The herald., 1898-01-09
BOOKS AND THEIR MAKERS
edited by Enoch Knight.)

edited by Enoch Knight.)
II am not in the habit of grudgine
people their good things" said Words
worth to Crabb Robinson, "but wish
had written those lines" and he quoted
the last stanza of Mrs. Barbauld's
Address to Life:
"LifeI we've been long together
Through pleasant and through CLOUDY
weather:
IT'S hard to part when friends are dear
Perhaps twill cost a sigh. tear;
Then steal away give little warning:
Choose thine own time;
Say not good night, but in some brighter
CLINE,
Bid me good morning."
The Early Life of Wadsworth.
The six books which have sold best in
order Of demand during the last month
are: "Quo Vadis," 1.-THE Choir Invis-
ible," "The Christian" "Hugh Wynne,"
Captains Courageous" 'In Kedar's
Tents" In Los Angeles the six which
have sold best are given in their order
below: Hugh Wynne," 1.-THE Choir In
visible" "The Christian" "Quo Vadis,' -
captains Courageous" SOLDIERS of
Fortune"
For season after the recent flood of
publications the making and selling
of books will fall off, and we can well
aHord to have a rest, a long and a
thoughtful one. The reviewer has been
busy In the work of trying to tell the
reader what was best out of all the mass
of new and old publications rushed out
for the late autumn, and especially the
holiday trade. 1t has not been so much
his business to pick out and warn against
the bad books as 1t has to point to really
good ones, and thus aid the public in it's
always rather difficult task, the selecting
of worthy winter reading for the family.
That there has been tremendous flood
of Unpopular literature let in upon us
these last few months is too plain to be
questioned.
Often in speaking of the fact that books
these latter days have become merchan-
disc. almost like any other production,
we have urged the reader not to feel
obliged to read all new books an author
may write, but to be content to read the
earlier ones and wait to see how the
later ones turn out This is put, first, on
the ground that most authors put their
best thoughts into their first work. The
style may improve, but the thoughts, as
to force and freshness, do not improve
with age, as a rule. Secondly, the mod
ern author who has made a success with
one book Is not content to take time to
write another, but rushes off new work
under the spur of favorable contract
with publisher. and the quality is pref
ty sure to deterorate.
So, again we say that it is bad busi-
ness to insist upon buying and reading
everything the modern novelist turns
out. We should get only his best, and
turn to another source for really profit
able reading. In this way we are able
to discriminate and to save ourselves
much loss and disappointment.
In England 1t is said that only George
Meredith, George Moore and Thomas
Hardy are wise and self-respecting
enough to refuse to turn out books to
order. We think, however, that Mr.,
Blackmore should be added to this list.
A few examples pointed out by Mr.. Peck
in a recent article will illustrate what
We mean by the caution we have given.
of "Trilby," has proved dismal failure.
The dealers cannot get rid of their pur-
chases at any price. Mr.. w. E. Norris
Is another writer who is now producing
nothing worthy ofhis first novels. Crock
EFT, too, is another example of writer
who is overdrawing his account with
readers. On the strength of his early
success, he has now made contracts that
ic - orir
typewriter, only to turn out common
place, machine-made work that is al
ready discredited. Hall Caine and all the
rest of the new crowd are rushing down
the broad way, to great loss to them
selves and the destruction of a self
respecting literary pride and standard
AS furtherillustratio of how literature
is being debased. we copy the following
from New York letter to the Literary
World:
while calling on an editor in a news-
paper office recently, a man of perhaps
30, who was lnadly producing COPY at a
desk in the next room, was pointed out
to me. that's the author of three of the
most popular novels in the language
said the editor, and when asked his
name was told that he wrote under
woman's name, which I recognized at
once and which is, indeed, known wher-
ever sensational English fiction is sold.
DO you mean. said, that there is no
woman of that name; that 1t is that
mans pseudonym?' The editor smiled
mysteriously and replied: There isn't
any such woman, and the name belongs
to no writer in particular. 1t was in
vented, and it is owned by firm of pub
fishers who engage hack writer's for
comparatively small sums to turn out
sensational novels. They have brought
these out under the same name for
number of years, and it has, of course,
acquired great trade value. Any novel
with that name attached to 1t is sure to |
sell, and the publishers are in this way
practically able to keep a popular au-
thor on their list and to pay him at the |
rate they would pay beginner!'
This is almost incredible to the gem
eral reader, but the tendency which we
have pointed out is very plain to anyone
who keeps the run of books; and it is |
something that should be taken into ac-
count and treated as very serious mat
ter. The remedy for this all lies with |
the critics and the great reading public. |
4
THE VOICE OF THE VALLEY. By
Yone Noguchi. William Doxey.