New-York tribune., 1909-10-31
Obe Neaao osaL)oor1.ls aa)o1lls grribaaoaglees aglees
SUNDAY. OCTOBER 81. 1909.

The anonymous author of the Confessions
OF a Best Seller in the current Atlantic"
surely cannot be grldged the success which lie
describes. 1t is 4 pretty picture that he paints
Of ten years profitably spent in the innocent
entertainment of his contemporaries. NO
WILL | am sure" he says. deny me the salts
faction | have in the reelection that | put
good deal of sincere work into those stories"
No one, we imagine, who has any common sense.
The astonishing thing about the average best
Seller is that it should lie as good as it is so
full of nervous energy and so clever in its
craftsmanship It's utility is beyond argument.
The truth IS that this type of book would have
escaped Il great deal of the satire aimed at it
II only more of the authors devoted to its pro-
duction had written from the point of view dis
closed by the "Atlantic" eSSayist We gather
that he has not taken his functions too ser-
ously. that he does not regard himself as
great author because he has sold his books to
nu!tiu1es When" he says. IA critic some
where gravely Ill seemed ut least to tc in Il
ft Of sobrelyD asked whether Il fold of Ste
venSons mantle had not wrapped itself about
me- the awfuinesS of the thing made me ILL., and
| fed from Felicity until my publisher had
dropped the heartbreaking phrase from his ad-
VertisenentS For | may be the worst living
author and at times | am convinced of it but
hope am not an immitigable and rreclaim-
able ass Wise best seller" His fellows in
the craft should ponder his candid words
We are to hear much of Omar" FitZ Gerald
this season. and especially in recognition Of his
centenary are to have several REPRINTS of
tue "Rubuiyat." The first of these npyy ed
tonS TO appear is one published in a luxurious
quarto by ~. Y. Crowel & Co, with full page
HluStratIonS III color and elaborate decorations
III the Persian manner drawn by Willy Poganv
Inc text, TOO has been set forth by this artist
In the style Of an Oriental manuscript II is \
H;tildsome volume very happy in it's internrc-
tation of The poet in what might be called NAT
araiStlc terms. Mr.. Pogany has imagination
hlt ne attempts no such flights of creative de-
sign rs those which have made Vedder's mic
t"rIaI accompaniment famous He subordinates
his alleSoreS to i faithful reproduction of Per
Sian types, set against the background provided
ny the architecture and landscape Of the cou,
try. The result is charming. 4 new biography
Oh fIZ Gerald IS in preparation by Mr. Morley
Adams His book, which is to be called
'Omar'S Iuterpreter.' is to contain many bitb
erto unpublished "reminiscences. and will he
illustrated with pictures of the Fiz Gerald
country, Meanwhile, Colonel w +. Pri,leaux
ie hlbHo@ranh'r Of Fitz Gerald, has nrivatrlv
printed pamphlet, in which he offers this
ri'her novel comment the poets genius:
Fjtz Gerald. who lived in Suffolk nearly all
has life, was descended on beth sides from
those Anglo Norralns who in the lapse of
Gears became more Irish than the Irish them
seVeS Their intermarr.agcs with the native
popuIat!on brought the Celtic character into
iHelr blood That character strongly rcser,-
bed thdt Of the desert Arab In both we dis
cover love of Independence. a fierce hatred
ol intrusion. temperamental chastity and a
humorous acknowledgements as most in
o"lrers WhH admit. To the representatives. of
IN" lIE' races IN ancient and modern times-to
Omar and Fit2 Gerald