The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-04-05
IN VERY GAY BINDINGS
SPRING INsTALLMENT OF NEW
BOOKS BEGINS ARRIVING.
Glass of Fiction indianapolis People
Are Buying-The Sale Of "Risky"
Literature.


gay as a collection of Easter millinery The
Indianapolis reading public is capricfous In
its taste, and this year IL mas demanded
something brilliant and gaudy in the way
of bindings The Indianapolis booksellers
have not dared disobey the edict. and as
result the shelves of the leading book stores
are Respondent in bright colors. Especially
is this true of what is called counter
fiction" 1t is said there are more prettily
bound volumes on sale now than ever be-
fore. The styles in bindings are certainly
as dainty and attractive as one could wish,
and the dealers say the contents OF the
books are as bright as their covers.
The manager of big Washington-street
book store says that new books come with
the season. In the spring, when nature Is
putting on its smartest coat, there Is de-
mand for something light and dashing In
the way of reading matter, and the pub
fishers have to supply 1T. Just now there
Is heavy demand for light fiction.
But 1 think the literary taste Of certain
sets Of people has been getting better in the
last few years." said the manager. People
are clamoring for better things in fiction,
think. OF course, there are fads in literary
tastes as we'll as in everything else. Marie
Ccrelli has written a new story called the
Mighty Atom which is having a con-
siderable sale. 1t is popular with the
women, and it is read by people who claim
to know what books are Conan Doyle has
given us new story, too. and 1t is as pop
ular as anything he ever wrote. The title
OF the story is The Adventures of Briga-
der Gerard 1t is remarkable how the
people stick to Doyle. 1t was predicted
when Sherlock Holmes went out of exist
ence that Doyle would soon be a back num-
Der, but the prediction has proved false.
Doyle is as popular to-day as he was in the
palmiest days of the eccentric detective.
The sale OF the Stanley Weyman and An
fhony Hope stories continues without abate-
ment 1t seems that Hope gets more popu-
lar every day, contrary to the assertion of
the critics who said he would fade with the
memory OF the Prisoner of Zenda.' His
new volume of short stories, Comedies of
Courtship,' are being largely read. Then
here's this little book Beside the Bonnie
Brier Bush by Ian McClaren, which can
be bought for a nickel. 1t is read by all
classes of people. Its quaint touches of
nature and pathos that spring up without
any effort the part of the author to
make it pathetic is what makes it popular
with people.
M
There is yet lingering appetite in some
circles for stories of a risky character of
the higher class. Prominent among these is
The Woman Who Did, by Grant Allen. Its
appearance was followed by Thomas Hardys
Jude the Obscure Some one has aptly
termed the last-named story Jude the OBJ
scene These works are not popular by any
means. and are only read by one class. This
no
solely to get the style. We booksellers think
the day for this kind of stuff has passed.
Then there is another class Of literature that
is being rapidly shelved, and that is the old
fashioned romance Of Bertha NJ. Clay, Mrs.
Z. d. n. Southworth Mary j. Holmes and
others. There is large demand at the Il
braries for these stories, but this demand
comes from people Who can't read better
things because Of an inferior mental train
ing. We seldom sell any of these books, ex-
cept to people in the out districts.
ITO the old bookseller it is sad to note
| the passing of the old humorists, such as
Mark Twain and others of his class. Theses
| are gradually giving way to writer's like
| John Kendrick Bangs. There will perhaps
never be time when Roughing It and In
nocents Abroad won't be found on the
shelves of the book store, but they don't sell
| like they used to. .Ben-Hur' continues to
| sell, and has grown to be staple in the
| book line. The Prince of India moves off
| sluggishy, and it must have been dsap-
pointment to General Wallace after the first
| sale. James Whitcomb Riley is as popular
as ever. One of our firm is in the East now,
| and is sending in big orders for Mr.. Riley's
work. There seems to be no diminution in
| the sales. Literary people of the old school
| will regret to learn that there has been a
| decided falling off in the demand for the
| classics in the last few years. Most people
| who buy the works of the old poets these
| days buy them for the library, because they
| think they should occupy a place there. A
| year ago we sold one thousand volumes Of
Macaulays History of England and L will
venture to say that nine out of ten of the
purchasers bought the work because it was
well known and they were supposed to have
| It. 1t wasn't from any particular desire to
brush up history. In the way of maya
zines the better periodicals are giving way
to the cheaper ones. BY the way, here is a
1 story which Eugene Field wrote some time
| before his death. 1t is called The House.
| and Is selling we'll. The story was not pub
| lished until after the death of the author
| Since the death of Mr.. Field the demand for
| his work is increasing.
| TRILBY DEAD SURE ENOUGH.
Tr!lby' is dead and people are sick and
| tired of her. Last week we offered one hum
| dred copies for sale at very low price.
| We succeeded in selling only about forty
copies. The book will always have its fol-
| lowing and may settle down TO steady sale
| after it has recovered from its phenomenal
rum"
The manager says Rudyard Kipling is
| passe and the people have had enough of
| him. His stories, it is claimed, are all alike
and when you have read one OF them you
| have them all.
Its funny the way women run after
| stories with bad morals observed a young
| woman in charge of one of the departments
| of the big store Recently we have received
large shipment of Frances Hodgson Bur-
| nett's latest novel, called "A Lady of Quail
| ity.' Now the moral tone of that book is
worse than Trilby.' The heroine horsewhips
| her father drinks intoxicants and swears
| like a sailor. but the book Is going off like
| hot cakes. When the women want some
| thing bad to- read they never go to the
men clerks, but they always come TO US.
| They are very sly about 1t and act as IL
4 traxr chs ,a1 90 f,ox l.