COMPARISONS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1108, 22 April 1911, Page 9

COMPARISONS.

The latest number to hand of the Now York "Publishers' Weekly" includes a list of practically all the books published in America during 1910. Tho utility of such a list to bibliographers is obvious, but the statistical tables accompanying it make it of interest to tho ordinary reader also, for thoy enable him to compare in certain respects book publication in the United States'with that in England for the past year. In respect of the number of books published, America has it. Even if, instead of the 516 which, in spite of tho general .election, .wore published here during December, wo reckon 1252—the average of tho three preceding months—as the normal number, we jiavo only a total of 11,540, as against the American total of 13,470. It is worth noting, too, that England publishes more "new editions." America published 1799, and England 2366. In "Fiction and Juvenile Works" America's output of new editions was 311, and England's 1027; in "Poetry and the Drama" 'the respective figures were 31 and 201. Now, making allowance for what may bo included under the entry "Literature and Collected Works" iii the American.lists, and also for our numerous cheap reprints, it would seem a lawful conclusion that in England more books aro published that run into second editions. Another feature is the number ,;pf English.,hj)oks that are offered, to tho'-'Anfirfearr pirbficV In fiction there wore 724, and in. poetry and the drama 272, in each case a largo proportion of the whole, while 'the total for all departments is 426. No statistics are available for- ascertaining "how far. American books'aro offered to tho British public, but it is pretty certain that the English book is more popular in America than the American book in England.—"Manchester Guardian."