The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-06-27

chdEdctor Ot thiS single memDer OF the
mob Is well imagined. with dramatic force
and some power Of pathos. and the spoken
dialect Is certainly painstaking and pre-
sumably accurate. MIR. Cranes own dia-
lect is less convincing. This George was
q brown young man who went home
through blue street illuminated with
crimson patches. Within the red and
black tenement his mother. who had
gray face. had placed a lamp on the brown
desert of the table, which its yellow glare
converted into a white garden. Unfor-
tunately George did not stop at home. He
went to saloon, color not specified,
where he drank brown liquor in company
with red-faced men, and in consequence
"fell in a yellow spasm" and saw all sorts
Of colors. Red crabs and green dragons
and other brilliant animals course through
the book and the only disappointment q
that We never see purple cow. II We
ever hope to see one. Mr.. Crane Is the
artist to produc It, That there Is method
in this chromatic madness may be be-
lieved. 1t has served to attract an un-
usual share of attention to Mr.. Crane. And
yet his stories seem strong enough to hold
their own without such variegated affecta-
tion.
-:lI:--
Says the Sun: When publisher Of long
experience-one who was, In fact. born
into the business-was asked what were
the most striking peculiarities Of the mar
ket for literary wares in recent times. he
replied that at present the most marked
feature was the dull sale for books. but
that II the market for the last twelve
or fifteen months were considered its most
interesting feature would be found in the
enormous offerings of fiction from both
known and unknown authors Beginning
late in 1894 there was flood tide of novels
at various lengths and of an infinite var-
ETY. Of subjects, and the tide continued to
swell for at least twelve months and only
within the last few weeks has the number
Of manuscripts offered returned to the
proportions known before the tide set in.
While no census Of writer's could very well
be made even by an association OF pub
fishers. 1t Is reasonable to suppose that
some tens Of thousands Of Americans were
in some way infected with q desire TO
write stories. and did write them, to the
advantage of dealers in paper, pens, and
Ink, and to the advantage of no one else,
unless, indeed, some specially favored pub
Usher had to hire additional readers 20
consider the offerings. An inquiry as to
the cause Of this sudden increase In the
number Of would-be story writer's could
not be answered, either by this publisher
or by others with whom the reporter
talked, in an altogether conclusive man.
ner, but II was supposed to be due In part.
at least to the stories Of the large sums Of
money realized by certain popular writ
ers from the sales of their works-Stories
which were printed in about every news
paper of the land. 1t appeared that the
scribblers. as the publishers called them,
suddenly concluded that novel writing had
money in 1t, and so, since novel writing
was easier physically, at least than
digging clans or harvesting wheat or bal
lasting railroads--moreover. because 1t
would ''sure get a fellows name into the
papers," a great mob dropped their ac-
customed tools for the unfamiliar pen and
went to work. 1t Is an interesting fact
that out Of the host many did really sue
ceed SO far as to get printed and few
did something more. Nor was the increase
in the number Of novel writers confined
to America. Indeed. of the total number
Of offerings, IL relative population be con-
sidered. the far greater proportion came
from the English.
tit
But there was one cause for the flood OF
novels that was entirely aside from the de-
sire for either money or notOriety, and
that was the wide interest aroused In u
considerable class OF readers by the sue
cess. of the stories (which obtained an
ephemeral success chiefly through their
audacity." Reading novels of any sort. 4
IL said. incites to the writing of similar
stories, but apparently those who read
the amorous rot Of the daring writers
became straightway bursting with pent-
up feelings that had to find vent between
paper covers, which were thereafter put
on sale at the news stands with stunning
vfnn nf u
was accurately stated in the annual sum-
mary number Of the Publishers Weekly
covering 1895. The classified table Of book
production for this country printed there
in shows that 1850 new books Of fiction
were printed In 1895. against 573 printed In
1884. Just what proportion Of these novels /
were Of the erOtic class II not stated. but
the erudite editor Of the Weekly says that
"the poor quality Of the novels of the year
was generally noticeable" 1t Is an inter-
esting and at the same time a
somewhat startling fact that a part Of the
extra flood Of novels was made up Of ju-
veniles, as the trade styles the books writ
ten for children and young people, and
that out OF 1.-The overwhelming numbers
offered for sale, scarcely dozen will be
remembered another year."
-::-
How does the demand for light fiction
compare with that for books Of solid
worth" was asked at the headquarters
from which the various railroad and other
news and book stalls obtain their supplies.
I'VE sell about 1900 volumes Of trash to
one OF real educational value. You can
see what the people want II YOU will look
over the displays on the elevated railroad
or any other railroad book stalls about
the city. People who patroniZe us don't
care for anything solid, except as they get
1t in the magazines" II this were all that
could be said Of the demand for printed
books the taste of the Yankee reader
would seem to be in a very bad state. BIT
the truth is that only the worst that may
be said has been given so far. To give a
fairer view Of the matter one need only
refer once more to the statistics furnished
by the Publishers Weekly. In the table
referred to 1t appears that the total num-
ber of new books, including new editions,
printed in 1895. was 1852 OF which 36S were
new editions. or fiction, including IA new
editions, there were Liza books, to which
must be added 3S books of sports and
amusements, 81 OF humor and satire, H5
Of juveniles, and 309 books Of poetry
to complete the list Of lighter literature
or course, many of the juveniles were
Observation-Disclosures, works of religious
instruction. etc.-and so anything but
light reading. but allowing them all to be
classed as light. 1t appears that the whole
light list numbers but 1,S6S. There were
3,6Ol books that were devoted to law, theo-
logy, literary history, political and social
science, history and biography, medicine,
useful arts, travel, and all the other de-
partments Of the book makers ware
houses. And that Is to say that when
American taste is judged by the COM