The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-03-30

ana ten buyers OF books to one of twenty
years ago. This, of course, makes il all
the more important that those upon
whose shoulders rests the burden of sun
plying new books to the world should NOT
take that burden lightly. Public taste is
improving every day with the wonderful
facilities for reading, and it is constant
ly demanding higher things from the nov
elists. 1T makes the critics responsible
too, if they would only realize their re-
sponsibility. 1t is a sad fact, however
that the average criticism today is moth
ing more nor less than an advance adyen-
tisement.
"And do you believe that all this adver-
tisement pays?"
! by no means. Observation will prove
that. 1t is amusing to ride in a street car
facing a brilliant colored advertisement
of a new book, to be unable to pass a
square of board fence without coming
! upon the same glaring announcement of
the same book, to find the same picture
and the same cry facing one in ones
morning paper, and then suddenly, after
the publishers have ceased pushing the
book, to look and listen in vain for a
single sign that it ever existed. The real
books will live by their own vitality. and
/ don't believe that any amount of vel
low advertising can make an unworthy
one live after the publishers have taken
down their placards,
"And what are the real books?'"
"They are, it seems to me, the books
of men and manners, those in which the
real life of any time or any place is faith
fully presented, those whose characters
square with human nature. Sir Roger de
Coverley, for instance, will never die He
was a sign of his times; the book was a
picture of the age Now, there was a real
novel!
There is so much in that word novel.
And there is vast difference between a
novel ana a story. Today the world gets
great many stories which it calls nov
els The difference between the two does
not consist in length it consists in the
authors substance, in the breadth Of the
current of his thought, in his purpose.
1t is like this" and Mr.. Page held a
small glass up to the window. when one
holds up a small looking glass one gets a
small view. What he sees is much more
clearly and prominently shown than it
would be in a larger mirror. but when he
holds up a great, broad mirror he gets
more perspective and a broader, wider
view. When the author holds up the
large mirror to life and takes in many
things he writes a novel; when he holds
up the small mirror he produces a story.
Some good stories, like those of the Bible
or of the old fable writer's, live; all good
novels live.
at is a fashion, | know, to fling sar-
casm at the historical novel of today,
but l think it has done a wonderful
amount of good. 1t came into vogue
just when the French school was gaining
hold on the American reading public.
The so called problem novel was begin
ming to have it's insidious and demoraliz-
ing effect. Along came the breezy, health
full, romantic historical novel, cleansing
the atmosphere, strengthening the sudden
historical impulse, and turning AmeFi-
can taste into wonderfully clean and
healthy channels. With this good start.
! believe the American taste in literature
will always remain clean and pure.
"Of course, there are a great many at
tempts at historical novels written to-
day, faint echoes, which are no more like
real historical novels, either as to history
or literary quality, than the puppet kings
and queens in a cheap melodrama are
like real sovereigns. They are neither
history nor novels; but these will die out
when the fad does, leaving the real novels
like Hugh Wynn as our standard. "a
Mr.. Page pursues an entirely unique
method of writing. He does not, like so
many authors today, sit down and map
out his plot as an architect would draw
= IN ifa a.ha
ter by chapter without definite aim.
Il think the best results may be OBJ
tained,'' he said, "by choosing your time,
your place, your conditions, and your
characters, and allowing the story to de-
velop from these as you proceed. Often
the author will find himself very much
surprised at the outcome of his work. His
heroine will marry totally different
fellow from the one he had intended for
her, or his hero may turn out no hero at
all; but the results will ring true"
What is the best length for novel?
This is a vital question which is today
agitating the publishers, the bulk of
whose fortunes are made from the sue
cessful novels. To the uninitiated it may
appear an unimportant matter, matter
to be settled by each novelist for him
self. This, however, is a great mistake
There is no question which will rouse an
author or a publisher to greater interest
or more vehement discussion. And the re-
markable part of it all is that. while each
writer and publisher seems to be thor
oughly convinced and positive in his
IDEAS no two think alike.
THE longest novels have the longest
lives" said Thomas Nelson Page decisive
ly How can a writer picture life in all
its phases, its depth and breadth, in a
short novel, where there is room for moth
ing but the story? Besides, the public
want long books. They do not feel like
paying a high price for book which
they can go home and finish in half an
hour They want something more for
their money. A reader will buy a short
book finish it, stick it in his bookcase,
and forget all about it. He knows the
story in it and it contains nothing else.
A long book he will take down again
and again to re-read it's thoughts and it's
descriptions and to renew acquaintance
with its characters. 1t contains picture
of life which he can look at many times.
The great books are invariably the long
ones