The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1902-11-11

these. what ABOUT the annual output
the world? It is given at 10000. our own
country producing 5000, and Germany
%, 900. Our country is new. and the
greater part of the books in Libraries
have been collected in a half century or
so. Here IS a list of the number of vol
umcs in European libraries. which | take
from the New York Saturday Review:
Library No. of Volumes.
Bibliotheque National, Paris......3 3. 900. 600
British Museum, London.......... 2, 600, 000
Imperial Library, St. Petersburg /, 800 900
Royal Library. Berlin. 900 600
Strasburg University, Strasburg.. zoe, 900
Imperial Library, Vienna......... 600, 900
ROYAL Library. Munich........... 5000 Q
Bodleian Library. Oxford ........ 500, 900
Leipsic University. Leipsic ...... 500 600
ROYAL Library. Copenhagen...... SOC. 600
Stuttgart University, Stuttgart... 800 coo
There are at least ten other libraries
in Europe with over 400. 900 volumes and
ten more with over 900, 000. In the United
States there are only three libraries with
over 500, 000-the Library of Congress at
Washington. with 500, 900: the Boston
Public Library, with 600, coo, and Harvard
University Library, with $50, 900. There
arc twenty other libraries with over 600
600
The production of fiction is ovcrWhelm-
ing. The most of the books are trashy
and valueless. The greater part that
have a brief record OF prosperity pass
away in a few weeks Or months, and are
forgotten. There is very little that is
original, and a book of any genius is very
uncommon. The food of production is
very high. and the time spent over the
most Of the supposed best" is time
wasted. No mind can become better
disciplined and informed by reading
transitorv publications and e~phcmeral
stuff. Writing of the current fiction the
editor of the Saturday Review lately said:
AS soon as it gives willfully distorted
views of life it becomes second rate, in
many cases frankly dishonest. There
has probably never been a period in the
history of our fiction when there was SO
much insincere writing as there is now.
writing based not on living models, but
on other successful books, and written
merely to appeal to popular tastes and
prCjudices."
This is said Of those that are mostly
read. and not of the thousands that feed
the paper mills. 1t is declared in Lon
dCn that the historical novel-so-called-
has had its dav. and is declining in its
grip upon the great reading mass. Gull
\ u tl tddplS 1 SlCh al III
while the millions of unculturcd readers
are wcarying of 50 much blood and
thunder. and long for a change also. One
writer says the historical novel is about
Gead already in England. One good sign
is that many of the clever novels of the
past-bctWeen 1920 and 1S60-are being
REPRINTED. and are finding readers who
love literature. The resuscitatiOn has
been considerable OF forgotten or sadly
neglected authors of merit. tom
! Cringle's Log and the Cruise of the
"Nidgc' by Michael Scott, are excellent
sea stories, and deserve to be reissued.
Wien | was a lad they had wide and ap-
rrCciative reading. Scott was never at
sea, but he made some of the very best
OF sea novels. 1t is in London
that the novels of G.. T. r. James Will
be brought out soon in a complete set. He
was a popular writer a half century ago,
tut not Of much originality or variety.
Edwin r. Whipple, of Boston, said he
stood ten feet from the target, and shot
q hole through the centre. and had been
shooting through that hole ever since
| read many in my boyhood. but do not
think | have read one in fifty years. His
Philip Augustus is one of his best, if
not the best. Mr.. w. i. Alden. London
literary correspondent of the n. Y. Sat
urucy Review, wrote recently of the pro
/ posed James revival that if the novels of
James ARE compared With the average
/! historical novel of the sort With which
we have been inundated during the last
three years they will seem decidedly
better than their later rivals.
James could tell a story fairly
well, and he always had a story to
tell. He fell into entire neglect when
the reign of the psychological novel came
in
Let me mention here. and emphasize
the high gifts Of Charles Rcadc as =
novelist His "Cloistcr and tho Hearth"
is decidedly of very great merit. and
ranks with the best in the opinion OF
many educated readers in England. Mr..
Alden IS enthusiastic enough in his
admiration 10 declare that it is "admitted
20 be the best historical novel in the
language" | do not believe that, but il
Is OF great worth and originality. Alden
says If there waS ever such q thing IS
prose poetry that it Is to be found In
i this great novel. He holds that 'thp
injustice which The reading public has
| shown toward Reade is one of the mys-
teries of the day. 1t is inexplicable upon
any theory that can be invented" Sew
cral Of Reade's novels are superior and
Illuminating and very engaging. One
other extremely clever novel to which I