Page
MONDAY, JUNE 5, 1933.
LITIARY NOTES
A/THOR'S SALES 30
YEARS AGO
Eger Than Best Sellers
£51
To-Day.
[ar
John O'London's Weekly, homas Burke gives reasons lieving that the most popular au- furs of thirty years ago had big- er sales than the best sellers of b-day.
Howard Spring's
THE CHINA MATE
Guide To New Books.
THE DECAY OF THE LAND: SOUTH SEA ADVENTURES:
CRIME, BURLESQUE AND HORROR
"Creept,"
Mr. Freeman sweels the chorus "Shivers.”
"Shudders" Coming
and
POST-MORTEMS ON THE GREAT.
Illnesses That Have ·
Changed History.
Idols and Invalids. By James
Kemble. (Blethuen, 68.)
If you have a taste for specula. Pond Hall's Progress. By H. half-crown books of short stories tive history and a liking for dis- Freeman. (Chatto and by various authors. The other cussing medical symptoms, this Windus. 78. Gd.)
titles are: "Terrors," "Quakes." volume is excellent entertainment. The author approaches his study He has been looking through
shortly-of famous figures in histery from Jeveral numbers of a literary pe-
of lament which the novelists have! "Nightmares," "Murder and the standpoint of a medical practi-), fedical of that period, and be finds raised over the decay of agricul-Lunacy, Gibbering Fear, Ghosts tioner, and he has a great deal ture in England. Mr. G. S. Street and Hauntings." Thus the jacket that is illuminating to say about that many books now forgotten sold to the extent of 50.000 or 75,- and Mr. Adrian Bell, Mr. Mottram and the contents live well up to the influence of various maladies 009 ropes, while 10,000 was quite In The Lame Dog," Miss Doreen this cheerful promise,
on the celebrated patients who Wallace in "The Portion of the a common sale.
suffered from them. Levites." have all presented facets The first edition of Marie Corelli's Temporal Power." pu-jof this great complex of disasters:
blished in 1909.
to press.
To-day, according to Mr. Burke,
preme seller.
Keason
A Restless Book. Full Measure. Barker, 9s.).
By de Valda.
Thus when we see Judge Jeffreys in the light of what Dr. Kemble has The jacket shows a young man to say about the acutely painful reached 120,000, corniand going down to grass. and before the book was published tithes sucking the last Dood-drops, quaffing deeply the contents of disease with which he was afflicted a second edition of 30,000 was sent the town encroaching, the man of goblet with the whole wide world it is easier to account for his sav
the land losing heart and aptitude. for background. That hits the age temper on the bench. Byron's
Pond Hall was
one of those matter off very well.
auccess with women was in some a first edition of 50,000 is consider taken beauty from the
grand old farmhouses that have De Valda, whoever he may be. degree attributable, to the lame- ed the high-water mark of the sand the Brundrish family was as and that he ran away to Australia tage with men.
centuries; tells us that he was born in Derby, ness which put him at a disadvan The Times noted recently that land as the
'deeply planted in that parcel of by the time he was sixteen. Since] Henry VIII's life was governed,| the real best sellers of the present
house itself. Dick then he has never for long rand a great deal of the subsequent Brundrish. soldiering in Italy,mained in include certain cheap di-
one place. Cannibal history of England changed, by the tiona life that of Axel Munthe's
brought home Teresina as his feasts and revolutions. plagues dictates of a syphilitic infection "Story of San Michele," at which wife; and the tale of Dick and and pestilences, earthquake, fire which gained access in early youth. Teresina is woven into the tragedy and warfare, have arranged to de- Dr. Kemble avers that the story of G0.000 copies were sold in the car- Her higher-priced edition,
With the clare themselves whenever he hap- Henry's brutality is a myth. A di-! of the land's decay. So, 100, the "Search" books of price of wheat tumbling, and bur- pened to be about; and all that hegression into the question of Queen mortgage and an saw and experienced he has vivid-Elizabeth's paternity leads to a H. V. Morton well steady all the dened with a
overdraft, Dick bitterly sum-ly put down in this galloping rest-well-grounded refutation year round at the rate of 2,000 va-
marises Lue Jumes a week. Within the last
doubts raised by Dr. Inge. It is an two years 100,000 copies have been plaint: "They can't do enough for He was
an. Intelligence officer argument in which the obstetrican sold of "3066 and All That" and its cheap bread and out-of-work pay, that has enabled
the townsfolk. They give 'em for a time during the war. and has manifest advantage over the
him to tell the cleric. Elizabeth," sequçi, “And Now All This."
