The sun., 1919-06-15

TIERE is classified catalogue, made
i i for the readers convenience, Of
the books "that have most interested me
during the last twelvemonth," as named,
at Books and the Book Worlds invitation,
by a number of men and women whose
preferences in reading are worth knowing.
The list pretends to be "guide" to
nothing, except perhaps to the interests
and tastes of those who contributed to it.
Not all the books listed were first pub
ished within a year. Three or -four, In
deed, have yet to be published in this
country, so far as can be learned.
These are liant of Gentys, Series on
Guilds" named by Mr.. G. K Chesterton,
Bunyan's Amuils, named and referred to
as poetry by Mr.. Hewlett. and The A'odk-
ening of Asia by H. NJ. Hyndman. named
by Mr.. Spargo. American catalogues of
publications show no Liant of Gentys, or
Liant, of Genty's Series, whichever It
may be. The only Bunyan catalogued
over here is the original John; perhaps
the title given by Mr.. Hewlett was de-
ranged somehow in one of the cable Offices.
Hyndman is a well known author, OF
course, but his book on Asia does not
seem to be available in an American edi-
ton. we should be grateful to the reader
who could tell us more about any Of these
three titles. --.
The novel by Anatole France named
by Maurice Francis Egan, and the novel
BY Henry Barbusse named by james Glib
bons Huneker, are both available in new
TRANSACTIONS into English, and it is the
TRANSACTIONS which will be found listed be-
low, although both contributors supplied
the titles in French and undoubtedly had
the original French in mind. Mr.. Hun
eker says as much.
The idea behind the collecting Of this
list was to question, not writers only, but
distinguished representatives of many
professions. The "questionnaire" went
far and wide. Writers had not been ex-
eluded-why discriminate against them,
after all, when the topic is books!-
and naturally the writers had time and
patience to talk shop, and there is pre-
ponderance of them among the answers
received.
By no means all the years ''best books"
are listed; the absence Of the book which
you particularly liked is nothing against
the book or against the list. If Books and
the Book World itself had taken part in
the symposium it would surely have put
down a good round dozen of books that
its friends have not happened to name.
1t would also have Endorsed majority
of their choices, and there is qualification
in remembering that most Of the chosen,
when newly published, were reported at
length in these columns7-and that most Of
the reports were favorable and even en-
thusiastic. 5
The best part of the list, as ."Who's
Who and Why" in reading is tire Why,
which nearly all the contributors have
supplied, and which will be found else
where. If you wish, as of course you do,
to learn what interested Mr.. Huneker in
L'Enfer, what Mr.. Egan liked about
Eminent Victonans. and what were the
elective afinities between Charles Edward
Russell and William Allen White, you
have only to turn to their explanations
under signature.
And perhaps the result makes Read
ers' Guide as suggestive as any other.
The list:
Fiction.
THE FOUR H0RSEMEN OF THE
APOCALYPSE. BY VICENTE BLAsco
IBANEz. E. p. Dutton q Co. $1.90.
NAMED BY MARY s. Warts, CAss en-
BERT and ALA NAzIMovA.