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Publishers’ Circular (1880-1890), 1st November 1888, Edition 1 of 1, Page 1342

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    • St. Dunstan's House, E.C. : November 1, 1888.
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      I I342 The Publishers' Circular " Nov. I...

      I I 342 The Publishers' Circular " