The Washington times., 1901-11-24
THE MOST READ
BOOKS In FRANCE.
English Writers Of Today In
Known Across the Channel.
DEMAND FOR zoLA's WORKS
Dickens and Scott Standard Favor
ties With the French-Hnrd to
Translate the First Named-HaH
Caine and Marie CoreIii Unhcard of

A reporter had an interesting conversa-
tion the other day @ith one of the officials
of the house of Fiammarion, the we'll
known Paris publisher ard bookseller. oi
all authors, alive and dead, foreign and
native, Guy de Maupassant is, according
to this authority. the most popular in
France. All his books sell steadily, and
moreover. De Maupassant is the obvious
inspirer of the successful school of mod
ern French noyeiists. Sentiment-the
sentiment of De Maupassant-is the key
note of their work-perhaps one might
/ use stronger phase and describe 1t as
"unwholesome sentimentality" without
| injustice.
| 1t was curious to note in talking to this
tleman that the most popular English noy-
elists of the day--Marie Corelli. Hall
Caine, S. Il. Crockett, and SO on-were
hardly even names to him. Similarly the
French writer's with the greatest vogue
just now, such as Pierre Louys. the au-
| thor of LES Aventures du Roi Pausole,' -
| now in Its sixteenth thousand; Jean Lom-
bard, the author of "Byzance," and
Michael Corday. whose novel, Venus. on
les deux Risques." has been one OF the
most discussed books of the year, arc
quite unknown here. The fact is. Of
course, that to gain international celeb
rity. writer has to have a great deal
more than mere average ephemeral abil-
ity.
Zoin and the Elder Dumas.
Alexander Dumas pere still holds the
suffrages of the French, and thousands OF
his books sell every year. 1t would be
difficult to arrive at any exact inforna-
tion, but 1t would seem likely that. reck-
ching the immense sales of Dumas in Eng
land, America and the Continent outside
France. he must be read more than any
author who ever wrote. --a'-~- ss-
There is a great demand for 2ola, de-
spite his Dreyfrsard tendencies, particu-
la.ly for his earlier works. Alphonse Dau-
det sells as do. of course, the living
French authors we'll known on this eide
cf the channel-Pierre Lott, Cyp. ard
Paul Bourget. There is popular twenty
fiye-centimes-a volume edition of Moliere
which goes fairly well, but our informant
a public in France either for classic liter
ature or for what may be called fine
reading OF any sort. THE French" he
said, like love stories first of all and
afterwards memoirs, snd they care for
little else"
Marie Bashkirtseff's last collection of
letters and Dreyfus' "Cinq Annes de Ma
Vie have both been comparative failures,
and for the same reason, that the general
N hnt THAR. .narSanaltftnl has
very largely decreased. On the other
hand, :. literal translation of THE Arabian
Nights" by DR.. Mandrus. now veing issued
in fifteen volumes at six francs Sl-2o1
volume, is selling readily.
Cheap English Novels.
English novels are mostly known to the
French public as a cheap and handy red
covered edition issued by the house of
Hachette. Dickens and Scott are the two
most popular writer's, and various book
sellers differ as 10 which is most popu-
lar Dickens. OF course, suffers most in
translation, and his humor and his char
acters are so absolutely "Cockney" that il
is difficult to quite understand how
French rea:ers comprehend him at ALL A
Paris newspaper published recently COL
umn of Wellerisms, and the collection
could hardly have increased Dickens rep
utation as a VIII. To put Dickens into
French is as difficult as TO put Rostand
into English.
Thackcray has a certain sale. and Ouida
is also in demand. By far the most poPa-
lar recent English book is, however, Au-
gustin Fflons admirable translation of
Lord Rosehery's Napoleon: The Last
Phase" large numbers of whien are TO be
seen in all the principal booksellers
shops. ''Quo Vadis 2" is in something like
its 3e0th French, edition, and copies of 1t
in German, Spanish. and English are on
sale together in some of the cosmopolitan
Paris shops.
The French novelist usually receives
financial results for his work.
Nearly every French newspaper publishes
a serial story, and almost every. story
good, bad, or indifferent-frst sees the |
light in this way. The prices vary, but |
as the feuilleton is by far the most i'm |
portaEt part of the average newspaper,
papers of the stamp of lie Figaro" pay |
at considerably higher rate than is |
common in England.
The story is then published in the usual |
paper covers at francs SO centimes go |
cents), the author receiving a royalty va |
rying from 90 centimes to so centimes 90 |
TO 16 cents). the price paid TO Paul Bour-
get on each volume. If story is a popu-
lar success after it has passed through I
several editions it is issued in penny [
numbers, and it will also probably appear
IN feuilleton form in half dozen of the
less important metropolitan and provin- |
'ial papers. The author has, therefore, |
our separate ways Of deriving income |
rom his work. 7s.pqee
Poorly Paid Writers.
1t is interesting to add that though
lovel writing is we'll paid in France, jour
ialism is by no means lucrative calling
n that country. 1t is, a truism that the
literary style of the French newspaper is
VI an extremely high average of excel
ence. The article has till quite recently
'een with the serial the feature of the
)aper, but for some reason the earnings
If the journalist are much less than they
ire in England or America. This, of |
course. does not refer to writer's like NJ. L
Jornely. whose personal. popularity equals
! novclists, or to the famous and noto-
,ious political publicists.
Recently, it should be added, tie French
Ire discovering that a newspaper should
contain news, and lie Matin,'. which gets
IN admirable news service from London,
5 rapidly gaining the leading place as
'egards circulation among its contempo-
Mail