New-York tribune., 1908-03-22
GS)e Neiu:l1otk gribassaajlG:as asajGa
SUNDAY. MARCH 30. 1908.

-acsrdiuc The critic with Scorn that ne must
rejoice over the frequency with when Una
malicious wight is nowadays pubhcly caled 10
account The latest contributor to the subject
is an English writer who darkiy asks Are
hook reviewers honcst:" He answers his own
question. asserting that book reviewing has
become 50 fa@rantly dishonest that exposure
and reaction are now only matter OF tiile
uc has no doubts at all. He knows. English
criticism if we are to believe him. is honey
combed with corruption. 1t is safe TO say
he declares, that there are not above haif il
dozen honest reviewers in London. Now no"
is the situation 10 be saved? By the last proc
ers in the world which one would have thought
,as needed, by tightening of the screws an
Iund The reviewers have not been Wlckediy
condcmning immortal things. On the coh'ral!
they have been too amiable by half 1t seems
Mat there are editors who insist upon all re-
riews being favorable in order to conclllate the
publishers and secure their advertisements
Moreover some critics allow themselves to be
lwayed by friendship. and there are others who'
contemplating authorship themselves, SHRINK
from offending lest their cand0r should recon
upon their OWN heads. In short the EngIsh
book reviewer is in sad state
How is the budding genius, with mover
blooming in his brain, to bring the precious
filing TO the light of day? Let him sit at the
feet of the great and wse-fOr choice, MT
Hall Caine. Mr.. Andrew Lang mas been con-
smiling this oracle, whose methods have ilteiy
been set forth in a popular magazine, ana he
disronrses with JUNCTION On the famous novel
lists ideas. 1t seems that you must IN the
first place. select topical motive. one that
really relates to the life of the time, ana
then YOU must turn it over in your mind, think
inc out some central character in whose person
if could be illustrated. SO far good. MI
Lang continues:
Next. if I would follow Mr.. Hall Caine. I must
write "a first scenario synopsis at great
length. without the slightest regard for literary
form" Here my first difficulty arises; mr.
Hall Cainc. by long practice OF self -abneS;t-
ton. may be able to write at great length
without the slightest regard for literary form.
Like the member of Parliament in the story
I must say. mon posoomus." But this cannot
he a fatal divagation from the true method. 1
must dictate to i typist in hot haste but
literary form will "cleave to one still
I must clarity with the pen in my hand" like
my great exemplar and have "a fair copy with
Il wide margin made the typewriter" My
own typewriter would not stand it; the process,
l presume, is that of tattooing.
The disciple of Mr.. Hall Caine must be Injured
to hard labor. He must take tremendous pains
and accumulate an enormous pile Of ma
terals." He must "get up" his subject and
his background. too, regardless of expense, and
ne must give unlimited time to the building up
of his stupendouS structure. 1t occurs to Mr.
Lang that ION the other hand, two volumes OF
Guy Mannerng' were written, with scarcely a
blot or alteration, in three weeks" but then he
is compelled to admit that Scott had quite
another method" from the method of Mr.. Hall
Caine Indeed judged by this authors heroic
practice Scott and Thackeray and all the other
amateurs Of an earlier day had practically no
method but wrote just as they were moved to
write It is that, suppose, that accounts
for the difference between them and Mr. Caine
Reference was made in The Tribune not long
AGO to Mr.. Maurice IIewletts short story Of
The Spanish Jade and its forthcoming pub
lication in book form by English firm He
was quoted as rcpudiating all responsibility for
The presentation of this brief bit of writing to
the world in the shape of "a six shilling book.
One commentator thereupOn turns up TO argue
that tie purchasers of the copyright have a
right to charge what they like for copies OF
the book" and the writer adds that he does not
after he has sold them" The point is not well
taken and it is even more Speciously said that
'Nr Hewlett would scarcely wish the excel
icnrc OF his work tested by yard measure"
l. K not rather q case Of an authors Solictude
rs to Il kind of tacit understanding existing
between himself and the public? The reader
who has met a short story in the pages of
n magazine may be Indifferent when he sees
Il announced book but the reader who
has not been foreWarned, and is perhaps obliged
prIan nv aSiiy