and water laid on, and and truth about that much over-written Kemble, "was the daughter of Hen- Some of the biggest totals are
clectric light, and trams and woman, Mata Hari the spy, about ry VIII, and Anne Boleyn, as aure- reported of certain religious
lavatories, and bazaars and whom "some imaginative jackasss as it is possible for anybody to books; e.g. 280,000 of Hugh Red cinemas, and I don't know what. wrote a book which described the he sura of anything in these mat- wood's "God in the Slums" and 142,000 of the same author's "God but once. when they were hungry, our woman as facing the firing- lers.
they were glad enough to rome and squad clad in nothing more than a Louis XV. and Mme. Pompadour ax us to grow córn for 'em. Now pair of stockings and 3 picture-
Louis XV. provides a highly con they're out of danger, and they hat."
trasting study. He is generally re- don't need us no more."
The truth is, says de Valde, that garded as one of the gayest of ma- This is a frely-flavoured book. "half an hour before she was taken narchs, and here it is Mr. Kemble's thesesne and the characters ad- to the car which drove her to the tarn to cast doubts. He questions mirably attuned.
post at Vincennes, the prison whether Louis's life was really gay doctor wave her a kindly dose of at all. An
have
is the Shadows."
A very few months. ton. been sufficient to carry A. Rus. sell's "For Sinners Only" beyond the 100,000 mark.
GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS
ATLAS FOUND
1607 Treasure In
Heideberg.
countryman's com-less book,
*a*
South Sea Romance.
says
of the
Mr.
examination of the
1 Know an Island. By Julian morphia; they say that the poor King's amoure produces some cur- woman never knew what happened ious knowledge as, for instance,
Hillas. (Hutchinson, 7a. Gd.) Brian Heather was a young man fortunate enough to 18h-rit £5,000
But before that he knock-i
a year.
e about the South Seas, trading
} The islands. There he met Berlin. ¡Neria, win was a chief's daughter,
·
To
}
to her; she was quite in the clouds, when the author gives reasons for
and that was her end."
The New Era. The Architecture
of a
Era. By R. A. Dunean. Archer, 7s. 6d.)
of social
economy.
thinking that there was a very small physical basis at any time an New the attachment between Louis and (Denis Madame Pompadour.
When it comes to Cleopatra Ir
The atlas used by the famous and who had used her chances of "Revolution in the world of ap Kemble is a gallant champion. One warrior king. Gustavus Adophus of edu ation in New Zealand so well pearance" is the sub-title of Mr cannot expect any new facts, but it Sweden, when winning his brilliant that she could quote Rupert Duncan's book, which
aims at is very relevant to the modern victories during the Thirty Years Brooke on the comfortable smell showing how many varied threads study of eugenics to consider her War (1618-48), has been discovered of friendly fingers."
philosophy in the light of intense lo-breeding. religion, art, and aesthetics--meet She was the ultimate product of in the library of the University of, The problem for Brian was
should be marry her or make her in the fabric of architecture, and centuries of closely consanguinious Heidelberg.
It was the work of Gerard Mer-, bis mistress? She was game for how out of all the welter of past unions, and is evidence of the con- catar of Amsterdam, and was print- either course. Everybody told him schools and styles the exigencies tention that when there is a defin- ed in 1607.
what a fool he would be if he of to-day are forcing new methods
to be adopted.
'jite preponderance of good traits Le decided The front cover. bound in heavy married her, but
I was particularly pleased with the members of a family tends to lover bad inter-marriage between dark leather, is decorated with a follow the promptings of honour, medallion of the king and bears and marry her he did. Then he his censure of those who attempt the inscription: Gustavo Adolfo Jesine teat int
country styles in town produce an ever improving stock. building, and his protest against the most complete eugenic argu- But there are some taboos which D. G. Suec Goth Rex.
¡maids his Furn
the idea that "town dwelling is a ments are unlikely to overthrow, The maps are all band-coloured. W will Nerki do here?
alevil to be mitigated by making it The atlas is well preserved, except! Mr. illas R's her off with
The Borgia family Nelson, far for the maps of Germany. which alloping consumption" just as resemble rural conditions as
Columbus, Cleopatra, Queen' Anne, show hard usage. The king's cam- the question is rising to
as possible." Altogether a stimu-) our lipe.
and Mme. du Barry are others paign route in marked with red hus adroitly refusing to face the lating, discursive book that reads
who are subjected to a literary. crosses, the first one being on the only important point to which his like good talk.
post-mortem which is often witty. Baltic const opposite to the island book has tended.
The field is not altogether unex- of Ruegen-Reuter.
plored, but Mr. Kemble entera it with a zest which he quickly com- municates to the reader,
MOSTLY DEATH AND.
