A PRIMER OF LITERATURE

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1726, 29 March 1905, Page 20

A PRIMER OF LITERATURE

Miss Carolyn Wells contributes to the ‘‘Metropolitan Magazine’ 5 of New York an amusing Primer of Literature:— What is the Literature of to-day? Fiction. How is Fiction divided? Into Historical Novels and Nature Books. What is a Historical Novel? One that shows no trace of History or of Novelty. What is a Nature Book? A volume of misinformation about animals. Why are Nature Books popular just now? Because they are the fashion. Mention some recent Nature Books. “The Lions of the Lord,” “Pigs in Clover, ” “The Octopus,” “The Blue Goose,” and “The Sea Wolf.”. What are the best-selling books? Those which sell the best people. What is a Magazine ? A small body of Literature entirely surrounded by advertisements. Why is a comic paper so called? Because it’s so funny that anybody buys it. What is a Critic. A Critic is a man who l writes about the books he doesn’t like. What is poetry? Lines of words ending with the same Bound. What is a Minor PoetP A poet not yet twenty-one years of age. What is a Major Poet? Theih isn’t any. What is a Publisher? A man who is blamed if a book doesn’t sell, and ignored if it. does. What does a publisher mean by Problem Novels? All, except Ivipling’s and Mrs Humphry Ward’s. Whivt makes a book a phenomenal success? Much had, much pad, and much ad.