The Project Gutenberg EBook of Serge Panine, Complete, by Georges Ohnet

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Title: Serge Panine, Complete

Author: Georges Ohnet

Last Updated: March 2, 2009
Release Date: October 4, 2006 [EBook #3918]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SERGE PANINE, COMPLETE ***

Produced by David Widger

SERGE PANINE

By GEORGES OHNET

With a General Introduction to the Series by GASTON BOISSIER, Secretaire
Perpetuel de l'academie Francaise.

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

1905

BY ROBERT ARNOT

The editor-in-chief of the Maison Mazarin--a man of letters who
cherishes an enthusiastic yet discriminating love for the literary and
artistic glories of France--formed within the last two years the great
project of collecting and presenting to the vast numbers of intelligent
readers of whom New World boasts a series of those great and undying
romances which, since 1784, have received the crown of merit awarded by
the French Academy--that coveted assurance of immortality in letters and
in art.

In the presentation of this serious enterprise for the criticism and
official sanction of The Academy, 'en seance', was included a request
that, if possible, the task of writing a preface to the series should be
undertaken by me. Official sanction having been bestowed upon the plan,
I, as the accredited officer of the French Academy, convey to you its
hearty appreciation, endorsement, and sympathy with a project so nobly
artistic. It is also my duty, privilege, and pleasure to point out, at
the request of my brethren, the peculiar importance and lasting value
of this series to all who would know the inner life of a people whose
greatness no turns of fortune have been able to diminish.

In the last hundred years France has experienced the most terrible
vicissitudes, but, vanquished or victorious, triumphant or abased, never
has she lost her peculiar gift of attracting the curiosity of the world.
She interests every living being, and even those who do not love her
desire to know her. To this peculiar attraction which radiates from
her, artists and men of letters can well bear witness, since it is to
literature and to the a