Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-09-02
The Evening Star Weekly Review Of Books
Aristodemos The Coward" Of Sparta, in Caroline Dale Snedeker's
New Book, Is a Wondrousk Inspiring Character.

you will read him, out that Is a part
of the business of the work of life. If
it is not entertainment to you then
1t merely takes its place with the rest
of the serious things of life. For re-
taxation seek the thing that you en-
joy-of curse, within bounds.
1t is an interesting fact that the
men who follow Intellectual pursuits
very often prefer the cheapest form
of fiction. 1t is said of a famous New
York specialist that he always goes
to see the worst 10-20-30 melodrama
in town.
co
Follow some of the Newark lawyers,
~jurists and physicians to a book-stall,
when they are about to start forth on
a journey, and see what they buy.
Many of them will tuck away two or
three all-story magazines in their grips
and will buy the latest thriller in the
shape of a novel. The reason is not
far to seek. The man whose day is
devoted to processes of reasoning, to
intellectual people and finesse, does not
want intellect, reasoning and finesse
thrust at him from between the COW
ers of a book. The New York special
list forgets the practise of surgery
when he sees the villain cutting up
h%eroines and placing the remains in a
trunk on the stage, and the more he
cuts the better. The specialist enjoys
himself. The big Essex county lawyer
who has just wrestled with the Court
OF Errors and Appeals over some
technicality, on which hinges the fate
of a murderer, is through with logic
for the day. He wants action. 1t is
more interesting to him to know how
some detective in a thriller tracked
down the murderer han it is to know
how a lawyer got him off.
CO
Do you ever read a book for posi-
tive enjoyment? Do the hours pass
like minutes? Do o forget you
troubles? If Motif these signs fail,
you are reading the wrong kind of a
book-unless, remember, you are maxi
ing a business of improving your mind,
which is work frequently and not all
ways play. No one could make a mis-
take in reading the very best fiction
that the Libraries of the world afford,
but if it does not accomplish it's OBJ
ject-that of amusement-it fails in it's
PRA OSN SAC0h oiiiASdite
with most people who do not read
novels is that they think novel reading
is hard work. 1t is difficult to shake
them Out of this conviction. Once in a
while one of these chaps picks up a
move and reads it because he has
promised to or because he has screwed
his courage to the sticking point and
~presto-you almost invariably find that
tyatt 80 - ,@r,, l{-, 49, 49, -. IN
a crowbar. He thought all books We're
dry. He finds this an oasis in the
desert. Why? Because most of the old
novels n nearly all of the new novels
have been written to accomplish one
object-to make people thoroughly en-
joy themselves.
CO.
You do not hesitate before entering
the portals of a variety show. You
90 not say to yourself that 1t will be
too deep, or too slow, or too intel
lectual for you. You plunge in n
enjoy yourself. You know, If you are
a reader of modern novels, tina it is
the same way with a corking good
story. The stories of today are es-
sentially stories. We do not dawdle
too much over mental process and fine
writing aud iaborious description. The
story is the thing that must hold the
attention. 1t must be told and told
right. That is the kind of a book that
makes the best popular appeal and
that is the kind to seek for genuine
enjoyment.
GO
1t is utter folly to think for one in
slant that a novel Is intended for in
or highly educated people any
more than a variety show is. We would 4
be a poor, pitlful community if nobody
books save those who could write
and speak good English. The method
of the age has been to teach by ANUS
ing. The medical schools are teaching
by means of moving pictures and the
entertainment hammers home the les
son. If you have never read any mod
ern novel read one. Go to the library
and ask for one of the best sellers or
for the latest and best detective story
or a book of Western adventure.
Everybody is reading. Get In the
game and enjoy 1t.