Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-10-22
ii.ss.s
|. LITERATURE AND LIFE. !
A. j.. N.


a. ). \. +
.
Reports tro..l the bookdealers and Ii
brarians in twenty-four of the leading
cities are combined into two lists OF thtr-
ty books each having the widest popu-
larity fer the months of August and
September.
From study of these lists we End the
Crisis" (Winston Churchill's last noveD
the most popular book, leading every in
dividual list in each.
This proves nothing as to the real
merit of the work; indeed. it is scarcely
fair test of popularity to place the lat
est book alongside of fiction published
earlier by several months. Our expert
ence with public libraries is that the
latest fiction is always, provided 1t has
been well advertised, the most largely in
demand until it has been read and Curl
osity gratified.
After the Crisis" are the following
five most popular books appearing
among the first twelve on each list:
The Helmet of Navarro" (Runkle)
"Trouth Dexter (IcCal), Visits of
Elizabeth" (Glyn). Like Another Hell
en- (1orton) and "A Sailors Log" (Tv-
ans).
The total number appearing on both
Ilists-librarian's and booksellers - is
thirteen. There are three books not fic-
ton on the dealers list-"Sailor's Log, :"
Sea Beach at Ebb Tide" (Arnold), and
up from Slavery" (Worthington), and
four books not fiction on the librarians
list Sailors Log, up from Slavery"
Life of Phillips Brooks" (Allen), and
Life and Letters Of Huxley
49,
The wise old sage who said, "Of the
making of books there is no end and
much study (reading) is a WEAKNESS to
the flesh" must have been book re-
viewer, for the latter more than any
other class of readers is to be pitied. The
general reader who voluntarily under
takes to read all the new fiction at the
risk of mental collapse deserves no sym
pathy, but the unfortunate wretch who
is hired for that sort of job and is COM
PEELED to wade thru the endless supply.
OF fiction, whether or no, deserves the
utmost pity and consideration. A dis
| tressed but Industrious reviewer who
tried to keep up with the procession for
one month announces that no less than
lightweight historic romances appeared
for the month. of April. Think of 1t!
Three novels per day for the paid read
er! And then he has covered only the
fiction department of literature and but
one branch Of that. Here is subject
worthy of the humane society. Surely
Ii the production of books continues at
Its present rate we shall have to build
sanitarinms to restore the shattered
nerves Of the reviewers.
Among this mass Of fiction dumped on
the suffering public, what proportion of
It is worthy of the readers time? It
avails little to appeal to the critics, for
the authorities differ. The "commenta-
tor" in the Book World tells us there
are more good books being written,
printed and sold now than at any other
period of the worlds history" While
this may be true, there is no denying
there are also more trashy and worthless
books issued from the press than ever
before.
Another critic says "the trend of liter
airy productions In America partakes of
the spirit OF the times, and is almost
purely commercial in its purpose, char
acter and advertising. The authors are
not of the first rank and many Of them
of no rank at all SO far as past success
is concerned. yet by skillful advertising
Il furore is started for mechanically con-
structed books by which both author
and publisher reap large profits"
|
One thing is certain, we may safely
charge the authors and bookmakers OF
today as imitators. An author makes a
hit in some special direction to which his
genius inclines him. Strajghtway his
line becomes the fad and books of that
description spring up like mushrooms.
New writer's and old writer's and writer's
great and small all swing into line and
grind out score Of books all patterne j
after the same plan. Thus started the
historic boom. Some years ago Lew
Wallace gave us Ben Hur." 30 far os
editions and financial gains are con-
oerned it was perhaps, one OF the most
successful novels ever launched. Then
| for an interval historic material for fic-
| ton was ignored all save that relative to
the civil war. which was monopolized
mainly by southern writers, until that
gifted and cultured all-round writer, Dir.
Weir Mitchell, gave us in Hugh Wynn
a novel of revolutionary days. Imme-
diately the deluge began. There poured
in upon us Richard Carvel," When
Knighthood Was IN Flower, ITO Have
and to Hold" I'm the Palace of the
King THE Cardinals snuffbox. " Red
Robes" Janice Meredith" THE Hell
met of Navarro this class finally
reaching its high-water mark with the
production Of eighty-eight in a single
month!
Critics tell US the historic romance is
fads to take it's place. One of the most
popular fads crowding the former to the
wall is the Yankee character sketch.
David Harum" is followed by "Eben.
Holden, Ralph Marlowe,'' "Uncle
Lew Quincy Adams Sawyer. and
"Old Browns Legacy mere begin-
ming which in few months will be able
to maketan equal showing with the his
toric novel.
In the race with these fads is the cor
respondence craze, of which love letters
take the lead. Every scribbler is now
trying to coin his heart throbs or some
ether love throes into dollars, and woe to
the unlikely wight who spares from Gre
nation his "lovey- dovey" effusions of
by gone days!
The epistolary deluge is well on the.
way. with the promise of more to follow.
Beginning with the Love Letters of an
Englishwoman" we have that clever sa-
- xagYyt.i. T. -