MURDER.,
Some New Novels.
London.
inheritance
de- England.
to
DSC
"THE By
Complicated Thriller, Slade Scores Again, Richard Essex. (Jenkins, 76. Gd.)
Lessiter. the smiling gentleman crook. Jent even to his convict clothes "a certain dignity." Bery
:
ROCK" Bright June Number Issued.
In its June Issue the local
Ca-
CENSUS OF BOOK PRODUCTION.
Grey, looking at him, "held her breath for a minute," which is not tholic monthly "The Rock" includes easy. You try it.
jeeveral interesting contributed ar- Conclusion Drawn By Are we downhearted 7
It was not long before Lessiter ticles, of which one on Father Ales- Here are the titles of some of the was out of Blackmoor, and Slade sandro Valignani, the Jesuit mis-
Manchester Guardian. new books that have appeared reof the Yard didn't waste minutes sionary who followed in the foot- cently:
holding his breath. With those steps of St. Francis Xavier, will The census of book production, "Murders at the Crab Apple two opposed, and with La Serpolet, have a great appeal. Among the compiled annually by the Publi- Cafe." "Death at the Wheel," the woman in black whom you a shorter contributions is a memfor shers' Circular, shows that in 1932 "Murders Form Fours," "Death in ways knew by her distinctive of the late Father Netto. S. J.there were published in Great Bri- the Forest," "Murder on the Glass scent, joining in the game, things general interest are reproduced. translations and pamphlets), and Several excellent photographs ofitain 9,251 new books (excluding Floor," "Death Rocks the Cradle,"
moved quickly. With incredible "The Creeping Death" and "R.L.P." complication, though rather HikeThe Problem of the Universe" 4,320 new editions, as against The two most original title are, an electric hare in the Hampton has both scientific and religious 9,197 and 4,125 respectively in
Court, maze.
appeal and "A Shanghai Outing" 1931.
con-
is a bright article from the pen of These figures lead The Manches- Politics and Burglars.
Father G. Kennedy, S. J. The Prime Minister's Pyjamas.]
ter-Guardian to the genera! By Frances Evelyn, Countess of
clusion that publishing is a form Warwick, and Langford Reed. CHAMPAGNE AND SMALL BEER. of industry, adventure and public (Denis Archer, 78. Gd.)
1
LACK OF INTEREST IN GEORGE MOORE.
perhaps:
"The Prime Minister's Pyjamas" and "Why Shoot a Butler?"
Most of the above, of course, are thrillers. The best book of thrills, for some time is "He Arrived as Dusk" (Hodder and Stoughton, 7/6)
Jservice which holds its own exceed- by R. C. Ashby. Here you have
The Prime Minister was a good Should one read much? Many
Jingly well in a time of extreme em- ghostly stuff at its most uncanny, needleman, and so, when the draft writera read
little. The Iato! barrassment and depression for But Scotland Yard is always worth of an important freaty came into George Moore and Robertson Nicall other trades. backing-in fiction. You will And his hands he sewed it into a secretjonce had a little raw about this. bags full of incident in this story; pocket in the back of his pyjama Moore was sorry, he said, not very and sigh with relief when justice) jacket.
(long ago, that he had not learnt is At a country house party alyouth to read much. burglar stole the pyjamas. They in his quarrel in print with N- went to a fence; all the country coll, he said that he read only great. Edward Shanka Ands Gearge was roused by a sensational. ra-books. Robertson: Sicoll said that Moore's later books lacking in in- ward offered for their recovery, one should read books of all sorts.terest. They are beautiful and The authors have realised that among them, many minor books cunning arrangements of words Among the new members of the such a theme affords scope for George Moore replied that he did which he never feels the smallest Authors Society is the Westminster nothing more than the wildest not like both champagne and small impulse to resume if he once puts Bank.
burlesque; and, proceeding accord- beer.
them down.
It is as though a great furniture- "The book on Cecil Rhodes, in maker were to devote his later years General Smuts's opinion, is Sarah to carving elaborately scrolled Horrors (Philip Allan, 28, Bd) Gertrude Millin's, which comes chairbacks for chairs which will "Horrora” is one-of a series of from Chätto and Windus,
never be måde,
is eventually done-Reuter;"
NEW MEMBER OF AUTHOR'S
SOCIETY
The main object of the society isingly, they have, pulled the thing the protection of authors' rights, off well enough.
and the bank has joined it. In its
Creepy Collection
capacity of trusted under the will of the late Sir. Gilbert Parker,
Something
to
remember
H.B.BEER is good for you
NOW MATURING, READY IN A FEW WEEKS.
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