The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-05-19

Some days ago we called attention to the
great number of English novels announced as
sin press" for speedy publication by Ameri-
can booksellers. Most Of the works contained
in the lists have since appeared in England,
but, so far as we know, not one Of them has
yet appeared in this country. Nor is it i'm
portant that any Of them should appear here
if the English judgment OF their merits is to
be accepted as indicating their worth. Dr.
Dasent, for instance, is man from whom
good work might come, and it was not aston
ishing that our republishers were in great
haste to announce his new novel; but "Half q
Life" proved to be only dull book, after
ALL Then there was another novel ("Con-
quered at Last'O by on anonymous
writer. in which the fun consists in calling
the characters Penelope Spoonful, the Rev.
Boanerges Marlove and Euphrosyne o. Raffies,
but so far the American reader has, happily,
avoided the acquaintance of these people.
Mrs. Ross Church (Florence Marryat) has
written an Demonstrated story called 'tNo In
tentions," also in the American lists, in
which the morality is questionable and the
English slovenly. Then, again, there are the
"Wcbs of Love-" of gossamer texture, and
not worth unravelling. "At Her Mercy" by
the author of 'Lost Sir Massingberd," is
amusing-nothing more. "Gentianella'' is
novel with great deal of yachting in it.
Out of the whole lot of English novels re-
Gently announced in this country, some forty
or fifty in number, 'Johny Ludlow" which
is only series Of tales reprinted together, is
the only book worth reading. There could
be no more satirical commentary than is
found in these facts upon the zeal of our
booksellers in becoming republishers to third
rate English novelists.
In the meantime American literature is
sadly neglected. Some publishers are ready
to bring out any book, no matter how stupid,
if the author is willing to bear all ex-
penses and losses and to claim little or no
share in the profits. It is q worse system even
than the republishing system SO much in
vogue. Taken together the two stife oil M
tive talent Who ever heard of an American
publisher going to one of the bright young
fellows on the press and asking him to write
book? If young man or young woman
writes book nowadays he can scarcely get
so much as hearing from our publishers. A
certain quantity of reputation, on the other
hand, is sufficient for any undertaking. A
venerable poet, but without any fitness for
writing history, is announced to give
us a pictorial history Of the United
States, modelled after Knights pop
ular "History of England Every
body knows or ought to know that the vener.
able poet will write scarcely line of it, that
it will be patchwork production and that
there are hundred young men in this city
alone more capable of doing it than any Of
those named as co-Idbordtears upon the work.
Had one of these unknown but skiltul writer's
gone with such proposition to any of our
eminent publishers the eminent publisher
would have laughed in his face. Nobody can
write books acceptable to American publishers
except "well-known authors and English
novelists who make books for circulating
libraries. The well-known American authors
have been making some sad failures lately, and
the quality of English fiction, to which SO
much importance is attached by our publish
ers, may be judged from the specimens to
which vva 1,o NO ;,,ct o1l,,JaI