Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-01-02

Srcclni iulftsNonut noe
z ONDoN. Dec. "a. What is man
Oh do when "a literary acqualnt-
anco puts him into "a novel UNI
der HE actual name and address
and in such way AZ 10 reveal p GER
tain amount Of his pastg A case Of
this kind has just occurred hero. and
the victim Is somewhat puazied how
tn proved. especially as the Offenders
size makes risky amy appeal 90 g
mild version OF the unwrlttcn law.
There appears 90 be- nothing that can
boz construed or positively libelous
in the picture drawn of him, yet d by
no means displays him. 10 advantage.
~ is unlikely that the matter viii
come into court. Men have a WAY %
shrinking from the attentions of the
inquisitive lawyer. even when there
is nothing very black IN their past
career hut q b. "a be hoped that there
VIII ha no spread Of the practise ok
hibited by tho novelist IN this affair
~ is conceivable that awkward CONF
plications might arise n a large NUM-
Der OF us were made 10 figure in nov
els under our own names and IN some
thing like our own characters. A mans
wife. for instance, might be far less
gratihed than Obliged BY inding In one
Of the novels from the circulating H.
brary a guide TO her husbands past.
From the point Of view OF literary
ethics. this sort OF ultra-rcalism Is in
defensible. But the author in tho case
mentioned IL not much troubled by
such considerations.
No feature has been more remari1a-
bile in recent English publishing than
the number Of French biographies,
either translated or complied. which
have seen the light IN this country.
Only a few days ago no less than four
such works. all dated this autumn.
were simultaneously reviewed en- one
Of the leading London daily papers
which ray some attention to literature.
The present writer was informed &C
Nudes that the demand for these BIZ
Ogaphies was very brisk and there
certainly Is no sign at present that the
art OF production is likely to be
checked. one would imagine. never
thciess that after a time safety must
come lndood. partner i'm one of our
leading London publishing houses went
W far as 20 prophecy, In conversation
with me last wetk. that there is a
slump 10 be expected before long I'm
English biographical books dealing
with French SUBJECTS. Then will come
the opportunity for books about the in-
terestng personages OF other landa.,
After all. in spite Of the worldwide
attraction OF French men and women,
particularly under the two empires.
there are noteworthy characters out
side French history.
Many Of the novels Of the new season
Just opened in the London book trade
present an attractive feature I'm being
illustrated. IL mas taken all these years
for English publishers 10 follow Am
crican lead IN this matter some
thing must be done nowadays" said a
publisher In discussing the question OF
novel Illustration, TO attract attention.
While u IS true that a picture will not
sell a book; Il gives Il a first chance
on the book stalls as against books
which are not Illustrated OF course
We do not Illustrate an of our books,
for then the ones we wished 10 make a
stir over would be Just the same as
the others. We take the book that has
the most striking illustrative subject,
and get "a good artist either TO make a
frontispieco OF that subject. or else To
put II in tho cover. Our Judgment is
more or less democratic. We do not
take an author because his name is a
hiA one buN We select illt uNNk iuaL
has the most striking subject that will
make the best picture. We have found
that we sell more OF the books with
pictures than We do Of those without.
OF course. when all the publishers-go in |
for illustrating their books some other
scheme win have 20 be tried"
II Is curious that some OF the best |
book covers in England are made by |
wImeu. and they also do some OK
ceptionally good work IN bookbnding |
There is a Women's Bookbinding assoc
citation which completes largely with |
men engaged in the trade and does |
work for many OF the best publishing |
firms: especially those which bring out |
hgh-priced books with costly bindings. /
The women's association Is also doing /
an extensive general blndery work |
ranging from the new "sevenpenny." /
or 14c books up 10 the $50 novels 1
Tho women arc not underwriting prices, /
but are securing the work on the merit /
OF their productions.
Speaking Of womeu's employment In /
the book trade, IL might be mentioned
that paper-"The Woman Worker
recently launched in England has all