MAN'S FATE

A novel of revolutionary China, and the 1933 Goncourt Prize winner. In spite of which, cannot see a market for it over here. Tough going, and lacks clarity and human interest appeal. The story begins with a murder committed by a Chinese terrorist for the Revolution on the night before an insurrection in Shanghai. The background is young revolutionary China, half Europeanized, half Buddhist, torn by internal dissension, individually and politically. The meaning of the title is that all men dream of being gods; in the process of growing up they create new illusions and lose old ones, until they are no longer adolescent or dreaming, at which point they are fit only for death. The chief characters are two brothers; others come and go in military intrigue and political graft. In the end, suicide, death in battle, burden of grief for all. The tone is vaguely reminiscent of the mood of the Celine book, but it lacks the power of that.