LIBER'S NOTE BOOK

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 205, 24 May 1919, Page 11

LIBER'S NOTE BOOK

Some Guides to Good .Reading, A Wanganui correspondent ("K'.H.G"), whoso kindly expressed appreciation of my humble efforts in this column is very gratifying, asks 1110 to give him "a general direction" as to what English reviews and nowspaporo he should turn to get "tho most roliablo reviews and information 011 new books and literary matters generally." This is rather a "largo order," but i will do my best. My. correspondent should certainly subscribe to the "Times" Literary Supplement (2d.), which is easily the best literary journal in the world.. Not only aro its rovieivi thoroughly holiest and well written, but it contains a weekly list (with brief criticisms) of practically every new publication as issued. The front page oseays are delightful, and quito free from any "party" or political bins, and the correspondence columns constitute a sort of "Notes and Queries" department, in which omv often finds some very curious and interesting information. Then,' also, let my friend, for such I am sure I can count him as being, after his very kindly letter, subscribe, to what I. have more than onco called "Tlia',-Bookman's Bible," namely, llodder .aiHl Stouglitoii'e valuable monthly, "The l Bookman." For inariy years past I have bought an extra copy of "The Bookman," so that I might estsact articles on and .portraits of authors, with which'l make a practice of "Grangerisin'g" or "extra-illustrating" euch of their works as I have in my modest collection. If my correspondent has access to a good reading room he should look up Mr. Clement K. Shorter's "Literary Letter" in "The Sphere". (9d,),. where, also, he will sometimes find a delightful little essay (often 0:1 a literary, or semiliterary subject) .by. that most genial writer. sfr." E'. jV. Lueis. Thon, again, thero is "Tho British Woekly" (Id.), which contains every week a v erv readable essay 011 e. literary topic by "Claudius Clear" (Sir William Robertson Nicol) find in "The New Statesman" (lid.) t.he weekly article entitled "Books in General," liy "Solomon Eagle" (Mr. J. C.■ Squire) is Always.full of-gor-d things. "The Athenaeum," once the lei'din? 'English literary Weekly, is now a monthly, and seems to nay more attention to polities (from the Labour and' Socialist point of view) thnn to literature- As a guide to' new poetry, Mr. Holbrook Jackson's little monthly, "To-day" (Gd.) is invaluable. Of American . niiblieations.-T find the old-establish-ed "Boolcman" (N.Y., Doraii and Co.) a littlfi "stodgy," but very informative, and the Sunday literary supplement of tint New York "Times" (2d.) and .the Now York "Sun" (2d.) (tho former. rather fhlid, but very trustworthy, oiid the lnt.tor:gay, sparkling,, nnd just r. little flip, jian'l are belli very useful in pivlng lis an idea of literary movemoite in Cousin Jonathan's country. English roviews aro costly, but in all good rflading rooms thero ought, to be conies of tha "Qnnrt»rlv" nnd "Edillbur-h Review"," "T'n '.Fortnightly,"' and "The. National Review." The "New Enelish Review," onco such, an excellent publication, has "gono off" very badly of late. Some Meredithiana. The recently-published "book "George Meredith: Ilis Lifo and Friends in Relation to His Work')" by S. M. Ellis,, seems to have caused some tmall sensation in ■ tho English literary world. Mr, Ellis, who is a grandson of the novelist's aunt (the original of tlm wife of.Major Strike in "Evan Harrington"), has commented somewhat severely upon Meredith's alleged cruol treatment-of his first wife to whoso death-bed he was summoned, but refused to go. On the other hand, it is pointed out that the lady had twice deserted her husband to go off with a lover,' and that were the novelist's side of the matter frankly set,forth, he could scarcely bo .fairly accused of treating his wifo badly. Mr. Ellis, too; seems tojiint that Meredith-was a snob because he chose to mystify the world as to the place whero 110 was born, and the family to which ho belonged. As to this, Mr. Walter.- Jerrold, reviewing' Mr. Ellis's biography in the March "Bookman," very sonsibly remarks:

It was surely. a pardonable weakneas. Had ho flaunted' the fact that his father and 'grandfather had kept ii naval tailor's and outfitter's shop in Portsmouth, the generality of readers would have found in .it matter for derision, would have scott'ed at the vory idea of a tailor's son who should have essayed the portrayal of euch society. as is shown lti "The Egoist," though they might have found something pertinent to the matter in tho surname of -the hero. That there was no real littleness in maintaining a mystery as to his family origin may bo assumed aa certain: were it otherwise it is scarcely conceivable that *hc could have 60 faithfully founded his fiction of "Evan Harrington" ca tho facts of liis own family history. '

And, after all, surely an author can ho most fairly judged by his published work rather than any pergonal and private foibles.