The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-02-09

A NOvELIsT,s GRIEVANCE.
Mr.. Upton Sinclair. autho of a novel
now bearing the title King Midas" has
a grievance against the fraternity Of book
reviewers. Also, he scores a point against
them. He airs his troubles at some length
In the current number of the New York
Independent. 1t appears, according to his
story, hat the book was the outcome OF
three years of dreams. For that length OF
time he had in mind a novel that he
might write when he should have the
strength for it. The time came when his
heart was so shaken with the beauty of
his thought that he went away to wrestle
with the vision. Because he knew that he
must give all his soul to it (all this is
quoted from Mr.. Sinclair's own language
he withdrew to a little cabin in the Cana
dian wilderness, and for five months lived
entirely alone, doing a work so fearful
that now, as he looks back upon it. it
makes him tremble. Each day as he
wrought at his story, the wonder of it took
hold Of him more and more, until it took
the form of a very demon Of beauty (these
are still the authors own words) until it
would not let him rest. He burned his soul
out at this work"
After this rather cruel treatment of his
soul the young writer offered the manuscript
to four publishers in succession. each of
whom declined it with thanks, giving what,
from their point of view, though not from
his, were excellent reasons for the rejection.
Summed UP. their reasons were a belief
that the book would not sell. The young
man then resolved to publish the book
himself, having faith that there were
people who would love it as he loved it"
1t was thereupon issued under the title
'Springtime and Harvest" and in its pref
ace he told the story from which the fore
going quotations have been made. He sent
one hundred copies of his work to the re-
viewers, and sent the preface to two
hundred more, Offering to forward the vol
ume if desired. The thought of the returns
received from that distribution, he acknowl-
edges in the Independent, makes him
shiver. OF the two hundred papers receiv-
ing the preface but one asked him for the
book. OF the hundred to which copies were
sent but thirteen reviewed it at all, and
out Of the thirteen not one praised it ex-
tra%vagantly, but two could be called cor
dial, three were in a way commendatory
four had some crumbs Of comfort, and
five were ~"slashers," two in the last class
going out of their way to be gratuitously
insulting" Mr.. Sinclair admits that if this
had been the end of it the silence of the
reviewers might have been taken as merci-
full and a justification of the publishers
who had rejected it. But, as it happened, a
copy fell into the hands of Mr.. Edwin
Markham. he of the hoe, who found that
the work throughout was touched with
the hues of poetry and the noblest ideals of
life;" another copy was read by a pub
lisher's manager, who pronounced it a work
of genius and predicted a great future for
the author. 1t was, therefore, arranged
that 'Springtime and Harvest" should be
published once more with the title changed
to king Midas" and the original preface
omitted. Copies were again sent to the re-
viewers, and this time, Mr.. Sinclair tri-
umphantly notes, they paid some attention
to the work. What is more, many of them
praised it. They found power in it, some OF
them; some a revelation of imaginative
power, a splendid triumph of literary skill,
some saw brilliant workmanship; one
spoke of it as the work of a novice, or of
it's immaturity, as the first thirteen had
done, but on the other hand. many saw
in it an advanced effort of modern romantic
literature, "a highly original production
IAN extremely meritorious book" etc. The
unfavorable reviews were very few in
number.
After reading this article in the Independ-
ent the Journals reviewer recalled the fact
that he had read "Springtime and Har-
vest" and had said of it in substance that
ii was the work of an immature writer and
full of crudities. Probably the reviewer
did not read it through from beginning to
end. Few novels receive that attention
from the busy and jaded persons belonging
to this profession. Owing to the multi
plicity of books received for review king
Midas had not yet been reached when the
Independent containing Mr.. Sinclair's ar
liCie came 10 HdLu- Win OLu hllSACSl dLAO
curiosity it was then taken down from the
shelf and examined with care, the posi-
bility being frankly admitted that a gen
might unwittingly have been overlooked
With entire willingness to do justice to the
author if this were the case, the reviewer
again reports that in spite of Mr.. Edwin
Markham, the publishers manager, Rev
Minot- ]. Savage and others whose lauda.
tory opinions are quoted, he still sees il
the book evidences of the authors extreme
youth and lack of acquaintance with life
and finds himself quite in sympathy with
the publishers readers" who pronounced
against it in manuscript. 1t has sincerity
and earnestness certainly, but these quail
ties are not sufficient to make good or ever
readable literature, especially when the per
sonages portrayed are not made to behav'
as they would do in actual life, and wheI
the events described do not convince. Some
Of them are so far removed from the likeli
hood Of reality, indeed. as to be highl.
amusing. Mr.. Howard" for instance, pro
poses marriage to the heroine much as i
he were addressing an audience from
pulpit. and that young person replies in tn
most cultured Woman's club manner