PREFACE
My endeavor has been to tell a simple story, preserving as closely as
possible the spirit and feeling of the original. I have tried, as it were, to
take the play to pieces, and build a novel out of the same material. I have
not felt at liberty to embellish M. Brieux\'s ideas, and I have used his
dialogue word for word wherever possible. Unless I have mis-read the
author, his sole purpose in writing LES AVARIES was to place a number
of most important facts before the minds of the public, and to drive them
home by means of intense emotion. If I have been able to assist him, this
bit of literary carpentering will be worth while. I have to thank M.
Brieux for his kind permission to make the attempt, and for the cordial
spirit which he has manifested.
Upton Sinclair