Current Literature
RACINE Par Thierry Maulnier
' M. Thierry Maulnier's study of Racine (Paris : Redier, 15 francs) follows hard upon other books on the same subject by M. Jean Giraudoux and M. Francois, Mauriac. Though inevitably they disagree upon certain points, the three Are valuably complementary to one another, for M. Mauriac deals primarily with Racine the man, and M. Giraudoux with Racine the artist, while M. Maulnier is concerned to discuss Racine the tragedian. M. Maulnier's is a book of the greatest interest, not only for what the author says of Racine himself, but also -for his views on imaginative literature in general. With much of his opinion it is impossible to agree M. Maulnier is not so much a literary critic as a student of politics who happens also to have a passionate interest in literature (nothing is of greater interest in this book than his consideration of the relations between literature and different forms of social organisation) ; he is. an ardeht monarchigt, and a contributor to the Action Francaise, and his views on the functions of literature . are sometimes oddly coloured by his political beliefs. Occasionally 'these make him appear not to be putting forward an argument for consideration, but merely to be making an assertion which proceeds from political dogma. Assertion is indeed the dominant quality of the book. But there is a profound difference between assertion founded on dogma, with which it is. profitless to argue, and assertion pro- ceeding from a theory which is not held •so tenaciously a a matter of• faith that it cannot be modified. Many of M. Maulnier's purely literary judgements are valuable rather because they are suggestive than because they are incontest- ably. trite : this criticism particularly applies to the reasons which M. Maulnier gives for thinking that Racine is especially important today: Where he will be followed with fewer reservations is in his discussion of the difference between the effects aimed at and achieved by Racine and those aimed at by other more modern writers. This section of the book contains many pages of patient and most illuminating-criticism.
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