LITERARY GOSSIP.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 13906, 3 December 1910, Page 7

LITERARY GOSSIP.

Dr. J. C. 'McWalter, chairman of the Dublin Public Libraries Committee, has issued a statement in which he points out that, roughly, there are over

200,000 lendings of novels in the year. "From tbo figures supplied to mc," he says, "I find that tho demand for fiction in oar Dublin libraries goes up to 85 per cent, of the whole. This means tliat it costs the Dublin ratepayer about £3300 a year to supply works of fiction to the Dublin reader. Even so, I do not think the money badly spent, Tiino was when to be seen* with a yellow-backed novel was to he looked oil as one plucked for the burning. Dublin is said to bo a religious city, but of every thousand boolcs borrowed about four are classed as religious." Mrs T. P. O'Connor tells us in her book .of memories that she was onto employed by Harpers as reader of manuscripts. That well-known house informed her that there were three, things they required in a book. It was to be of -mercantile value, it was to bo interesting and it was to bo clean. There never, says Mrs O'Connor, was a more generous publishing firm than the Haryers. The bouse of Murray was to publish last month "Bawbee Jock," :% Highland novel by Amy Maclaren, author of ""With the Merry Austria us," etc. The story concerns a. young Highland chief who is obliged to let his place, and lives a life, of self-.sacrifice among his people, whom loyalty to his family traditions forbids him to desert. He falls in love while staying as a guest in his own house. The story has a good deal to do -with Srottixh clan-sentiment and love of country. A narty of Canadian and American journalists who wore recently visiting the West of England made a halt when in Bath at tho house of tho novelist Mr Clark Russell. The party, knowing he was ill, left cards and a word of sincere sympathy, and from his sick bed the novelist has sent a letter saying how sorry he was to miss the pleasure of seeing those who had called. Ho also speaks of the long illness ho has experienced, and fears that his case is hopeless. Every great publishing house, has to regret a few blunders not easily explained away. Blackwood's lost Sir Walter kScott partly in consequence of some ingenuous criticism, which evoked from tho indignant author the "Black Hussar" letter. '"Zounds, sir! I am one of tho Black Hussars of literature, who neither give not accept advice." i In the life of Alexander Macmillan, it j is revealed that his famous firm has to remember the rejection of Mr Thomas Hardy's first novel. This was entitled "The* Poor Man and the. Lady,." and it still remains unpublished. Macmillan expressed the opinion that, although promising, it would be taken for ''Reynold's Miscellany stuff. ,. There have just been placed in tho Museum at Burns's Cottage, Ayr, by Mr E. S. Hole, copies of German, Russian, and Danish editions of the poet's works. Mr Hole states that he finds tho Danish translation excellent, '"in many cases quite literal, the corresponding Danish wojds conveying the very spirit of the original." The German edition is a. cheap one, tho price being less than 2jd, and Mr Hole does not think that "such a good selection is so cheaply obtainable in B: tun." More interesting still is the fact that the cheap Russian edition, of which Mr Hole has been able to secure a copy,, is now quite exhausted. The Municipality of Rome have adopted the convention regarding the Protestant Cemetery, proposed by the German Ambassador, Herr yon Jagow, .Signor Nathan and Sir Bennoll Rodd. "This news will be great relief to all admirers of Keats who have, ever since 1887, been trembling, lest the "piano regolatore," whereby a road would be made right through the old cemetery, where lie is buried, should bo carried into effect. In 1887 the danger was, says "Mundus," the polyglot review published in Rome, averted only by tae intervention of Queen Victoria, who wrote to King Humbert asking him to exert his influence to preserve the spot made sacred by so many memories, and thanks to the King, the idea of the road was dropped for the timo being. It has recently been revived, but now that this convention has been adopted, it is to be hoped that this beautiful corner will be left untouched for ever. Five thousand new books and new editions in three months! This (says the "Daily Express") is the record of the autumn publishing season. Tho "Publishers' Circular" has issued a special number, in which more than a hundred columns aro devoted to publishers' announcements. Tho most remarkable feature of the present season, is tho decrease in the number of now novels. "We are publishing fewer novels this year," said a publisher to an "Express" representative, "for the simple reason that the novel-buying public grows less and le-ss as the novel-borrow-ing public grows greater. It is seldom now that even an established author sells more- than 5000 copies; the average author, who is neither a genius nor a popular writer, but just, a talented mediocrity, sells between 1000 and 1500. Tho only kind of six-chilling story which sells nowadays is th© Humor-; ous book. A really good humorous story can always command a market. The public want to be amused; they are bored with the flashy 'ccx , novel, and they are tired of -what was once known as the 'great human story.'" What is taking the place of fiction in | the hearts of readers? Tho amvwr-r, as j given by another publisher, is, "The quasi-historical biography, written in a popular manner, and illustrated with reproductions of old manuscripts, portraits, and prints."