The Helena independent., 1893-12-28


ness it is to know what the reading public
wants, {. mistake 1t would probably be
found, if very complete investigation
could be made, that the book which is tho
greatest favorito with all classes is not
"Coppertield," but 1.-The Count Of Monte
Cristo."
A visit to some of the dealers in second
hand books in New York resulted in get
ting from them the opinion that, next to
the Bible and Webster's spelling book,
there has been printed in English transla-
tion and sold more copies of "Monte Cristo"
than of any other book delivered from Eng
lsh or American presses. The number of
cheap editions of Monte Cristo' is quite
large, and some of them have sold more
than 250, ,0CO copies. One publisher esti-
mates that there have been sold in the
United States, since Monte Cristo'' was
first published in English, more than 2,000,-
0OO copies. OF course nearly all of these
were cheap, paper covered books, yet Dick
ems Thackeray, Cooper and Charles Reade
have also been published in paper cover and
offered at the same price as Monte Cristo."
but with nothing like the sale that superb
romance met with.
1t is interesting to know that notwith-
standing the attempts of Mr.. Howells and
others to create new and realistic school
the American reading public still prefers
Dumas, Dickens and Reade. So greatly has
Dumas popularity grown that Boston
publisher is now preparing to issue n COM
plete set of his romances, including eight
that have never before been translated into
English, and it was professor of Column
bia college who said when he heard of their
proposed publication, What will Howells
L.. e.
mas death an American publisher brings
out his entire works because the American
public wants them?"
Dumas "Three Guardsmen' has a pop
ularity almost as great as that which
"Monte Cristo" has gained Not so many
copies have been sold, although it is prob
able that with the exception of Uncle
Toms Cabin there is no romance written
by an English or American writer which
has had sale comparable with that of
"The Three Guardsmen."
This popularity is not confined to the
class that is not distinctively literary Two
years ago an extraordinary edition of some
OF Dumas romances was published in New
York. The number of copies was limited
to 1000. The books were illustrated by
the ablest French artists and the edition
sold for $3.50 a set, the whole edition bring
ing s15O,O00 1t sold readily, though of
course entirely by subscription. None but
persons of wealth and scholarly habit could
afford to buy it, so that it may be said of
Dumas that more copies of cheap edition
of one of his works and more expensive
copies of another edition of several of his
works were sold than has been the expert
ence of any other writer of fiction. 1t
shows that there are no classes with whom
that great French writer is popular, but
that his works are beloved Of all
There are no extraordinary popular Amer
ican writers of fiction now, if we may be-
lieve the publishers. Mrs Stowe has laid
aside the pen forever. Mrs. Burnett's in
spiration of late seems to have left her, and
her latest story, 1.-The One Knew Best of
All" has had bat D moderate success. Gen
eral Lew Wallace's "Prince OF India" had
large advance sale, but that was due to
the phenomenal success Of "Ben Hur." It
now seems unlikely that the prince of In
dia" will match Ben Hur'' in popularity.
Mark Twain's later stories have not main
tained for him the popularity that he gained
with his first books, and one of them was a
fiat failure in this country, although COM
manding some popularity in Great Britain.
Miss Wilkins is read with pleasure by a
great many persons, although her popular
lty Is not general, and there are many who
wonder why her tales should have caused
: such stir.
Notwithstanding Mr.. Howells' fulsome
praise of Mr.. Fuller's novel, The Cliff
Dwel!ers," it has had no genuine success,
and while Mr. Howells commands the high
est price paid by the managers Of the peri
odicals to any American writer, yet his
books do not command a very large sale,
and there are many who think that pro-
fessed admiration for his works is largely
due to the fact that Mr.. Howells has ex-
quisite command of English when he is
careful, and that he is the fashion.
The most popular Of recent American
publications is, strangely enough, an old
story recently issued in q 25 cent edition,
"The Scarlet Letter." of Nathaniel Haw-
thornc. The sale has been very large.
Robert Louis Stevenson says that the
American who will tell a good old fash
Toned story in the good old way, thinking
less of art and more of the tale, will find
that the American reading public will wei
come him. Il. j. EDWARDS.