New-York tribune., 1903-01-15

4 C7sis in the French Publishing
Trade.
Paris. January &.

q d'8frennes''-comes considerably later IN france
than in other countries, and is never in full
swing before the last week OF the year. This
winter the French book trade is undergoing
severe crisis. Leading publishers declare that
for over thirty years they have not experienced
a period more disastrous discouraging than
the present season. According to the repre-
sentatlves of the firm which has the reputation
Of issuing the greatest number of holiday books
in France ''the book business is in complete
decadence-"
The unanimous complaint of the booksellers
is that people write more and more and reao
less and less Out of upward Of six thousand
new books that have made their appearance
on the stalls and in the windows of the retail
shops there are scarcely six or a dozen whlch
have attained sale large enough TO he profta-
HE either 10 authors publishers. There are
several reasons for this In the first place. the
daily newspaper with its weekly supplement or
eight pages treating Of literary or historical
subjects and profuse1y illustrated, provides IN
convenient form for five cents intellectual ma
terial that could not be issued in the shape OF
2 book for less than 70 cents II is the daily ana
weekly newspaper that is killing the book trade.
Then again. a goodly number Of 10 cent nasa-
zines monthly or fortnightly, have caught the
popular taste and reach enormous sales IN
Paris and in the smaller towns. where they are
paper and the magazine-the two legitimate
competitors of the book-have diminished the
sale Of books during the last three years oy al
least 20 per cent.
The book market has also suffered from the
alarming increase OF unsavory illustrated
papers sold for three cents each which have
become an aborinable feature Of the public
rewsstands in the streets Of Paris and through
out France. These papers. the perniclous n
Huence Of which is enhanced in many instances
ov the cleverness of the illustrators who con-
tribute 10 them. have. in the opinion OF Senator
Rerenger become ? national danger The
attention Of young persons Of both sexes is un-
avoidably attracted by the disgracefully OBJ
s-,1sixe disrIav of .his vile rubbish, and the
literary appetite Of the younger generation is
gradually perverted by daily inoculation with
what might be called an intellectual absinthe'
becoming diseased and incapable of wholesome
diet There are. unfortunately. too many
authors who in the hope that by setting their
sails to catch this breeze they may find a good
profit. have inundated the market with yellow
novels and pink stories, bound in neretrl-
ciousIy decorated paper covers and bearing
such titles as Chair en- Fole," 'Courttsanes
des Salons" TN Corps De Femme etc. In
short the book trade in this period Of decadence
is characterized by spasmodic attempts TO tickle
the public palate by highly seasoned sauces and
aromatic condiments. These efforts. however,
have failed. Stimulated by passing curiosity,
the sales Of two three works OF the sort JUST
described have risen for few days, only to
fall 10 the zero point. and newspapers and masa-
zines continue to enjoy Their wide popularity
L is only fair 10 the French publishers TO call
attention to their courageous efforts TO supply
The nation with sound wholesome. yet bright and
amusing books The annual publication of the
French Publishers Club, lie Cercle de la LII
hrarie" contains lists and brief descriptions OF
holiday books issued by eighty-three Paris pub
fishing firms. The total number Of these works
exceeds four thousand. It is estimated by an
expert that the average sale attained for these
hooks will not be over three hundred copies. A
few exceptional works may mount up to fifty
thousand while the sale Of other works Of
merit produced with taste and at considerable
cost viii not find as many hundred pur-
cha.ers salient feature in the holiday field is
that works treating Of military adventure have
almost completely disappeared Hairbreadth
escapes and ferocious encounters with pistol or
sword are replaced in popular favor by retro
spectfve descriptions, sIzch DAllenlagne's s
History Of Toys" and the history of dancing.
Narratives Of ira 7el hold their own, as ex-
enplified by the Pays de Menelik' Of Martial
de Salvise. published by oudin; by La Chute
De rErnpire de Rabah." Of Emile Gentil, and by
There is a profusion Of holiday books illus
fratins picturesque parts of France-Dauphiny,
Bretagne. Auvergne. etc. Artistic publications
are Of unusual merit this year, and the firm OF
Hachette has issued French translation Of Sir
William Armstrong; sumptuousiy made life Of
Raeburn A holiday book that meets with con-
siderable demand is the History of the Chateau
de Chantilly" by the Conltesse de Clinchamp.
After Versailles there is no other name more
closely associated with the glory Of France than
ChantiIly. The authoress for many years en-
joyed the friendship and esteem of the late Due
dsAurnale, who bequeathed the chateau to the
H-.ncb nation She describes Chantilly from
1855 to 1897 It is the Chantilly of the Mont
rnorencys and the Grand Conde, the Chantilly Of
which Bossllet celebrated the splendor, and the
C-hsptiIly of the Due d'Aumale 1t is a beauti-
ful volume containing twenty-four excellent
illustrate The firm of Plon has issued a
superb history Of Paris from 1900 TO 1900. with
six thousand cuts and illustrations This is the
most comprehensive compendium yet published
Of Partisan life during the nineteenth century. is
edited by Charles Simon. and hfty-six prom
inent writers contribute TO the work Among
them are Jules CIaretie. FRANCOIS Coppee. Pierre
de NoIhac, Funck-B -Brentano, Henri Houssaye,
Albert Sorel Charles Normand. Albert VandaI
and Henri WALTON The illustrations, many of
which are reproductions OF old prints in the col
lections of the National Library, the Louvre and
the Carnavalet Museum, of great interest
The streets Of Paris. theatres, actors, actresses
public ceremonies and festivities. fashions in
dress Of men and women, all illustrated,
and there are hundreds of caricatures by
Daurnier and GavaTni-
lie Nobilier Royal Francais." being a de-
ecrin+ior with elaborate illustrations. of French