New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-02-28
BOOKS AND BUYERS.
HARD TIMES IN THE LONDON BOOK
TRADE-THE COLLAPSE OF LARGE
PAPER OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
London, February 9.

trade New books. II good and suited TO the
market, do very well. hear; with an exception
presently to be mentioned Stanley's Life ran
into second edition within a fortnight; though
published at about IS for the two octave volumes.
Novels are all the more IN demand from the
hardness Of the times They help keep up peo-
pies spirits What are called standard works
continue 10 sell. especially in new editions;
whether the edition be good one. like Dr. Bir1E-
beck HIS Of Bosvell's Johnson a poor one
like Mr. Wheatley's edition OF Pepys's Diary
which THE Athenaeum" praises In its usual I'M
discriminating and uncritical fashion. Mr.. An
drew Langs Border edition Of the Waverley
Novels commands its market. The reaction in
favor Of Scott is at its height. Mr. Lang him
self is popular and Mr. Nimmo is publisher
who has an eye to artistic merit in the printing
and production Of books. There is, perhaps
feeling that Mr. Lang has good many irons
in the fire. and that he Is not in point OF
accuracy fulness. an ideal editor But II you
wait for the ideal editor you generally walt a
long time and meanwhile Mr.. Lang is far
above the average
Messrs Dents reprints Of Charlotte Bronte
and Of Fielding may also be reckoned among the
successes Of the season 1t is. perhaps. mis-
take to keep too long to one groove. nor is there
any reason in the nature Of things why writer's
80 remote from each other Fielding, Frances
Burney Maria Edgeworth, Jane Austen and
Charlotte Bront9 should all be clad in precisely
the uniform. or since they are divided by
broad intervals OF time, wear the same fashion
OF costume. Three of them, at any rate, are
welcome OF Fielding there was no good edition,
mo- certainly not, the cumbersome edition de
luxe" which. in these days, may be had at
almost a nominal price. Nor was there any good
edition of the incompatible Jane Austen. Messrs.
Dents is certainly not a final effort toward the
rerfect form which she deserves. is Mr..
Brinsley johnson a competent guide. Still. the
edition is the best we have. OF Charlotte Bronte
again. no good edition existed, and Charlotte
Bronta has of late begun TO assume her rghtful
position in the world. and to push from their
high stools more than one more pretenuous
rival.
The difficulty with most of these trade en-
terprises is that the publisher thinks more OF
good printing and paper than OF that good ana
judicious and accurate editorial care wnch
classic not of yesterday demands but not always
even Of good paper. In books. as in other things,
much is sacrificed to cheapness. An eminent
librarian has lately lifted up his voice In warn
ing to the publisher, or to the papermaker, or to
both Few modern books he declares. Will live.
This prophecy does not refer to books as
literature, but to books as books. They are
printed on rotten paper. The days when paper
for books was made OF linen rags are over. The
material used is various but almost all bad,
and doomed to early decay This gloomy pros
pect Is not devoid of consolation. since the bad
books will perish with the good. and the num-
Der Of the bad greatly exceeds the good.
Still. If choice is to be made. one would rather
not leave 1t in the hands Of the papermaker.
The exception to the prosperity Of the new
frlv
paper / would not presume to say so except
on the authority Of those concerned in the sale Of
them 1t is upon booksellers evidence that speak
of large-paper editions as. for the most part,
drugs in the market. They no longer sell. II
they are fresh experiments upon the creduous
patience Of a Philistine public. they remain in
the experimental stage. The public has become
less Philistine or less credulou2. and buys
them not, or buys only the few which have
some claim to the distinction of special
papers. and which are published with such
limit Of numbers as to give the pur-
chaser fair chance of expecting that the book
may some day have that kind OF value which
attaches to rarity
Speaking within these limits I may be per-
hnitted to repeat the assurance Of my book
telling friend that the day of largepaper editions
. the phrase has lately been understood by the
publisher. is over When this
or something like this, was said few months
ago the interested publisher. or the interested
bookseller, with stacks Of such wares in his
back shop denied the statement; not without
asperity. Perhaps he will deny 1t again. But,
In the case Of articles on which fictitious price
Is put, and for which an imaginary scarcity is
claimed the test cannot be difficult. If the
price has fallen and the scarce book has ceased
to be scarce, 1t may pretty safely be assumed
that the market is oversupplied, or, which
comes to the same thing, that the demand has
fallen off. 1t may be hard times which has
caused the change; 1t may be the education of
the book-buyer; 1t may be both. I should i'm |
agine that when money became scarce the COM |
mon editions Of common books on large paper |
would be one Of the first things to become |
plentiful. AS for the education Of the book |
fancying public. one Of the first steps in that |
process would result in setting right esi-
mate upon these pretentious tones. cheer
fully admit or II need be. assert there are books
on large paper which are admirable and valu-
able. They have legitimate reason for exist |
ing But. II It be the books of the day which |
are meant. they are as the proverbial grain Of
wheat in the bushel OF chaff.
Sooner or later, the auction room stampI !
their true money value on them. as ON other
books At present. the auction room itself is an |
uncertain indication Of price II price can, In
matters OF dilettanteism, be supposed ever to be
1t is hardly permanent The |
best things maintain their value; the second best
fall with the suddenness OF barometer before
a. heavy gale 1t is. said my book-selling
seemed to be but half aware of the
full force OF his Enthusiastically the really scarce
books which do not go down. And he instanced
as exampleso of what he meant by really scarce the
first edition Of Milton's "Lycdas." OF THE Vicar
Of Wakefield" and of The Complete Angler" No
danger that either OF these will ever become
common. II there be a danger 1t is in the feeble
ness Of the collector. Who would have believed