The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-01-31
BUY ALL THE GODS
Light Literature Hasn't Extin-
guished Love for Mythology.
BIG SALE OF BULLFINCH'S BOOK
Including Other Lighter
Works.

Literary folks who still retain an af-
lection for the classics in an age which
features Mr.. Dooley" and gables
in Slang" will be interested IN
knowing that the rising generation is not
unanimous in the pursuit Of false gods
This is proved by the big returns from
sale OF Bullfnch's Age of Fable. or
large department stores Of the city.
The original price Of this standard work
on the ancient gods and goddesses OF
early Greece was $3.50. and many editions
were exhausted at that figure. But OF late
years, such have been the encroachments
Of light literature, that the price has been
cut to the bone. until now the work is
offered for so cents, which is less than
cost.
A great many copies have sold at this
price, although the manager of the book
department says the number is far below
what it would have been a few years ago.
The book is sought chiefly by students Of
classical literature and those who wish
to become familiar with polite learning.
The necessity for knowledge Of these
old heather deities must be apparent to
any one who has glanced through the
works of the worlds great poets. The
poetry Of Shakspere, Byron, Dryden, Mil
ton, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Campbell,
Longfellow, Bryant,-the list is longs
rife with NEUROLOGICAL illusions ana
images. Indeed, it is not an exaggeration
to say that an acquaintance with the
Greek gods and goddesses is indispensable
to a proper appreciation OF the innumer-
able passages in the pages of clas-
sic writers. When, for example,
>shakspere speaks of Hyperion 3
curls, the front OF Jove himself"
in describing Hamlets father, the
reader unfamiliar with Herr Hyperion,
who was the original sun god and father
of the Sun, Moon and Dawn, is at disad-
vantage for the reason that he doesn't
know what the bard is driving at Again,
when Shelley unbosoms himself about
Prometheus, who was bound to rock as
all learned readers know, and makes that
wretched god exclaim, "No change,
no pause, no peace, yet I endure, the
man of little learning is handicapped In
another spot.
And, then Venus and Apollo. What
visions of love and beauty are conjured
lions Of Greek mythology. OF Psyche.
goddess of the soul, not "Pish.' as a
siciety woman called her the other day
when seking information relative to that
mortal. OF Mercury, the feet-footec
youth with wings on his feet whose foil,
for theatrical purposes, has ever been the
district messenger boy
instances mlSnC0 De dupllCdLeu WALuOuI
number of the urgent necessity for a full
and accurate knowledge of Mr.. Bull
fnchs great work. How shall a school
boy or girl learn about Pandora and that
box of reptiles, of Mr.. Pan who dwelt
in Arcadia and was an authority on focks
and shepherds, of Pomona who presided
over fruits and flowers, OF Janus, porter
of heaven, who opens the year and has
its first month named after him; OF Juno.
that big, fine COOKER much affected by
poets in describing large specimens OF
womanhood; of Atlas, who 'held up the
world, but whose marvellous feat has been
so immeasureably outdone by J. Pierpont
Morgan and other community of inter-
est, gentlemen that is no longer excites
admiration, unless they are up to snuff
on Mr.. Bullfnch's book?
A great many copies have I been taken
during the sale by university students and
high school boys and girls, although the
old readers who like Mr.. Hardcastle, love
things because they are old, are generous
purchasers.