THE LITERARY WORLD

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 90, Issue 166, 19 July 1946, Page 7

THE LITERARY WORLD

Book Statistics. The Bible may still be the most-read book in the United States, but a scientific and exhaustive nation-wide survey of the taste of the American reading public recemlly revealed :hat the Bible was hard pressed in popularity by "Forever Amber” (which js banned in New Zealand by Mr. Nash; and "A Tree Growsin Brooklyn.” Here are the results: 95 per cent, of the people read the Biufe, compared with 84 per cent, who read “Forever Amber 4 and the 57 per cent, who perused "A Tree Grows n Brooklyn." However, a large percentage of Bible readers read only a few verses in church on Sunda\ F or replied that they had read it at some time in their life. How and when do people read hooks? Fifty-eight per cent, read at home sitting quietly and -mokingr 12 per cent, lying in bed; 11 per cent, listening to the radio, and 4 per cent, at work. Thirty-one per cent, of all readers buy a book because it is recommended by some source; 14 per cent, because of book reviews or advertisements, and 36 because they are interested in the subject or the author. The Best-Seller. Margaret Byrnes, recently as chief book-buyer for R. H. Macy and Co. (New York), called it a groat error for publishers and bookseller’, alike to concentrate on the best-sell-ers, to the detriment of the great number of good books that are not best-sellers. Others took issue with this point at a conference of the U.S. Booksellers’ Association. "You can’t rush people into Aldous Huxley,” said one. It was generally agreed that the greatest factor in book sales was a hook’s availability—a factor of which the book clubs have made much capital. Ken McCormick, chief editor* for Doubleday, calk'd the Armed Services Editions “the biggest promotion job ever done” for books and the bookreading habit. A Big- Book. In the battle for slim books Messrs. Nicholson and Watson have entered on thp opposition side with Ferenc Kormendi’s “The Happy Generation.” Its 635 pages weigh 11b. lloz.—enough paper and print, for a couple o f aver-age-length novels or nearly nine “Penguins.” This epic by Hungary’s foremost novelist, originally published in 1934, was translated .nto seven European languages before the outbreak of war, and this is its first appearance in England. It will take up as much room on the shelves as streamlined volumes, but the • 'hers believe it will justify it§ bulk. Se-itisl To “Mr. Bowling.” One of the cleverest psychological thrillers of the war years was "Mr Bowling Buys a Newspaper”—to be.

jiresented in London as a play. 11s author, Donald Henderson- says that in addition to adapting "Mr. Bowling” for the stage he has been writing a sequel, "Good-bye to Murder,” which will be published some time next vo:.r. Donald Henderson has several aliases. He is Donald Bridgwater; ne is Stephanie Landel.s (the name of his three-year-old niece); he is also D. 11. Landels (his mother's name). Under his own and his borrowed names he has held 16 books published out of the 40 he has written. Busy Author. Geoffrey Grigson who divides his time betwen waiting and broadcasting is full of literary projects. He has three books due to be published this year; an anthology, a full-length study of Samuel Palmer (contemporary and friend of William Blake), and a collection of his own poems. The anthology will probably ippear first. It covers the period from Samuel “Hudibras”) Butler to Dr. Johnson. There will be some surprises—in particular the poetry of William Diaper, whom he considers unjustly neglected. Grigson is editing a new critical miscellanv, "The Mint.”