New-York tribune., 1902-12-14
lbe Aeaula1orls o-rabaao1&
ILLUSTRATED SUPPLEMENT.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER II, 1902.


The holiday season OF book publshlhg lhoush
still sctiye. will soon come to close. While
the appearance Of more than one important
book has been postponed until after Christmas
the greater number Of the promises gwen III lne
announcements made q few weeks ago nave
already been fulfilled. The mass of publications.
accumulated since the season opened haS' OH
The whole, amply justified the forecast pi
in these columns. The gift books nave reacileu
n high standard OF excellence and chiehy oe
cause ephemeral motives have been generail!
abandoned Conspicuous among them are DOCKS
ON art solid publications. such as those which
we review today, but historical studies of
more miscellaneous character nave aiSo peeh
brought out in considerable number and always
with seriousness to the text and good TASTE
as to illustration and manufacture AS we have
nreyfously pointed out, the new edition OF
lannon's author American or foreign, has De
come extraordinarily popular. Indeed, more
publications Of this sort are now brouSht Out
than ever before In the annals OF Alnericai
publishing. A great many OF the ne" ooohs
come from London These show, as rule that
the fierce competition Of the time has not
caused the English printer to scamp his "ork
His books are usually well made throuGhout
But what we find even more agreeable Is that
strengthened
writer I'm 1.-THE Academy and Literature,
discussing the essay which MI Henry James
has written for recent translation OF one OF
Ralzac's novels has some timely things to say
on this sort OF critical work In general Mt
James he admits, is enormously clever but ne
Justly points out that we are vouchsafeo alto-
c-etber too much cleverness where comment on
fFsNng md Cnnc
tacle of the Dean and Chapter stroking the dome
Of St PauIs" he says. "is not more ludlcrously
unidentified than the spectacle Of Mr.. Henry
James pirouetting across the huge reputation OF
BalZac" Ii Is q wise word. apuy spoken Scien-
tific criticism may sometimes be n bore, ana
darken counsel into the bargain. but impression
istfc criticism even OF the brilliant sort Whlch
Mr. James writes. has lately become almost as
offensive If not more After ali, the Older,
colder canoncaI school OF criticism, which TINS
exasperated commentator invokes, Is Infinitely
more to the purpose than the self-conscions
smartness of many of those who have rebelled
AGAINST It. 'gIhe orderly survey, the scholar
shin. the relating of men to their periods the
subiugation of the critics personality. the sup
presson Of pyrotechny. the avoidance Of easy
cpneralities-these sane things have proved
their vital power in criticism" They have, anu
they are needed now more than ever. The lat
ter-day Critic who knows little about crit
cisin, but delights in airing his views is bad
enough, but he is SO easily and so quickly found
cut, and put in his place that he need cause no
great anxiety. Much more troublesome is the
really clever and competent man, the man Ike
Mr. James, who beguiles with his brilliancy
but is all the time speciously confusing the
serious issues of literature with his own anus
ing but not necessarily important personal
opinions.
terror has been added to the life of
the English novelist, one which it is to be hoped
his American contemporaries may be spared.
Mr. Arnold Bennett tells the tale. The secre
tary of the Paddington Free Public Library, it
appears. sent him an autograph communication
the other day. What did this missive contain?
An order for fifty copies of one of his books? |
testimonial to the popularity Of his work among
the readers of Paddington? Neither of these
things, but something very different; in fact, |
says Mr.. Bennett the secretary wrote simply |
"asking me to present copy Of my last novel, |
and copies of amy of my other books to the |
library" Now. Paddington has population Of