Evening star., 1936-12-26
By NJ. G.. r.

nomenon. It is. in short. an institu-
ton; 1t is an Expected Thing.
The present reviewer, however, con-
fesses curiosity, alive fors some time
past and now conveniently in the
acute stage, as to the quantity Of
books. With her this has quite over
ridden considerations of quality.
Books, as is well known, are written.
It takes time to write one. For every
book. too, there is an author. sitting
somewhere in earnest concentration,
| doing his little best. The reviewers
aforementioned curiosity has recently
taken q pictorial slant. and she has
been trying to visualize the numbers
of bowed heads and cramped writing
hands in secluded chambers, literary
reference rooms, Summer cottages,
desert studios, third floor backs, early
American farmhouses, small town
bedrooms and, mayhap, even the
traditional attic, getting thoughts on
paper. It Is slightly dreadful
speculation, but still fascinating one.
So the reviewer has taken a turn
with the statisticians, who are now In
such very good fashions. And here
are the findings.
Exactly 396 books have been de-
livered daily to the Star Offices from
| January /, 1886, to date, counting
Sundays and holidays. making q total
of 1.412 volumes. With Mr.. Benjamin
de Casseres doing one month land
publishing it at his own expense) and
few other authors producing two
| works in the. period, this brings the
| total number of writers down a bit.
But the figure still remains awe
| inspiring. And for everyone who has
published, let not your mind wander
| to the hundreds who have labored
| without that patent to literary no
bility! For that way lies madness.
It simply cannot be thought on.
And has this been good year?
| Well. in 1885, from January l to
December 81, the volumes received
totaled 1850. With 10 days to 60.
1886 should top it by exactly 1.6
volumes. Pretty regular, apparently.
| y,
seem to be about the usual state Of
| the literary vineyard.
| And about what have these touching
slaves been writing? On this point
the reviewers curiosity went with
vitriol to the subjects of economics.
politics and sociology. How many
| times-how many times, indeed, In
the past twelvemonth has she opened
ble-looking package and
come upon economics, politics and
sociology! Her own answer to that
| bitter question would be, Entirely too
many" But. more faetually (having
turned statistician herselD she is able
| to reply, Exactly one hundred and
eighty-seven." Yes. exactly.
That is, among the 1.4l2 volumes
received, as many as 1877 have been
devoted to economics, politics and
sociology. 1t is impossible to draw
| the line between the subjects. for
! tunately, thus saving much statistical
labor, for our politicians are econ
omists in the current fashion, our
sociologists today are openly (as they
probably have always been desirouslO
politicians. and the modern economist
| is everything except Ineligible.
Thus, every 1.9 days for the past
356 the reviewer has received work
of this fascinating character. Thus.
too, every 19 days for the past $50
a confirmed or budding economist
political scientist-sociologist has re-
| ceived an acceptance slip from some
miserable publisher. Clearly. Demon
strably. Who is there so poor to
envy a book reviewer his job?
IOF COURSE, the fact that it was a
~ campaign year should not be
overlooked No, by no means. Yet
one wonders If the course Of single
human event has been altered in the
tiniest respect by a single one Of these
works. Does it seem likely? On the
contrary, it seems that they will be
read only by brother economists, po-
iitical scientists and sociologists. whose
interest will be limited to COMPARE
sons. But, II one must find q silver
lining, it is possible to 60 to bed
these nights knowing that facts are
not being neglected. One hundred
and eighty-seven shining minds are
toiling as we dullards sleep, to dig
them out for us. Keepers Of the
archives take notice.
The next point which interests the
reviewer-turned-s atistician was the
number of biographies and auto
biographies, particularly the latter.
And the finding here Is llS. Or
put it as above, every 2.9 days for
the last 356, the life Of some man
or woman (but overwhelmingly Of
mem has been written. Every 2.9
days tor the past 356. the reading
public has been invited to consider
an individual Does a great person
arise in life thus often?
The question can safely be answered
in the, negative. for. while vast
number Of these works are autobi-
ographies, the most striking Of them
20 back into history for their subjects
Thus we have two men each of whom
has been the subject of three books,
and these two are none other than our
already well-publicized Founding
Fathers, George Washington and
Thomas Jefferson. No other man on
the reviewers list received such an
addition to his photography, although
julius Caesar and Hitler were written
into personal history form twice. One
woman does take rank with the two
Presidents from the point of view of
literary interest manifested in the
past year, however. This is Lola
Montez, dancer and courtesan Of the
middle nineteenth century Lola got
three books. too. Thus the years
biographical triumvirate.
Among those who wrote their own
lives the largest group was that COM
posed of already established writer's,
generally journalists. This group
represents men In middle life who, to
quote one Of them, have had "a ring
side seat at most of the worlds great