The Timaru Herald. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1906. THE THIRST FOR FICTION.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 12902, 13 February 1906, Page 4

The Timaru Herald. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1906. THE THIRST FOR FICTION.

An icteresiing discuwdon .arose just jec.ntlv in coimec'son vr;th the suppiv >< f literature t<» the public libraiy an ox«e of d»e northern centre. srd figures metequoted to tlw Hi.it am fag practically the whole l»ody of sbe subscribers to Ibe institution in question tberp was do demand f«r .my dw of reading matter except fiction. Apparently She mare *olid kind of literature that deals with history.' biography, travel, science. politics. .and 1 allied subjects. n»? to mention poetry, was ahmisi completely neglected by tic general :i';of tlie leading public. It is a deplorable fact that libra jy statistics and the experience of tic bc«.ksellet* everywhere '«'«) tbe same state «f .aA'airs the last* r «f the public in literature incline- almoK' solely towards n eilf •: f' -a light and j'ri volons description. Tbe >-pj*ad of tie habit «f reading novels is one of tic m<*t remarkable litemy d-rrelopmcnts *>f modern time-. nr.d ha- bt-ct, unfavourably commented "51 by all observe) *of 13it* rigns of aifntal ;.nd mo:*] Hit . ; ; ;< f '■«lnr responsible #< r the <»«imf>r,s '"icre-ise : n the output of novel*; and shojt t*3e*

-!•* <«f coßtsc. ihe 3u<:}*;tse an the Ju'.trjbt'r «i' pw»ple w3it» iiafe msst-cretJ the «J«mctit* ol jceding, at d w3i« .-re the sources »f t.';e detn-'od "hut creates tbe supply. \V:jib ww people the i«-a.dn:g <d n'vcls has now becme .-i passion. ,and the number of such pjwcjoctseius lb at sbev peruw in a year wtuld be »«acw3}.a.i A.»t:ni»bing t« tbe aniajliaJe.il, Worlis of ific:li«n are nowsdsys supplied at prices to suit all parses, and may «*cn be obtained fu- she m«de»t sum of one penny, Ajnong the cla.Ks of literarv productions known as "novels" ihete ate included, it is true, some of the finest works to be found in tbe languace - i«f»dcls of fly]e. real s.twdifs 'if human n.itnie. full «f acute crilirism*. *'classics" in the highest sense of tbe term. But. unforJ#xnate3y, at i* only the smaller ptv>of readers—lljoi«c with a awtje highly dcvt-loped t^ste—that pay much aS--5 en lion to this clams *<f fiction, and the gse.it majority of novel readers -arc content with a much lower kind of mental pabulum. The truth of tbe matter seems to be that, tbe more cilain -an author is never to be mncmbpred ;diei his death, the m*"i* certain be is to find a b>rs<i circle of »«a4*rs during his life. Tbi« will be admitted by t'ompctcnl judges n.<* be' an ©specially oijtccl. estimate of U»c P"«ilion in the literary wojld during, say, the Wl ten years. dust at p«*Cßt tbe wriu-rs of fiction wbo*e woris have anv chance of being read liy posSerity are rcmailiably few; but, go«d. as Ihoxc few -•ire. they do not command tbe larger ♦ba.tw of the patronage of the novel reader. 3be number of n'.vrl writers has nevn 3-««i fro large as ii is a.t lb* l pjescai? day. For Ihe aua or wvaua that fets tic popuUr

in tyXaMh there d* *3wuy» a, ioti.uJw «.t»a werenJ of our jwewmt day JKn-i)ljKi,K 3iav»" unrwedHd m iituug ti® owl that ring* tie I*cU. f and lutv- profited Til* "UDplewiMit adminM<>» ha». t» he Ria.de tiat iie vuua rarjui)*) w>«»it j»t a nutfam jweoe '«rf fiction i« tia/t ji tflijJ] »iak« Ijii.lc <«' no demaind mi th* V thetita! ftriMon of thought that fkm* tirottgi it* puguH tnwtt- t*s Wlia-Dow «>tiotigh for tin lastiest and «n»it «!<■'!thinner to "be able 1« n»e id lim I>trti ojti <ii it, lie incident* ni the «,•)». jmi j-eguit'cd to fee tiatwaJ err- proiai'l? a* 3<,ti£ thw are tmtiKUaJ y.t)d jmrii-ifi in 1 lie nni«aliiy dewre for f ' r "*^ K '^ >''£ 1 r:1 jo:.!i,'., morbid., KU£gef>live. M:.«.y -wjiedal'ly u-<m»na, aiow indulg*- in novel reading a* an,n»y met) da- »» Wr* ji i»* few-urn* w-:Ui tliem a titled iabit, and ibt craving ctimun fregoently <»a ti>«a. Novel reading in- it* proper phcn, and wiea the gw>d dan* **f fwel if w, <f c»m», H-o be ciomjnerxiM. To read the bent novel* m part <»f *v«nr tnan's and every wmrutu'n ■education, a»<3 tie peJtwaJ of tie clawrical **#&* K*f fiction ha* u broadening and cnligitwing <rftect -on the mind. But tUfaie da«w» -of fiction tiat attract the largest immhw <4 reader* of all Jriadis are neilier broaden iiig our «nligit«aing. Their tone i* falws, tie *;ittt:it3or>K are improbable said iiipoKnik. tie ci&raelert- ore not 1 vpicaJ <>f tlirth€ wiici actually crwt, tie <!onverna,tiwn* are unreal, and tie viole wwi coßiitjnji uoiijug tia.t a, competent jtidp? e<uld jwaine iey<«jd a certam aptne«B mi dcvrffijiiiig a, plot ho aw t» iold tie reader in nji-j>en*e try keeping tie final i«Mjfi in <3otiit an img an ponniMe. lie ♦ preud <>j «?d.Dc:ait jt«) }»av placed in tie nf tie maw* tlic aiility to read, ■wiile ui tie OTt time notimg ias been d<«e to develop lit:ir or enable 11 icm iirf* "u iul in liiiecaiws f}v»ai niat ix true. TViai tW 2<etnedy i* *•« <3o not Ltjow : ict ftie *ta,te of affairs Ix> wiici we is re nsforrod i« calcalatcd t» give people wometimg 1<» tiini 'over.