Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-06

Books about books are at once inter-
esting and bafiling. They promise so
much to the booklover, yet too often
leave him with sense Of incomplete
ness, a dissatisfaction because of an in
diligence in shop talk" by the author
Every one has had the misfortune at
some time of being in a company of
persons engaged in some one business,
about which they all talk madly and at
length, leaving one completely out of it.
in o conversational sense.
Army folks talk army, coal people
talk coaf, writer's talk writing, soap
families talk soap, men engaged in the
hauling business discuss the hauling
business-until the poor outsider feels
ready to yell: Say aren't Greta
CARLOS eyes beautiful"
Many book about books strikes the
reader in the same way as these in
tensely selfish communal discussions.
The reader feels that 1t really should
make the broad general topic of books
thing of beauty and Joy forever,
instead of this small chitchat about
authors and editions and papers and
bindings and type.
THE Magic of the Book" William
Dana circuit little, Brown & Co.., Of
tends no more in this regard than was
to be expected. There are a large va
riety of subjects treated, all about
books, of course, or some phase of them.
Here are many aspects of bookmaking
which will be new to the general reader,
although perhaps he may find some Of
them dull enough or rather too tech
nical in approach, although not in
treatment.
We have never seen perfect book
about books, but live in hope of finding
one. Perhaps some reader here knows
Of a volume which has charmed him
with it's geniality, its great love for
books, yet without show Of bOaStful
shop talk"
What one has against shop talk,
either in books or any other matter, is
that it is so intense. Necessarily so, in
all likelihood, yet too intense, making
too much of trivialities for the real
good of the peruser. Those who have
been forced to listen in" on the con-
versation of group of men at lunch
con table know all about this.
Drop into the grill, and take a seat.
At the next table will be four gray
haired gentlemen, all busy citizens of
the world, real men in the street." as
it were, only seated around board now
in the fellowship of good cheer.
liz AGcIl-ldCC0 OikC ID X,
tone so self-reliant that you, at
tempting to stow away fair portion of
split pea soup, have no choics but to
listen.
He is telling something or other
about contractor was 1t contract?
between himself and another party.
This other party seems to have come to
some decision, or taken some action, of
which the speaker does not approve.
II ask you now, could have done
anything else?" he asks. A murmur of
assent goes around the table. There is
something about the difference between
SIS and 500. One is not able to get ex-
actly whether the culprit promised to
pay the former sum, but only handed
forth the latter, or whether the express
charges should have come to the latter
figure only, but in reality bulked to the
first alarming sum and substance.
Anyway, the lean-faced man is cut
UP about it. The man with the REQ
face does not seem to agree with him,
but evidently does not wish to disap-
prove openly. One can hear with half
an ear, however, that he is OF the oppo-
sttion.
+ +
Shop talk, all of it, interesting to
the participants, but scarcely so to the
chance listener, or to the person who
finds himself an involuntary party to
the monologue.