is
pre-eminent. Since he won the
Goncourt Prize in 1918 this ply
sician-turned-writer has pro-
duced a continuous flow OF essays,
poems and novels which have
won him election to the French
Academy and the honor of hav-
ing his works banned by the
Nazis during the occupation. But
his formidable reputation abroad
should not deter the prospective
American reader. In his case great
ness does not mean las it frequent
ly does with European novelists)
heaviness; nor does depth mean
obscurity. AS a matter of fact, tc
one making his acquaintance
through these two episodes of his
masterwork, the saga of the Pas
quier family, M. Duhamel's most
striking quality is charm.
M. Duhamel exemplifies the great
Gallo virtue of clarity. He con-
templates human nature without
bias or dismay and couches his OBJ
servations in limpid prose, which
here is admirably preserved In a
fawless translation by Beatrice De
Holthoir. His sensibility plays over
these pages with the warmth and
steadiness of sunlight giving kind
of sparkling good humor to his most
acute characterizations. In "Su-
zanne," he regards with tender
amusement a beautiful young &C.
tress, whose life is her art. In
Joseph" he unblinkingly studies
business buccaneer who represents
the materialistic spirit on a ram
page.
Her Only Love.
Suzanne is a charming heroine
at 20, q beautiful and lionized lead
ing lady in a progressive Paris rep
ertory company, whose director ex-
ploits her pure devotion to the the
ater. Deprived of a much desired
part by his Vaccinations, Suzanne
fees to the country home OF
Philippe Baudoin, her most ardent
suitor. There she becomes the idol
of his fey, songful family. But to
Philippe's pleas for love she can
only say, II would rather be An
dromaque on the stage than a
happy wife" At the first summons
of her devious impresario, she
leaves this happy. haphazard exist
ence to return to the theater, the
only reality she cherishes.
M. Duhamel's artistry is revealed
In the treatment he gives to the
theatrical and pastoral aspects OF
the story, which reflect perfectly
Suzanne,s attitude. The scenes in
the theater are presented with
great realism, with wealth OF
technical detail. The conspiracy
and tawdriness of backstage life,
the stale smell of the empty house
are vividly conveyed. BY contrast
the idyll Is Philippe's country home
takes on an air of fantasy, and his
impulsive clan are like
figures in o dream. Suzanne's diff
ficulty In distinguishing between
the real and the make-believe IS
beautifully and subtly shown in this
rueful and altogether enchanting
story.
A Robber Baron.
Suzanne's brother, M. Joseph
Pasquier, central figure In the COM
panion novel, Is also obsessed, but
his passion is for possession and
power. A brutal flnancier who has
q finger in any number Of gold
filled pies, he is also driven by artis-
tic and intellectual pretensions
clustering and conniving, counting
heavily on the essential corrupt
bility of his fellow-man, Joseph, with
his thick, dray-horse neck" collects
modern paintings and strives Is
bludgeon his way into the Institut
while widening his business empire
He is like many bullies much given
to self-pity, and he builds up q
picture of himself as an aesthetic,
humanitarian and a devoted family
man, although his wife despises him
his eldest son outsmarts him and
his younger son is terrified of him.
M. DuhamePs portrait Of . rob.
Der baron, French style, Is
mastery, perfectly balanced achieve
ment, unmarried by the corrosive
acid that fills the pen Of, say, Sin
clair Lewis, when he contemplates
such ruggedly individual types. The
climax Of the story with Joseph
cursing because "a fellow whom you
look upon as a rogue behaves like
an honest man" is stroke Of the
most satisfying irony.
Suzanne and Joseph" are both
In the finest tradition of the novel
At a time when his compatriot
novelists are seeking the furthest
reaches of austerity or exploring the
bypaths of abnormality, M. Du.
hamel's focus on the humanistit
values is refreshment of the highest
order.
For March 18th
YOUR TAX GUIDE
BY Paul Safro. international
Universities Press; 1897
Now that the immovable March
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income taxpayers, this concise
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taxable, what exempt-should prove
valuable. Mr.. Safro goes into
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and even summarizes State tax laws
Best Of all, the intricate subject is
eyplained in Simple clear English.