Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma

University of Oklahoma

Review: [untitled]
Author(s): Tatiana W. Boldyreff
Source: Books Abroad, Vol. 14, No. 1 (Winter, 1939/1940), p. 62
Published by: Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/40083796 .
Accessed: 10/03/2011 09:09

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62 FrenchTravels BOOKS ABROAD FrenchTravels
for the supposed respect for law of the country: perhaps because he is Vaudois.
average American citizen, it appearsthat This is not one of his majorworks: but it
he has judged the most of what he has seen is well worth our while.- Albert Guerard.
rather fairly. He is often amusing,and he StanfordUniversity.
is always readable.- Tatiana W. Boldyreff.
Battle Creek, Michigan. • Roger Vercel. A Vassaut des poles.
Paris. Albin Michel. 1938. 253 pages.
• C. F. Ramu?.Paris (?<[otes(TunVaw 18 francs.- Roger Vercel has become
dois).Paris.Gallimard.1939. 219 pages. fascinatedby the polar regions. Following
18 francs.- A delicate, ambiguous book. his descriptionof an arctic cruise in Crou
Young Ramus, from the Swiss Canton of siereBlanche,he here tells the story of the
Vaud, worships Parisian culture from expeditions which opened the way for it.
afar. He comes to Paris, fells under its Beginning with the old Marseillais Py
fascination,acceptsand comes to love even theas, whose expedition is largely legend"
the greyness and the squalor. He tarries ary, he follows every explorerof both poles
twelve years. Paris is his spiritualcapital. up to the successesof Peary- orCook- and
Yet he rebels. Paris is quietly arrogant Byrd.Most strikingis the contrastbetween
with all provincials.But a French provin' the arctic and antarctic explorations. Be"
rial, like Rastignac, can challenge and ginninglate in the nineteenth centuryafter
conquer the capital: he and the Parisians the conquest of the northern regions, the
have a wealth of historical and political antarcticexpeditions, with the aid of the
traditionsin common;when they are using airplaneand the radio, succeededin reach"
the same words, even with a slightly ing their goal at a fractionof the cost in life
different accent, they are speaking the and time* M. Vercel's enthusiasm lends
samelanguage.A Swiss remainsa foreigner. inspiration to his story.- Olive Hawes.
Rousseau could become the idol of Paris, University of Oklahoma.
but he could never be a Parisian;neither
could Madamede Stael, much as she loved • Marquis de Wavrin. Lss Bites saw
Mleruisseau de la rue du Bac"; not even vages de VAmazonie et des autres
and regions de VAmeriquedu sud. Preface de
Cherbulies, with his conscientious
almost convincing imitation of Parisian Hubert Carton de Wiart, Secretaired'am"
wit. Strangely- unjustly- it seems easier bassadede S. M. Le Roi des Beiges.Avec 1
for a German,like Heine, Offenbach,Wolf, carte et 24 photographies. Paris. -
Payot.
to become Parisianthan it is for a Swiss. 1939. 301 pages. 40 francs. The well"
So the book is bitter-sweet, devoted and known explorer and writer on natural
resentful. Ramus goes back to Vaud, history offers in this volume a veritable
of the faunaof SouthAmerica.
vowing to speak his own language, not encyclopedia records are the fruit of fifteen years
Parisian. Wherein he fails. His books are These
not in any local dialect:they are in perspic of personalexperiencesand are vigorously
uous standardFrench,with charminglittle presented.The sketchespossessa sustained
and are entertaining
bits of linguisticlocalcolor.Enjoyableread" interest throughout,
whether the author is dealing with the
ing: autobiographical,descriptive, phita' habits of the wild or puma or the
sophical.A good documentin that eternal little details in thejaguar life of the mosquito.
debate: Is Paris France? Yes, Francemight
be healthier if she had seven heads, or Nothing is left out or forgotten; all
animals, birds, insects, snakes, amphibia,
twentytwo, instead of one. But if it were are
not for the prestige,the disciplineof Paris, painstakinglycatalogued.The book is
what would there be in common between alive with sincere enthusiasm,but it is en"
free from artificial sentimentalism.
Brittany and Corsica, between Flanders tirely
and Beam,between Alsace and Roussillon? The author's deeply felt love of natureand
devotion to science are an inspiration.-
It might have been better if these sub"
Tatiana W. Boldyreff.Battle Creek, Michi"
mergedminornationalitieshad lived a life
gan.
of their own: but the France we know
would not have come into being. We do • Leone Vivante. IndeterminatUmet
not know Ramu? well enough in this Creation. Ulndeterminismedans ses