The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-04-12
English and American Periodicals..

London Mail.
The differentiation of English and Amer
lean tastes. despite the common blood. is as
pronounced in the matter of periodical lit
erature as it is in newspapers. The Amer
lean public do not seem to take to ''week-
lies,' and whereas here We are flooded with
weeklies of all descriptions and all prices,
in New York they are comparatively
sparsely represented, particularly the crit
icaI or literary weekly. 1t is, however, in
magazines that the greatest difference is
noticeable.
OF course, there are old familiar friends
in America, not to be forgotten and ever to
be admired, to wit, Harpers, Scribner's
the Century and the Atlantic Monthly.
These stand on footing with our estab-
lished institutions, such as Macmillan S,
the Cornhill, Blackwood's and Chambers $
Journal. That is to say, they own the dig
nifty of comparative age and substantially.
Yet how far the two classes are apart! 1t
will be noticed in the first place, that the
American magazines are for the most part
illustrated; indeed, illustration has been
their chief feature. On the other hand, the
English magazines of the older type are al
most without exception unillustrated.
Apart from the newer and more popular
magazines in this country, a serious air
pervades our periodical literature. Even in
such storehouses of current fiction as Tenn
pie Bar 1t is usual to encounter articles of
serious literary flavor. The American
magazine, the other hand, leans rather
to entertainment, coupled, with informa-
ton. The two great Anglo-Saxon nations
are devoted to the informative" and it is
hard to say which is the more devoted. But
in sheer literary flavor the English maya
zine has the advantage, and we must sup
pose that is because the English public
wants It,
On the other hand, the heavy review is
almost unknown in America. We have
our Nineteenth Century, our Contem-
porary, and half a dozen more. besides
still more weighty quarterlies, whereas
there are In America the North American
Review and the newly-founded Interna-
tional. Again, In the region of cheap
and unpopular magazines, such as the
Strand, Parsons. the London, and
the rest. we easily outdistance our kins-
men. who are, however, endeavoring to
wake Up. somewhat later in the day, with
McClure's and Munsey's and others
OF a similar character.
The differences are somewhat confusing,
but 1t seems as IL we are justified in sup
posing that, whereas the average standard
of taste in America is high as, or even
possibly higher than, here. there is, on
the other hand. a minority of the public
in Great Britain which is more highly
cultured and literary than its representa-
tive species" across the Atlantic
Longman's may be taken typical
example of a magazine suitable for the
cultivated classes, remembering always
that of the cultivated classes it Is the
women who have the most leisure. Long
mans has its niche and fills IL to the
satisfaction of innumerable English house
holds. Mr. Lang is invariably a feature OF
the monthly fare. In the April number he
wonders why boys read Mr.. Henty's books,
which he considers unreliable. His choice
for a boys library includes Sir A. Conan
Doyle's books Thackeray. Dickens. Dumas,
Poe. Scott (''though perhaps English boys
could not or would not read them.'D Mr..
Fitchetts books on fighting. and the
British poets" There seems to be some
omissions here, and the doubling n.y.
pothesis about Scott is surely pessimistic.