Evening star., 1932-06-10

investigates all forms Of art, with not
very much success, perhaps, Is quite
as undesirable As some have claimed.
These men are attempting to know
all, to love all, to plunge fully into the
currents of human endeavor. Theirs Is
not the petty shore -hugging proclivities
of most men, who do . bit of specialize
ing and become quast-experts in some
little line or other.
These men are strivers after an i'm
possible perfection, no doubt, but at
least they strive, and that fact should
be q solace to them and q stop to wag-
ging tongues which would call them un-
pleasant names.
In the world of books there are count
less thousands who may not seem to
have any particular qualifications for
the chair Of Applied Appreciation. yet
whose judgments are sure and unfail-
ing in their correctness.
They are the real Appreciators, the
men and women for whom books are
written, after all. The hocum Of life
makes it necessary for many to depre-
cate a best seller" but every one
fishing camp when any work turns def
initely into that class.
Is Lew Wallace's masterpiece, Ben
Hur," any less splendid piece Of work
because 1t made genuine hit?
Best -Sellership means that q book has
certain qualities which appeal, and that
this appeal strikes down to those who
read because they love to read.
There are no hard and fast rules here.
of course. II there were, publishers
would never issue anything but books
which would sell at least l0O. 900 copies
at a minimum, and writer's write no
other sort.
The garden variety Of literary ap-
preciator lacks the precise combination
OF qualities and abilities to go and do
| likewise, but he Is not. therefore, denied
the ability to appreciate fine work Of
art whom some one else achieves 1t.
This Is where most OF us come in.
and 1t ia q pleasant thought that We do
come in 20 consistently and so de-
fnitely. right square into the middle Of
The literary picture. although We may do
no more than read
We, as readers, are those for whom
the masterpieces are written!
That Is q satisfying thought, Is 1t not?
VirEil and Dante and Chaucer and
Shakespeare had us in mind whey they
penned their masterpieces. Not each
Tom, Dick and Harry Of US, to be sure.
but the composite human being which
we represent:
The reader.
| And a reader Is really. above all. an
appreciator. Just as writer must be
a creator, so a reader must be an ap-
preciator.
The more creation. in one form or
other. there is in writing, the better
writing it will be.
/ The more appreciation a reader has
for what he Is reading, the better reader
he Is.
| 1t is eternally true, whether one sits
down to the dictionary. the encyclo-
pedia or the very latest novel.
The duty Of appreciation is a heavy
one 1t means that one must choose ac-
/ cording to ones own tastes and abilities.
without malice to the necessary portion
Of the worlds literature which must be
! overlooked A great American once said
that for every book he chose to read he
passed up 20 others perhaps as good.
But not as good for him. That was the
point. and upon it hinges the whole art
/ OF appreciation. For appreciation Is,
above all. fair It demands justice TO
all. The real aDpreciator. one worthy Of
the name. will not condemn, because
he is too busy appreciating. This is
being An optimist to some point. The
good reader will have his hands so full
Of good books. and his mind and heart
80 attuned in reading them that he will
have no time for futile criticism" of
the semi-expert sort. which Is a veari-
ness to the flesh and a sure sign that
the maker thereof is no appreciator but
ought to take up machinery or dish
washing. or some other congenial oc-
! runatinn