THE MAKINGS OF BOOKS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 663, 13 November 1909, Page 9

THE MAKINGS OF BOOKS.

■-~. It happens-to; be a'book on''French archi- . tecturo_ tiat, raises in us an, oldiiquery: How and why certain books are' wiltten/ The ■.1 , .,-, general presuniption:is.tHat- : every|author.looks ,-.";■ into- his;,own heart and : • writes: r but .many : .; "writers -evidently i-'do :nothing of ■'■ the sort. ~ - by..;lack, of occupation; of -'■ money,; or ■ of both, to write,a book, he,- or more commonly ; she, prudently: consults' the nublishera' lists- ■ -■: Vend airunfotussed intellectual* curiosity. -Shall " ■■.. it be'.'Spanish:Cathedrals'-' or."Family Life in .';. Morocco'? -No.'book-on: either subject has re- -..-■ 'centiy been written; and the latter topic-would " ;.,,be; timoly. -.But.:the, "Troubadours" is'.also-an. ~V; engaging: theme.;. Would not-.i'Wisdom of the. .. ':-.Easr'be,better- worth i reading v up? -More v"; ! saleable, perhaps,-might be /Tlow- to Know the ■' V- or a "Bride's Breviary," culled : .... from all literature.:-So the eminently-impartial mind of tho-born-bobkmaker travails in the- . first.pangs of authorship. '-. - -.■•-.■-. '.-■..'.'. It is the. first step thatcosts, for 'the enhiect once, chosen the;book. as infallibly writes itself as a;Snowball started down-a'slope":becomes of -. ~: montimental define -theso .:.';., creative., mysteries'''were ..perhaps indiscreet. ~:, Yet one may- imagine-the. first visit, to a pub- ■' ~: ( life library, -arid ;the_j'oyous consultitibn 1 ' of the .'■' :6ubject-catalogne...:Here, perhaps,, is .'/one', ot '.;.:..: those revulsions";of .spirit to 'which,"genius .is . ~-:j)rone,"for, a' man orVa ..woman with .only one ; ■ ■.•Shook to:write:certainly;cannot read:d hundred' v "''■ books by:, other • people; :;-A'.. brief ■■ chat with ..,- friendly sub-librarian smooths the way.\ He ■ :: ; hints at". German' monographs, cui-sed'■ in styie :■•:,; but containing of-'-fact, : . latest dis- ..-. •:•;■ toveries 4n ..the', fic'fift/br what.onot. : : - -But the • .bookmaker reads'.no: German. The ", ; advisor ; ' . takbs anpther-tack—siiggests'the encyclopaedias. ■:. -.: Bridlinjj the •bpnkm'n.kei , : explains: that she is inakinj,'.' , a: b00k;,.: that'she..,, possesses the. \. , "Britannica,"- and finds, it"..inhctccfnate; would V the fiub-librarian .. ldndly '.■ recomraend ,an ,"• ;- authority'; not. eiicyclopaedically ..brief• and not' . vif . In/ Gorman?;,''-.Taking: her ; : measurb, ■ho':recalls : : \L »nd recommends,the. 'boot'-'bf .one who consulted ■:',:';: him ;inj a 'similar spirit, fifteen -years:' ago, - and v i:\.hirns.to. the routine 'task: of: persuading- the 1 J.- . vTOurin .genfleman'who -asks.-for a: lively, novel ■"■' ;: - that no really; warits ThacKeray. : : ' . ■ : . .\Meanwhilc,, the: .contonted bookmaker ■ ;has ■■.'-". : ' c(jmm.ence[i;th.B reducjtion/ofjtlie work of his or ' be , ?. prcdecessiJr''lTi'to, : that ; v.raw : v, material-/of . : : m a.nuscript/nqtes\wbei;efrpfii::a'!hew 'book may, ;:.:■:'.■y. jjrameu';- -Besid.es !the 'sto.vjy task'of■ distiUing. ■ '■' .-• tha 'fssehce loi t thej-.easiest',book'''oji the, sabject, there will- be'excursions; and 'alarums into the ; '' : :'B6n'orv>' field.'''BookmaKe'rs'-almo'st inevitably: ■'■. : ::.Je ß \i ; -\tho\wi , 6ngHliings,.- , .but , >ead ■n'gbpd.,deaJ : thev-tto- : Tho nbtositake:on,a:singukrly-ifead-. .■.:.■ n b ]p.4imlify.. : -H!.vin's:.btit : .half-knowledge- or -.;:■';jionei>he:zest'qf (liscpyery/lunchilled by coii- : '■ • S ) [ ]i>jttt:6ns : 'of ■mere , '-aiccm ; ncy,:; snstams. the ■ ; worker)■ Prince Kropotkin has noted;the joy

