The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-12-26
sEArTLE. WEDNESDAY, DEC. 20.
Concerning the Twenty-Five Bes'
I'd Books.

Concerning the Twenty-Five PEST
Books.
A correspondent asks us to give list
Of what are considered the best twenty
I'VE works OF fiction published In the Eng
lish language.
The question Is an interesting one but
d categorical reply Is an impossihlity as
our correspondent will see II he reflects
for n moment. The standard OF taste in
literature, as In other matters. is decided
by the Judgments OF those best qualified
through nature and training to pronounce
opinion upon the question at issue; that
is, to employ the phrase which has crys-
taIlixed into set form. by "the consensus
OF the competent
But the judgments of the competent are
not conveniently registered for our Pc
r,isal. Occasionally some journal takes
up similar question and gets as many
answers as possible from the cultivated
people within its reach ''The Best Twen-
ty Books" without reference to style OF
composition. was the subject OF such an
Inquiry some dozen years ago; a little
later lists OF "The Best Hundred Books"
appeared In many periodicals. Last sum-
mer the question of what ten books
would you choose as companions on
desert island" was widely circulated ami
L. .,<.1
The only way. of course, of arriving at
nm approximately absolute list would be
TO secure very large numbers OF indl-
xidual answers from representatives .peo-
ple and select from these individual lists
the required number OF books, taking
those which appeared with the greatest
frequency.
Even 80, one could not rely upon the
result as inal For there Is no subject
upon which people may differ so much
and so lesiiimately as upon the merits OF
a work OF fiction, The one point upon
which all English-speaking readers would
probably agree Is that the works OF ne
ton OF WI Shakespeare Tor, II confined to
one representative play, "Hamlet) should
head the list The classic historical novel,
which still remains far ahead OF all It's
later competitors, Is Thackeray's Henry
Esmond." II would probably SO upon the
lists Of all wel-raad people IL the part
a novel plays in iniueneing thought and
shaping action IL to be considered. "uncie
Toms Cabin could not be omitted For
psychological insight. wilt, pathos SINGER
lily ana human feeling, "Middlemarch''
and "rhe Min on the Floss are pre-eml,
ncnt.- n IS prohable~ that the critics or
nifty years hence viii rank David Grieve"
beside these books because % It's pro-
found actuallty and It's passionate
strength. but this a. Judgment from
which there would he many dssentiani
voices a great many people would con
slider David copperheldn certainly Dick
ems rinest and most human work. emitted
TO consideration, but it Is quite certain
that Mr. Howeils would no, willingly ao-
cord a place fTom Jones'" thar favor-
i,e Of the last century. with its wit, us
s,inglng satire, and It's coarse vein OF raw
humanity - considered today hy very
large numhef OF reading men as the best
newell ever written; but It Is far from be-
Ing universal favosise with cultivated
readers
Mrs, people rad ~ English two books
Which arc certainly amens the worlds
tcst twen,y-ave novels though per-
hays sbe gogm Of our .carrespon-
denrs auesslon would exclude their
presence on mis- list. Don Quixete.r
namely. ana The rhree Musketeers.r IN
the novel Of mannsr' Miss Austen never
has becn ana prnoaely never VIII be equal
I'd. and yet there are pefsons OF pre-
sump,iye good taste lannon's thcm is AIR,
W l., Alden, tue London correspondent,
Of the New York Times saturday Review
SO whom The peerless Emma Inv aaor
aele Mansfield Park, Inc wonderful
pride aaa Prejudice" arr dull and par
roseicss things thar q simply il smpossl.
HE 90 read A much larger Number q
people are Rnaeie 20 comprehend way
The Awkward Age" Is AR Henry
James should exist a, all but 20 a small
and highly competent circle Il represents
TIE novel of the future, and IS. IN itself.
enc Of the most difficult and astonishing
~ possible feats Of the novelist's arr
foe's tales are aaeauaied after their kind
aud one Of Haw,norne's novels would be