The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-12-13
In the Literary World
Who Write Books and the Met
Concerning nd rofes

One might easily make an article on
what the public does not buy, and 1t would
be most interesting, says E. d. North. in
the Outlook. For example, a fellow-book-
seller, with an experience of over thirty
years, recently informed me that he had
never sold set of the works of Thomas
De Quincy, nor had he ever sold a copy of
the Confessions of an English Opium
Eater The same bookseller was COM
menting on the Century Company includ-
ing in their list of English classics De
Foes journal of the Plague in London"
and stated that 1t was book he had never
sold.
What, then, do the public read? The
novel holds first place as favorite, and
fortunately there is large percentage OF
good in the great number published. Our
better-known novelists are prolific, and al
most every year familiar names appear
on new title-pages. To mention Few OF
these names TO suggest others. In 1902
new novels appeared by Elizabeth Stuart
Phelps, Bret Harte, AldrIch, Crawford,
Hopkinson Smith. Henry James, Howelis'
IT was particularly an American year, ana
fewer foreign novels were imported than
usual. Within the past few months there
has been an active demand for the new
novels by Allen, Fox. Page and Jack Lon
don, to mention only few Of the familiar
names.
lose popular favor. For example, twenty
years ago the works of George Eliot were
in constant demand and considered of per-
manent value. 1t is seldom now that there
is call for her novels, though we are liv-
ing in the era of reprints. Fielding, Smol-
let, Nine. d'Arblay, Sterne, Lamb. Richard
son, Marryat, AinswOrth, Kingsley and
Edgeworth have all been presented to the
public in attractive form, but L doubt if
the publishers have reaped the rich harvest
that they anticipated.
Next to fiction come biography, corre-
spondence and memoirs, with examples too
numerous to mention. The new Life of Glad
stone by John Morley will be- and the Life
of Browning by CheSterton has been read.
Attracting much the same character OF
mind are modern works history, and
American writers stand high in this field.
John Fiske, Woodrow Wilson, Hart, Nc
Master, Schouler, Lodge and Eggleston are
in constant demand. 1t is possible that this
special taste is cultivated through the vari-
Gus organizations to promote American
classes.
In the realm of poetry, with the exception
of Aldrich, Kipling, Phillips and possibly
a few others. no living poet commands a
large following.
This leads one to our group of modern
essayists. Arnold, Pater, Woodbury..
Howells, Trent and some others have an
assured sale. The immense appetite for
out-of-door literature is evidenced by the
great output of books by such writers as
Thoreau, Burroughs, Parsons, Mathews,
Torrey and Mabel Osgood Wright.
All books relating to sports have shown
a marked increase in popularity Books on
tennis, cycling, automobiling, yachting,
hunting and fishing are all in steady de-
mand and Ii does not seem TO make any
serious difference whether they are we'll
written or not. The demand keeps up with
the supply.
Books en- art, music and drama appeal
only to a limited number.
Some one has said that all of us can read
and that most of US would rather lie down
and die than think. One is reminded OF this
remark when works on philosophy, meta
physics, psychology and theology are kept
completely in the background In the aver
age bookstore. Certain it is that, if these
books be widely read by the general public,
they must be taken from the Libraries or
bought direct from the publisher, as they
do not appear for sale to any considerable
extent i'm the ordinary market.
1t is a curious comment on public taste
to note that everything in the form OF
French history and memoirs is always
salable.