The Book-Fiend

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXIII, Issue 22, 1 June 1905, Page 17

The Book-Fiend

The book-fiend is well-skilled in two arts : in that which is known as ' blarney,' and likewise in tihe craft of taking the unwary, as old fowlers took woodcocks, by their eyes. With a cheap and garish cover, splashed with alleged goldleaf that was ' made in Germany, 1 he will often pawn off upon them, at a high price, stuff that has lain upon the publishers' hands till it was sold -at, perhaps, little more than the market value of wastepaper. A, brand-new look is commonly given to the book, partly by the showy binding aforesaid t and partly by the removal of the old title-page and date, ana the substitution therefor of a new one which the keen-eyed will readily discover sewn or pasted on in a manner to gull people who are unsusoicious of such trickery and unaccustomed to book-nend books. A certain book is now being hawked among Catholics throughout New Zealand. We recommend purchasers, or those tempted to purchase, to closely inspect its brand-new title-page. They would also do well to remember that a certain history of Ireland can be had for one shilling from any Catholic bookseller advertising in our columns. A word to the wise ought to be enough.