of-rendjiiff a. languag§.,.that onp .barely/.untlerstanils.' All the words ani phrases'are unstated by familiarity., It is inV'thia'. spirit; that the bookmaker files • commonplace upon commonplace; until -there; is ; a sulEcient, mass to; fill a book.- ;•!,'-.. '■ ■ :'• ' '-.;;. -'■':■■''■. ■ 'J ■'."' : ", : -.".

.Herb wo seem; to approach-, the 'solemn momont of literary creation itself—that moment in which inchoate materials are fused into a new and lovely form. But the caso is really simpler'' , than that. The bookmaker indulges norioof. tho:prodigalities.of authorship.. Ilia plan, always tho most obvious, usually that of tho last bookmaker in the field, has been determined already. The notes, naturally, havo not been mado with pains, in order that somo may he considered and.thrown away. There,is-no nonsense about your bookmaker. All the materials must go in, and when there is onouqli of it, from that day, like Franccsca, she reads no for copying off, tho book is ready. This at feast is the end of it, you will say. Having given pleasure to its creator, its office is accomplished, oblivion awaits it. There could bo no greater mistake.' This ought to ho the fate of such a book, but,-as a matter of. fact, no nautilus over swam moro proudly the sea than do theso. feather-headed books ride into popularity.-It is such works that a regiment of agents impdso blandly upon the unwilling, yet fascinated, farmer's wife.- This provender is duly fed to thousands of women's clubs. The bookmaker is not without honour among publishors, and is mentioned respectfully by literary editors. And tho book itself—oven it does not die. After a fitting ; : season, it: is resolved into notes by a new bookmaker,: recompacted into a'book,' re-eulogised; re-advertised, re-read. The phenomenon partakes of the cyclic cKaractor of cosmic processes. / ■Some impatient and cynical philosopher will ask. Why isn't the bookmaker found out? In a word where value persists, what keeps this literary comedy going at- the '■ publici expense? Here we find something more than the universal love of illusion. The bookmaker has a very definite of being or simulating the average readcT, and the product usually has the undeniable merit of readableness. Tho bookmaker has the plain man's cardinal virtue of not knowing ; much about the subject, but knowing what he likes. What he has happened to like in the desultory process of uncritical note-taking, Tom,i Dick, and Harry, are pretty sure to like in the equally casual process .of reading. They trust, the bookmaker, who is,, or seems to be, thoir own kind. So the plumber of Eochestor will buy a balm for lumbago more readily oh.the testimonial, of the' baker of Buffalo than on that of a banker, from Chicago. Yes, the bookmaker,' if.'a most imperfect,.is also a necessary institution. The problem is not how to-abolish, but how to' amend him. ■-.If.' oriecould add to/his diiiused curiosity a zeal for reasonably exact information, reinforce his industry , with a modicum of scholarship, eliminate his trivialities without, impairing his popular appeal, one might then hail him \as a veritable apostle of. education. Such bookmakers thore have .been. .The ever-delightful.-Mrs. Jameson is, perhaps, the best instance.; And; happily,-such bookmakers •'.; there."; still are, though few—New York "Post.";. :'. ; '...'- ,