Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-02
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

| them on the shelves in row is some
what appalling to many readers.
| X x X X
| To these, perhaps better plan is to
secure great books one at time,
either by purchase or from the library.
The point is--how to know the great
books.
There are. of course, many such
lists. Sir John Lubbock drew up one
famous one. by the way-which met
the criticism which all such lists
usually meet. 1t is much the same
as trying to select ''the 10 best
marches" Although most persons
might agree on Sousa's stars and
Stripes Forever" as the best of all, the
other 8 would be matter for argu-
ment.
What is needed, it would seem. is
not 50 much . selection of the best
100 books" or the best books at all.
but just Il list of books that some one
has read. 1t is for this reason that
we We're pleased with the request
made in the above letter.
"a list of books with which I might
pleasantly pass some idle
hours during the Summer" This is
request that intrigues the fancy of
those who love books.
Comparative values play no particu-
lar part in it, although it may be adj
mitted that the selection in all proba-
bility must contain n large percentage
of those books which readers of all
| ages have combined to call great"
Books That 7 Have Liked"
Such is the list that we shall at
| tempt to draw up in the next article,
not in this, as we desire to give seri-
Gus attention to this request. There
are some who express establishment
over the titles of some of the books
| read by children, and young ladies and
gentlemen of IS years of age, forget
ting that the mind is perfectly able to
assimilate the best part of general lit
orature at such an age.
We are acquainted with a high
school boy, for instance (who has Just
completed his first half-year) who is
engaged in the reading of Pepys'
Diary 1t won't hurt him, we are
sure Of that. Boys and girls of today
are better able than ever to appre-
ciate good books, for they have
wider knowledge than the boys and
girls of yesterday.
Our subsequent list, then, is not to
be considered in any sense as a com.
petitor with other lists of good books,
but only our selection Of some of the
best that we have read and enjoyed.
Nor is it to be tackled as a task,
or something to be worked through
book by book. Our hope is that it
may be sort of helping hand, not
only to the one who requested it, but
to others who from time to time have
honored US by seeking advice along
this line.
Advice is often given, but not SO
often taken! While this is true enough,
book advice is another thing entirely.
One has to start somewhere, in read
ing, and one might as well have a bit
OF advice as not. One does not have
to follow it, if one does not care to,
And one may wander around in this
list as much as one pleases, thereby
taking all the formality out of it.
To be well read is distinctly worth
while, not because it will enable the
reader to "amaZe his friends" as the
advertisements Of quick culture" de.
clare, but simply because it enables
one to get more out of living. To
know books is to know something of
what men and women have dreamed
through the ages. Good books are
simply the aspirations of men and
women put into print. They are, in a
sense, dreams come true.