Evening star., 1927-11-22
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
I. G.. NJ.

l 4. u. W.
THE KINGDOM OF BOOKS. Will
liam Dana Orcutt. Little, Brown
& Co.
He was saying that books as
books-that is, apart from theme.
content, manner-are pretty muCn
alike. A book as such, so he went on.
is simply a collection of printed pages
gathered ND in orderly fashion be-
tween a couple of lids more or less
calculated TO stand the wear and tear
of ordinary usage. 1t has a title
page. table of contents, maybe an
index, maybe illustrations, probably
Jacket" of flamhoyant design. The
sole business of the book is to deliver
its content of thought over 10 the
reader 1t belongs to the great de
mocracy of print, domain in which
there are no caStcs. no orders. Ana
there YOU are. Just then W imam
Dana Orcutt came by. in his hand
volume that needed no second look
to prove the oracle of a minute before,
the same old victim to half-nforma-
ton that the most of lis are.
"Distinction," applied either to man
himself or to his achievements, repre-
sents an elusive quality. an essence
difficult to analyze and define. 1t is,
however, Immediately sensed and ap'
preciated, even though not quite fully
understood The volume that Mr..
Orcutt holds out for inspection, THE
Kingdom of Books"-juSt as a mere
object to take in hand, to feel, to
see-posSeSses clear distinction,
whose chief elements are proportion,
size suitable to its proposed use. color
and design of its outside decoration
paper conveying to hand and eye the
effect of a fine and finished fabric.
type that melts into the text itself or
issues from it an inherent part of the
thought. The whole is like picture
where restraint has served the best
uses of art. The Kingdom of Books"
is an object lesson drawn off from
Mr. Orcutt's long and Jealous "qucs,
Of the perfect book"--a lesson moli-
fled and adapted to the purpose of
creating more general interest in
the physical beauty and WOrthiness of
The book itself as product of modern
art.
"The Kingdom of Books is, in effect.
a guide through the realm of book
making. No, no. not a dreary and
uninspiring domain, Oh, no. not a
dull and arduous journey! You will
fire to it at once. provided you set out
in the good company of Mr. Orcutt
himself. Listen to him for a minute
at the door of the outfarinS: "All my
life | have been seeking a Baedeker
20 the Kingdom of Books. The longer
| seek, the more clearly / understand
the collaboration such a guide book
would demand. and the territory it
would have to cover. But what a
volume it would be, The papyrus
workers of Egypt and the paper
makers of China would unfold their
secrets before my very eyes; the
ancient scribes and the skilled ilu-
m;nators would transmit to me the
responsibility they accepted in giving
to the thought of man an appropriate
vehicle: the jewelers. and gOldSmithS of
the Byzantnes would reveal the fact
that even solid gold. inlaid with
precious stones. was not considered too
costly material for enshrining that
most priceless gem of all in the covers
they wrought.
''Then the master printers of the
fifteenth century would tell me how
the printing press brought this gem
of thought within the reach of others
than the wealthy patrons, and of the
persistent and courageous efforts they
made still to hold the setting true. It
would be a lengthy story, for it must
cover the history of civilization; but /
should find each page more fascinating
than a novel. Most guide books are
useful only when tucked under my
arm as | Journey the world over; this
one would bring the Kingdom of
Books to my own library, where. on
Winters night. with cheerful blaze
in the fireplace, | could study the
monuments at my leisure and com
mune with the great characters of
their Deriods in the revealing exam
nles they have left behind" To those
who. having tried both. declare the
book route of travel to afford salts
factions not attainable in the actual
journeying itself this book comes as
4 sumptuous adventure through the
far centuries and the distant lands
that gave origin and rise to the art
of printing and bookmaking. Here
by way of exciting vicarious adven-
ture you will search dim and unfre-
uuented corners of old book shops in
many a picturesque and exotic quar-
ter Out from these there Will come
to you by way of this ardent adven-
turer and guide the goodly company
of prime ministers to the book -
Gutenberg, Aldus Manutius, the
Elzevirs, John Baskerville, William
Morris and another and another. each
offering out of his own period the
most inspired products of the great.
est of all arts, that of printing. Here
are sketches of the modern masters
of Typography. Here finally is the
book itself in full dress. Here, too,
comes. the book, a personality COM
plete. In the guiSe of a happy out
faring here is budget of instruc-
ton, useful and awakening. upon a
theme that through historical fact.
comparative illustrations. embodied
personalities and plain joyous adven-
ture becomes, by way of William Dana
Orcutt vital and fascinating study
opens up the beauty of true art of
matter that invites to further knowl
edge, to further appreciation and en-
joyment.
IL PENTAMERONE: The Tale Of
Tales. Giovanni Basile. Trans
lated by Sir Richard Burton.
Boni & Liveright.
1t is now just about 800 years
since Giovanni Basile, NeapOlitan
gentleman of taste and leisure. was
wandering through Italy in search of
native fairy tales and folk lore. tradi-
tions and legends. such as everywhere
the people of the soil hold in trust.
precious heritage from the far past for
the enrichment of all future time. l
take it that Basile was behaving much
like the writer of our day. farng here
and there for material or local color
or other whatnot of foundation for his
work. And we may assume that,
finally, his pockets tor their equivalent
300 years ago. bulging with story
stuff. Basile returned and set himself
to the plainly happy task of creating
",rhe Tale of Tales" III Pentamer-
one" i'm frank imitation as to title of
III Decamerone"-fra imitation as
to general method and manner also.