Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-01
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES F.. TRACEWELL.

in the talk fest" which always follows
How Bill had too much, and what silly
things he did. and how Jim fell down
-haw, haw, haw!-and cut his neck
Those who weren't there don't see any
thing so funny about it, but 1t must
have been excruciating, because those
who were there fairly revel in the de-
tails, detail by detail, here little and
there a little.
Half the pleasure Of new books to
some readers is the ability to talk them
over with others. II this is the way
reader fells about 1t, no doubt some
preconcerted plan, such as playing safe
with well known authors, or belonging
10 book club, is the best way.
Since the true enjoyment of book
however, comes in the reading thereof
there can be little doubt that he who
reads to suit himself will get the most
out of reading.
BY selecting his reading as he pleases,
beth from the time-tr.ed and the new,
he will come to a better appreciation of
the totality Of books.
The grand sweep of literature through
the ages is what reader must know If
he is to be anything but participant
in come-on game for living authors
anu tIlSlT publishers.
Nor will he be able to know this
great sweep by his reading in school,
1t is too big. 1t may take him life
time 10 sample 1t even. If he loves
books he will keep this universal
samp!ins gong along steadily with his
dips into the new books as they come
from the presses.
Thus every reader worthy of the
name will necessarily be interested in
the old and the new, not just the new.
The latest books have their place, but
just place. not the whole place. To
talk only about the new books, as II
there were no worthy old ones. shows
the bounder among books. Such an
attitude is only part Of the propaganda
of modernism" which affects to be-
lieve that because a thing is entirely
new it must be completely good. No
greater fallacy was ever perpetrated.
Newness means nothing. in itself-ex-
cept when 1t does. Mostly it doesn't!
Do not feel unhappy, then, If another
accuses you of having missed one Of the
best books" of recent years. 1t can
not be helped. If 1t is your sort Of
book, probably you will find 1t. sooner
or later. YotIr accent Is placed on the
book, not on the newness thereof. You
think more Of what you think about the
books you read than what other people
think about the books YOU don't read.
You place the accent where it belongs,
you believe. as much as these others
misplace 1t, who give to mere time a
place which 1t by no means deserves.
We have always wondered at this
pathetic desire Of SO many to be up
to-date." They are like squirrel in a
treadmill, no sooner do they take q
step and catch squarely up with the
world than a new step presents itself,
and so they keep whirling around. We
refuse to be impressed by this per-
Torrance, especially when 1t comes to
the treadmill of trying to keep up
with the new books" whatever that
means. We prefer to keep up with the
good books. Bring your new" ones
around next year, or five years from now,
and we will have something to 60 on,
for in the meantime you will have dis
covered for yourself that most of them
were just new, not necessarily good
books.