New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-01-05
BRITISH LITERARY Top,c
THY INFLUENCE op THE pur,,c

ELiOI5 NEW BOOk-CHRi5TgkS re-
lPRos THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT O, M
LONDON. Dec. II. - The fra w
George Elot's Middiemsrch" was t,,,I,,,r w
gland and America about the saue time. u.s
out in pea-green paper covers small 80
pages. well printed. and cold at ti a. n.
Numbers Cof which there win DO eight, !. -.
the part OF Messrs. BiackwOod TO break y,,,S
which Ordains that an English novel .s.n "
three volumes at the price OF " CO. The -
system has been that, generally speaklp, ,,,-si
n novel on its first issue. but everybofy SEA, ~
circulating library. The libraries are. ther.,...
lishers' sole customers, and the influence O, -,
rangement has proved beneficial neither "a 49,
the public, and 10 the author stiI lesA n, -
head Of a prosperous novel publishing ho,,.
tho other day. in letter % n,
that while tho nominal price a A.
nary novel Is o. 20. the selling p,o.
circulating libraries IA from s. 70 10 n n NaA-
often less. Tho sale can never - large. -.
urice except I'm the caso OF few authors =. =
novel by new hand makes On unexpected A,
latter ease the writer too often proats nosAa,s
Increased demand. and the libraries oer,as,,
profit, since they are forced 90 purchase Al en-
bor Of copies TO supply the Same number q .s.,.'
The publisher does PROFIT. but even with hiua..'
deal like winning prize In lottery.
1t H. however, by no means true ihai al "a.
fishers arc in the habit OF running any grcai,a,
hope OF great pribe occasionally Those ~.
reputation can sell to the Libraries a ooust!en...
beer OF copies OF 10 matter what rubbish Ia,
ries, again, the rcadahlcness Of book Is o'sn,..
airy consideration. and for two nasonS Fcs =,
undertake. 20 supply now books With Efu,,,
You are asked to send for ~ last IA.
many books % you want, aud u ~
il out, or IN great demand. you may b.
for days with tho old or with the less s0ugist,.
Tho second reason Is \ curious one, ard II j. ~,
numbers OF books are taken ont by sub.criAn \,
not want them 20 read and who never open A.,
who think 10 proper thing that a rectniy5i.
hook should 10 lying about on the drawiagso..
The librarians arc perfectly aware " teres,
views, hence their readiness 20 buy from Tie "a
such quantities OF unreadable trash. Il mast 81
that tho publisher has still another neahs q ~
himself against loss. An author Nho Is uahsr
too well known finds himself not unfreque-a,,
upon TO pey down a certain sum 10 adyasu 4,
privilege OF having his book appear with thsns
certain firm on the title-page. Win one hOus b.
common sum. Yet Mr. TinsloT assures us hhs
above referred 10, that The system. win a. !,
vantages, II unsatisfactory 10 tho publisher Re-
prefer TO emancpate himself from the cfs1
libraries and issue his novel In such q ,hape atia,
O price that the public would buy. lie polist
enorrnous sales OF such books Ia America, aBdats
profits opens before him, the place Of which suls
by his double gains Oh a small edition.
Houses Ike Messrs Blackwood. with which Dove
not the only or main business. have SIN nor ~
for attempting a change. But II chcapness Is 40 "a,
Of success with the public the present issue Of-N.
march" is made with slight regard 20 il As ii,n,
be eight parts we shall have paid $40 for Il vhso
out: and as the ordinary price OF novelist m
nobody does pay, don't see how the public r,ss
But bookseller after all knows something u b.
nature. Hell am not referring 10 Messrs Bla'tIs
issues Bible In parts, at 10 cents each The Vssi
chaser OF the first part looks on IL a. nina
cheapness, aud buys with "a mixture OF rthrss
economical fervor. and readily agrees 70 hh
whole. by tho time he has paid Tor q b
red parts OF SO, he begins 90 find out that " S
is pretty round price for his book. Mcssrs BAN
arc probably right in calculating that the psAai
much moro readily buy "Mddlemarch " 10 eighipa
81 rs each than IN three OF four volumes at obshl
But still II is not Il very great advance tovar /.
literature The merit OF tho experiment le.hhI
city, and welcome any novelty In = county ',
every novelty Is looked on with suspicion- WA
Dickens began to publish Pickwick, or wbaieSai'
in shilling parts. everybody predicted a faiTs
world "a convinced by this tine that Il was aies
success Mr.. Dickens once described 10 Tue whit
teristlo humor tho dlllculty lac bad In p"r-uaia
publishers to adopt his Views. Ilo continued The -
aud was convinced that under no other could
made his hooks Sc profitable. But Il wont ah''s
every body.
As for "MIddiomarcb."I hear that George 10
.aius tho copyright and that instead of receiving
centage from Mcssrs. lakewood. sh0 pays pefoti
10 them by way Of commission and keeps tho NJ
herself This was DicLenSs plan during the gTtald
u bis career George Eliot IL sald 20 have received
'ormcr occasion this largest sun ever agreed In @'
70 he paid by publisher for a novel. she sn
10000 for Romola," which came out ia The %
then aud now owned by messfs. su
Elder. They relied good deal upon IT, increadn
JaIe OF the magazine, which was about ioD9
ROm0la" began its course. But when tho tf'
the circulation was 1908. aud heasr,.
4 Elder have not been inclined 10 repeat tho q
ncnt. The truth is that " BomOa," with All 10 vi
'u merits. was never popular story IN England
Eliot. on Miss Evans, OF Mrs. Lswes, or whate0
,ught "a call her, distinctly lost ground by that pci
nco ground which She bids fair TO recover, snd
han recover, In " MiddleWsrch."
one Of the few really attractive Christmas book,
Lridgnent OF Paasavnnt, well known "RtphS
Irbino and his Father. Giovanni santi." Oiaeun
,o) PassayaDrs work was originally published 10
n two volumes, in German. A third volume app
Il 1893 new edition came out IN ISiO, and was Q
ated into French and Published In Paris, edited ~
yelLknown Paul Iaorolr. one or the busiest o. n
,oniGmakers. and one OF the most eminent q :
Tho present volume l. lopulF
ummary, containing quito ms much ~ most sus
sill care 70 learn about Raphael. inolGding The o.
criptions OF all his known paintings. ;ss whot .
10 imperial syo pages. Twenty perrDanens pseesr'
~ Woodbury. process are given u the iEosi eer''
u Raphaers masterpieces In his different s'yles 40
ieal 81 this sort OF work has appeared winch ts9@
Jut satisfactory hut these illustrations ara oile
Productions reduced scale OF tho onega'ip' 81
themselves exceedingly we'll finished. There urra'
the eDrayings are not costly deefs'.'
WHOM thus volume Offers tho opportunity 81 Hsl
Raphael, and getting IN eornpendiou. way an -
notion cf some Of his great cbnracteristcs. resu'
ION Of PassavaUts tsxt IL at times little SIN ~
iiomatic, but on the whole seems accurate eSh .
bic. AZ q specimen OF book making ihe 'VA"'
delight to tho eye. Type, paper, and prnths ~
EXQUISITE, as the work OF tue Chisyiyk pres o0g' .
and almost always 10; for among Amateurs . -