LA PECHE MIRACULEUSE: The Hiraculous Peach

Grand Prix de L'Academie Francaise. A substantial, vigorous novel of the Galsworthy genre, this picture of pre-war and post-war Geneva in the story of Paul de Villars, a musician. Born to the tradition of money, property, calvinistic dogma and bigotry, he illustrates the cleavage of youth from this narrow, hypocritical heritage. The surface action is his love for two women. Louise, an idealistic, ethereal girl -- in the tradition of Roussoau's Heloise -- can only satisfy him spiritually. His cousin, candid, vital, emancipated, through whom he realizes a relationship on both planes, he eventually marries. But more important is the graphic portrait of the city, Geneva, the stronghold of old-world values whose decay at the turn of the century goes hand in hand with the decline of the aristocracy and upper bourgeoisie. A thoughtful, solid piece of work.