Our exploration of French society has now come forward to the period of the Moroccan crisis, and the realization that if war does come to this settled Europe,the cost will be huge. There is an interesting excursus into the french Bond Market, with the coverage of a massive and fraudulent stock issue. there's an air of expectancy as Jallez's political career gathers steam, and Jerphanion is finding his footing in the world of provincial education, ( )

As we move through the massive novel, "Men of Good Will", we come to the build up to World War One. Both Jallez, the politician, and Jerphanion, are politically involved, but are seriously appalled when the continent is dissolved in the catastrophe. The effort of keeping track of the characters is taxing, but the attempt to be coherent under the circumstance is inspiring. ( )

This is the wind-up volume to the twenty-seven episodes which are variously described as a novel sequence, or one very long novel indeed. I confess I lost patience with the series and skipped ahead to the end, this book. As "Men of Good Will," the over all title, this series presented a fictional narrative of Middle-Class life in France from 1908 to 1933. It was actually begun in 1932, written at about two episodes a year, published annually, and finished in 1946. there are two consistent characters, a school teacher who goes into politics, and a literary man of varying fortunes. At this remove, I'm not sure why I baled, but perhaps I was bored with all those people. ( )