Books Literary Gossip

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 160739, 27 August 1920, Page 7

Books Literary Gossip

_ OF INTEREST TO LOVERS Of READING.

Dickens, more than any other great ■writer, knew the life of'the very poor, and understood the tragedy of the every-day menace of the empty cupboard, writes Sydney Dark in John'o' London. But he never forgot the humanity and the humour (the two things are really identical) of the life of the very poor. He and John Bunyan ere the only men in the whole pageant of English literature who speak for the inarticulate common poor man, Dickens died a world-famous novelist. He had earned heaps of money. He was buried in Westminster Abbey. But he remained the child of the mean street. Maishal von Hindenburg’s confidence in the future of the German nation and monarchy lias not been destroyed. In his book “Out of My Life” he says; ' For the time being a flood of wild political passions and sounding speeches iias overwhelmed the ancient structure of our State and apparently destroyed all our sacred tradition. Yet this flood will subside again. Then from -the tempestuous seas of onr national life will once more emerge that rock—the German Imperial House—to which the hopes of our fathers clung in days of yore, and on which the future of onr Fatherland was confidently set nearly half a century ago by our own efforts.” Messrs A. D. Willis have*-just received reprints of Myrtle Heed’s popular ssriea, and those who have been looking forward to having a complete set may now do so at popular prices. The series include “Flower of the Dusk,” a captivating love story; “Old Rose and Silver,” a romance in harmonies; “At fie Sign of the Jack o’ Lantern,” a delightful 'and amusing comedy; “A Spinner in the Sun,” a romance of true love triumphant; “Lavender and Old Lace,” a graceful and fascinating love story; “A Weaver or Dreams,” one of tlie finest stories ever written, and others. Myrtle Reed’s books are of the superior kind, and all lovers of good reading will welcome the chance now afforded of securing these fine books in the cheaper edition. v ■■ The Times reviewer remarks, very truly, that Livy’s apothegms have a remarkable way of fitting themselves to our own experience. And he instances these: “So much easier is it for men of parts to lose the arts of ruling their countrymen than those of beating their foes.” “Cling to your committees, and live

in office as you will, the necessity for military service which 'you evade will still follow you.” “Thus, by taking the middle course, he failed to avoid the dislike of the people, and did not become popular with the upper classes.” “It became evident that, by the most unjust of all judgments, his reputation was 1,0 be made to depend upon tha result of his action.” * H.M.S. “KENT.” “The light cruiser Kent is no longer fit for naval service.” “I fought at Falftlands: Sturdee knows me well; The soul of Cradook knows, and is content: I and my,sisters righted Coronel; Forget mo or remember. I was Kent.” “11.5.” in The Times. NOVELS GIVEN AWAY. Novels ar® to be dearer, but tha public who pay the higher price must not think that the novelist will he tha better off, writes one of the tribe in the Mail. True, Hie royalty the author receives is reckoned on the published price. The 10, 12i, 15, 20—whatever it may be—per cent, that he used to get on 6s ho will (jpw get on 9s.\ All the same ho views the rise in price with some alarm. He fears that by just as much as the price rises so the actual number oi copies will fall off. Tales are told of the big earnings of novelists. These tales are perfectly

true in that some novelists do earn big money. But it is safe to say that tho majority do not get a living wage for their work. And those who do grow rich often do so less by the sale of their books than by tbe sale of serial, dramatic, film and foreign rights. lit is difficult perhaps to persuade the public that most of us novelists practically give away our work ao far as wo got anything out of it. We live in neat homes like other citizens, pay income tax, and look moderately prosperous. But we could not do so if wo depended on what cur novels bring us. Probably nine out of every ten of ua earn our living at some other profes sion. We are journalists, doctors, clergymen, lawyers, merchants, school masters, engineers, actors, all sorts and kinds of busy men, and we writo oui novels overtime. Here is my own tale of six boobs. -Those six books have brought me in royalties .£6O and in serial rights <£4(l —JIOO in all, or leas than a book. If I had not had a typewriter of my own I might easily have paid tho greattr part of that to got my manuscripts typed. And into each book I probably put 1000 hours’ work—and those hours were overtime. , I have had, then, .£IOO for 6000 hours’ work. One hundred pounds is 2000 shillings, and so I have worked throa hours for a shilling. Some may say that I have done, so badly because my books were not wha'i the public wanted. There may be a good deal of truth in that, but I should have received much more in royalties if I had been paid for every copy sold. Not only does the custom of counting every 13 books sold as 12 rob tho author of money ou about 8 per cent, of the copies, but also the system of deferred royalties, common between author and publisher when the author is new or little known, greatly reduces the chance he has of getting an adequate x-eturn. To guarantee the publisher morp ol Jess against serious loss, on my first book 1 received no royalties until 1000 copies, on the second until 500 copies, on the fifth until 500 copies, and on the sixth until 150 copies had been sold. And I Jiave a now novel coming out next month wnich will bring me nothing until the 500 mark is reached. I do not claim to be a philanthropist but it is a fact that I have given away nil these copies to the public. Tho public may say that it is a case of ‘■Thank you for nothing.” And so it may be with my books. But _ other authors give away their books .in the same manner ; and I cannot think that all these novelists have produced “dubs.”

ETJCKY O’CONNOR, by William MacLeod Eaine (A. D. Willis, Ltd.) Bucky O’Connor, one of those stirtin v romances of western life, as told by AV illiam MacLeod Eaine, is a book that can be strongly _ recommended. Every chapter teems with wholesome, stirring adventures, replete with the dashing spirit of the border, and is told with dramatic dash and absorbing fascination of style and plot.

“RED AND BLACK.” By Grace S. Richmond (Methven), H. I. Jones and Son, Ltd. Grace S. Richmond, author of Rod Pepper Burns, etc., has such an “established repiitation as a writer that her books are always seized on with avidity. It will, therefore, be welcome news to readers that her latest bock, “Red and Black,” is now on the market, and it is a gem of the highest standard. “Eed,” of course, stands for “Red Pepper Barns,” and Black for Robert , McPherson Black, minister of “Stone 'Church.” These two men had to be friends, though Dr Burns tried hard not to uke Mr Black. In helping others they came together, and became even closer than brothers; and those who read this beautiful elevating story will agree with us, when we say that in “Red and Black” Mrs Richmond tells in her characteristic style, the story of two strong men, breaking out of their prejudices to help each other. The Rev Eobert Black became a chaplain to one of the first American regiments to, serve in the great war, and his magnificent work, his great bravery, and his love and solicitude for the welfare of the men, won the esteem and respect of the high command There is a delightful vien of romance running through the story, and “Eed and Black” will always find a worthy place in the best of libraries.