Arizona republican., 1921-11-18

book that would have been sneered at in paper covers was devoured in board covers. It was not that the public taste had changed, but sim ply that the paper cover was no long CT respectable. So strong was the reversion against paper covers that most booksellers will not today stock book in paper covers. It was re- gently urged by a prominent British man of letters that the first novels Of young writers be brought out in paper covers so that the cost of such an uncertain venture would not be so great. He was laughed at No one would buy anthing in a paper cover
 Meantime, Diamond Dick'' has gone marching on in respectable board covers. He has merely changed his name to "Pie-eyed Pete of Pole cat Canyon" or "Stuttering Simp- son." or he has put on skirts and run wild as Scrap of the Lazy K" or Susan of Piute Pass" His name is legion and always he is the same.
 When the reader opens wild west story he knows just what he is going to find-a beautiful girl who rides wild horses. a strapping cow-puncher who is a cross between Sir Galahad and Billy Sunday. william, usually Mexican or half-breed, who, is com ing to a bad end after a nefarious attempt on the heroine's virtue. The action will be plastered with purple sunsets, rock walled mazes of mys- terious canyon, shimmering leagues | cannot think of anything else to do, he will let the coyotes howl for a | while.
 One could go on to describe all of l the other we'll known standard types the detective story in which . | wealthy clubman is always murdered | in his library. and after suspicion | has hoyered over the head Of some | nubile young woman and her hand | some lover for while, the deed IS | found to have been done by the put Ter: the mountain story In which 1 beautiful mountain belle vamps . ] revenue officer and precipitates a loi
 of sanguinary shooting; the sweei | story of pure love in which the smile l and the tear alternate with mecham- cal regularity until the final clineh 1 ana the fade-out into virtuous bliss | and the sort of thing we have wlln us now, in which a strapping Arat l man handles and disrobes beauu- l ful debutante throughout seVera | hundred pages, but all is made wei l in the end with license.
 1 All of these types are stiH wltn us
 and all of them are still read Ther
 what is the evidence for a literary 1 awakening? It is in the fact una | good books are at last competlnt 1 with the trade goods on an equa l footing. Three out of five pook'
 most in demand at public iprarle' | are the work of first class noveilst'
 who are praised by all discernins | critics. On list of so books mos
 in demand at the stores are at leas-
 seven that stand in the front rank o
 contemporary literature Moreover
 no wild west or detective or noun
 tain-moonshine story holds a higl place. The last production of {
 writer of cheap moralizing tales. wh, l has sold his other books by millions l holds a low place on the list. Ont
 very sentimental love story holds 1t l own. and the aforementioned stud!
 in erotomania is best seller. Thi! 1 great moral nation must have it
 smut, and also its mush.
 The change nevertheless is ont | that amounts to revolution. Rot i: | still read, but there are ten reader: for a good book in this country to.
 day where one grew before the war | -F--