Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1903-03-28
Books, Bookish People and Things
We get no good by being ungenerOu o a book
E. B. Browning.

Some months ago there appeared in
Wanamaker's Book News under the
title Notes from Hawaii" the follow
ing:
Wonder nothing has been said about
II, but Hawaii is one of the best mar
kets for a Limited number of magazines
and books. Every family has It's score
of periodicals. and have never come
across a better read people than the
old residents; persons versed in current
literature, especially fiction and verse.
Every new book is sent for, and where
you would least expect to find II, is an
expensive publication. A woman said
to me, i cant understand why there
| Is so much said against book agents
in your country We are eager for
them here. and when we have bought
their books. we invite them to lunch.
After some months here, ! must con-
fess to the same weakness, or right
mindedness myself When the for
eign' mail arrives II Is a sort of feast
day wherein all manner of literary
excuses are permitted; mysterious
wrappers are torn from new and frag.
rant volumes, and we are across seas
once more in tears or laughter. | sup
pose one reason why so much Is read
is because Hawaiian residents general
ly have time and money. The cheap
er literature of the stalls does not come
so far, and. in general, parents and
children alike have q cultivated taste
for literature. A bookseller in Homo
lulu told me that anything with men
ton of Hawaii in IL would sell here "
What this writer says Is perhaps
truer OF the present than II was of the
period before annexation, and | am
surprised that mp to this time no Ha-
waiian publication or bookseller has
seen TO IL that the current books Of the
day are noticed locally. Indeed, here
tofore. any book sent 10 a Honolulu
paper has received scant courtesy, and,
in most cases, none at all.
With this number of the Bulletin
, begins a book department which the
publishers hope TO make regular
weekly feature.
Not to brag Of special critical abIl.
tiles. the Bulletin Bookman can say
that all books coming to his depart
ment will receive sympathetic, con.
scientious consideration. They will be
read and not only glanced over But
the Bookman will use his own judg.
ment as to the importance and merits
of the work before him, and, in nc
instance, be obsessed by influences fol
which the book is not responsible. Of
course, the reviewer as well as the
ordinary reader Of books has his lin.
itations, but, rightly. he is supposed
to have certain special qualifications
; for his Office which have been inner.
: tied, acquired or thrust" upon him
and he stands as a sort of literary
buffer, sitting for the busy lover OF
: good books; saving him time, thought
and money, to say nothing OF the in
Fiction of worthless reading. To the
experienced reader there will be only G
: suggestion in the review probably, but
: suggestions are often stimulating anC
help on proper initiative.
Hdl lit lSNltNtl
comes from his following line Of bus
mess, shall not deny. 1t is the fat,
of the specialist TO be of more valu,
in his own vocation than he is in any
other; the dentists office Is preferred
to the doctors by the man who wants
his tooth pulled. Leaving aside Of men
ton then the things the BpOkman 90
or did not get from his parents; givinl
to others the judgments they pleas,
upon the value Of his technical &C
IGuirements, the BOOkman can say tina
he Is no longer particularly young
that the years have OyertHkcn him
that he is Dipping his nose in III,
GasgOu wine" So. after being pound
ed like good poi into more or less pal
ItaccOus Diandness, by the occurrence
OF half a lifetime, he comes 10 eacl
hook with a degree OF charity; will
no desire to show of his preliminar,
, education on the benches, al any rate
He realizes that what Burns said q
e men applies TO books--"A book Is
B! book for a that" and 10 production
e shall be sweepngly condemned q
\ worthless that has in 1t single pnras
that might benefit some reader.
; In the midst Of more or less exact
), ing professional duties, the Boukma
y shall anticipate the sun for his book
~ ish crepuscular hour,
!. !. :.
< Died during the past year; Gee
, Henty, Emile lola, Jean ue Bloch, Bro
Harte, f. h, stockton, Geo. Dougla
- Brown, Frank Norris, Henri Greville,
, Xavier de Montigne, T. l., Godkir
y Philip James Bailey, Lord Acton, Sam
y X. Gardiner Paul Leicester Ford ~
II gene Munitz, Aurelien Scholl, Mrs. a
azsg t,J.p Tb4g Iunp I,pu1igh IuIig