Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-02-12
WHAT AND HOW TO READ.
Suggestions by Librarian Saunders, of
the Astor Library.

From the New York Independent.
The number Of books already published is
so great and the increase is SO constant that
it is not surprising young students Of litera-
ture seek advice on the subject Of how and
what to read. In round numbers I suppose
there are about 25, 900 new books published in
the world each year. A single library in Paris
is said to represent about 10000 acres Of
printed paper. The British museum has
nearly the same amount, and its book shelves
would stretch a distance of nearly forty miles.
De Quincy, in his day, said it would take one
over 1000 years to read through either of these
two libraries should he do nothing but read
In the midst of this literary superabundance
most readers will be glad to learn, on the au-
thority of Emerson. that not more than six of
the 25, 900 books published each year are really
worth reading. Readers will also draw conso-
lation from the thought that the more books
there are published the greater is the need for
COMBINATIONS and epitomes, and that excel
lent books of that class are from time to time
being published in science, history and biog
raphy.
cannot nope TO offer any new suggestions
on this important and interesting subject.
Some valuable guide-books to courses of study
and general knowledge have been written by
very competent men, and l can do but little
more than emphasize some of the wise sugges-
tions they have made. The best books that
have been written on this subject are in nv
opinion, the Rev. DR.. Noah Porter's, Perkins.
Wheatley's and Carlyle's address before the
students at the Edinburgh university. Py-
croft's Course of English Reading" published
in 1850, was one of the first books Of this kind
and is still one of the best Potter's Hand
book for Readers and Students" published by
the Harpers in 1853, is another guide to good
reading which was very popular in its day.
There are certain famous books which all
well-informed persons are presumed to have
read. Lists of such books have been given by
the different writers on the ubject of reading:
il will be interesting to reproduce some of
them. Emerson classes as favorites: Froissarts
Chronicles" Southey's Chronicle of the
Cid" Cervantes. Sully's Memoirs Rabelais,
Montague. Izaak Walton. Evelyn. Sir Thomas
Browne. Aubrey. Sterne. Horace Walpole Lord
CLARENDON. Doctor Johnson, Burke. Lamb,
Lander and De Quincy. Among the best
books me names certain autobiographies. as st.
Augustine's Confessions" Benvenuto Cellihis
Life" Lord Herbert's Memoirs. Memoirs
OF The Cardinal de Retz." Rousseau's Confess
sions." Linneus Diary" Gibbons, Hume's,
Franklin's, Burns. Alfieri's, Goethe's and Hay
dons autobographies.
Pycroft's list includes ':IEsop's Fables" 1.-THE
Arabian Nights. Robinson Crusoe." most of
the Waverley novels and plays of Shakespeare:
Don Quixote," "Gil Bias Pilgrims Pm
gress, The Vicar of Wakefield" Goldsmith
Deserted Village" Gray's '.Elegy" the voy.
ages of Captains Cook and Parry, Basil Halls
travels, Southey's Life of Nelson" ..Gulli-
vers Travels. SCOTS Tales of a Grandfather"
JoEnson's ''Rasselas," and Boswelrs Life of
Johnson"
The young reader need scarcely be told that
he must not get into the habit of desultory read
ing. Pycroft in the preface to his book already
mentioned. speaks of young lady who de-
voted third part of her time to reading Rus
sells Modern Europe" which she read at the
rate of not less than fifteen pages an hour and
sometimes more. Mr.. Pycroft asked her what
satisfaction this method of reading gave her.
and she told him she was happy in the thought
that she did her duty; that she kept her reso-
luton; that she read much as her friends;
that continually fewer histories remained to be
read and that she hoped one day to excel in lite
nature. know a young man Who actuated by
similar motives. read the "Encyclopedia
Americans" through in the same painstaking
way.
Reading according to mere mechanical rule
of hours and pages can never be of much adj
vantage. The student should be systematic in
his method of acquiring knowledge. but. above
all things. he should be interested in what he
reads, as Shakespeare says:
NO profit goes where is 10 pleasure ta'en:
In brief SIR. study what you most affect"
Old DIR. Johnson's advice was to read the
books you honestly felt Il wish and curiosity to
read. The fact that You desire to read a Ger
tain book indicates that you are likely to get
good out OF it, Our wishes are presentiments
of our capabilities"