The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1889-08-16
POPULAR BOOKS.
II Is impossible to Tell why Some Books
Fail and Others Succeed.


Fail and Others Succeed.
1t would probably furnish the ma
terial for not little amusement if the
readers of the popular books of the
day were forced to tell exactly what
they thought of them, why they liked
or disliked them, and what they
regard rs their strongest aud their
weakest points. In the majority of
eases it would doubtless be found that
the readers Of the class of literature
generally known as popular have
never taken the trouble of defining to
themselves what they do think con
corning what they read, and it is not
unlikely that in many cases the hu-
initiating discovery might be made
that they had no thoughts with which
TO acquaint themselves or anybody
else.
IL is truth so trite that one has TO
apologize for mentioning it that the
people in general do not think at all,
and it is at best into the class of NOR
tails who think they think that the
majority of mankind must be put
Thi is. however, very much Il matter
of education. The world over, it has
always been the danger Of educational
systems that they would substitute the
easier trick of teaching facts for the
legitimate end Of education than Of
teaching pupils TO think. 1t is so easy
To induce students to take up with
scraps and remnants of other peoples
wisdom, Herewith to conglomcrate
for themselves shell after the man
ner of the caddis worm of our brooks,
that everywhere we see this done, and
the real aim of instruction entirely
neglected.
All this, however, is only indirectly
connected with the reasons why pop
ular novels are popular. The causes in
many cases really seem past all find
ing out. OF novels like "Assur Ii
gleth" it is easy to see that the
mingling of sentiment and theology
was the fetching thing; of There" it
is evident that the secret lay in its un-
adulter,icd sensationalism; "Cupid's
Back ;i'lor" was evidently popular
simply because its nastiness got it
talked about; and so on for others.
There still remain many Of the books
which sell most largely, in which one
sees no reason for second glance,
which yet achieve popularity that if
brief is most astonishingly wide. They
seem to have all the faults that book
can have, and even not infrequently
to add that browning, objectionable
sin of being dull, and yet there is the
publishers account with the author
giving statements, backed up by the
irrefutable testimony of q check
for royalties, showing that they sell in
multitudes.
Even the experts cannot tell why
such and such a book succeeds and
such and such book fails. Of many
book they can with certainty predict
the fate, but the phenomenal works
are apt to prove too much for their
sagacity. II have been in the pub
fishing business twenty-five years, "
a publisher said recently, land can
not tell now what makes book sell
and what makes it fail" The mystery
is hidden; and yet it would seem that
each individual should at least be able
to tell how the book has affected him.
To collect these opinions and there
from deduce the principle underlying
popularity is not possible, but it will
at least tend to the improvement of
the individual mind to studiously ex-
anime ones sensations over these pop
ular works with view of coming at
the truth; and who can tell how soon
one of the people who make popular
books popular may haply by self ex-
animation discover the secret, and be
able to disclose it to curious and
waiting world.-Boston Courier.