The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-01-25
THE LITERARY OUTLOOK
Favore Novels of Authors---kpIing Reason-RecoIec-
tons Of Long Life-ncomes
From Writing
By HERBERT BREWSTER.

4 y
A score or more of leading authors
were recently asked to name the novels
of 1902 they had read and considered
good enough to read a second time.
Most of the number placed Kiplings
kim" first: one author adding that
she had already read the book six
times. AS a second favorite came 'The
Virginian," followed by 1.-The Blazed
Trail" The Valley of Decision" and
''The Two Vanrevels." The question
is not entirely a novel one, but the
usual query put to present day authors
is:
What is your favorite novel?"
Thus the whole field of fiction is left
open for their choice. If a company of
people were asked which novel is most
praised by the leading authors, it is
doubtful if many could reply correctly.
Fielding's tom JONES'" one of the first
novels ever written, is not only re-
ceiving more praise to-day than any
| other but almost from the time 1t was
| published it has ranked as the great
known writer's on novels are often
| times as diverse as they are interest
| ing.
| Conan Doyle says that, in his opin-
! ion, THE Cloister and the Hearth is
! without a rival. Next to that he
places the works of Ivanhoe, and of re-
cent writer's he says that James M.
| Barrie's writings give him the most
! pleasure. AS to his own work he con-
siders THE White Company far and
away the hest he has done.
Sir Walter Besant placed Lorna
| Doone" first as did G. A. Henty. There
are many writer's still living who agree
with these two. Sir Walter also had
much to say in praise of Thomas
Hardy, ranking Tess of the D'Ur-
bervilles'' second. OF the writer's still
| living, he regarded Meredith as the
| best.
There seemed to be much exchanging
| of compliments along this line among
| the authors, for Meredith is said to
| place Thomas Hardy first of, living
/ writer's. He mentions Scott, Thackery
| and Dickens as the greatest novelists
| of the past.
H. Rider Haggard places Stanley
| Weyman's "A Gentleman of France" in
| the first position so far as present day
writers are concerned, but he con-
fesses a great admiration for Doyle's
1.-The White Company" He does not
venture to pass judgment on the novel
lists who have passed away, but one
can imagine him favoring Scott above
all others.
Edna Lyall thinks Dickens the great
est novelist, but recommends also
George Eliot and Thackery. George
Gissing favors Charles Bronte, Mere
dith and Hardy.
Robert Louis Stevenson placed Scott
| oh of !, foty fa
being Guy Mannering." Red Gaunt-
LETT and Rob Roy" in the o rider
! named. After these, he ranks Thack-
ery's Henry Esmond."
Thackery, himself, always had the
| highest admiration for tom Jones'"
and placed Fielding head and shout
| ders above all other writers of fiction.
! Rudyard Kipling has lost his suit
against an American publisher for an
| alleged infringement of trade mark, a
| litigation which has been dragged along
| for nearly three years. Not more than
fifteen sets of his works We're involved
in the matter, and the courts held that
| Kipling had no legal claim in a trade
mark which he had failed to register
at the time he entered the suit. 1t is
| not at al unlikely that this suit turn
| ed many of his American admirers
| from him. because it came just after
| the great flood of sympathy for him, be-
cause of his very severe illness, but it
must be admitted that Kipling was
greatly misunderstood in the matter
1t was not a matter of dollars and cents
with him, as is shown by the statement
which he had made at the time
I'm this matter" he wrote, Mr. Kip
ling feels that he owes it to his pro-
fession to ascertain if. under the laws
of the United States, persons without
authority are at liberty to advertise.
publish and sell as an edition of an au-
thor's works. collection of writings
consisting in part of matter authorized
by him. in part of matter not written
by him. in part of matter not author
ICED by him, and bearing upon it's face
indications of that authors personal
approval and AUTHORIZATION. in sufficient
measure to mislead the public"
Doubtless the thing which angered
Mr.. Kipling more than anything else
was the inclusion in the unauthorized
| edition of a biography which, to speak
the truth. was filled with inaccuracies
| Unfortunately a great many stories
have been circulated about Kiplng
which are not In the least true and
| the compiler Of this Kipling biography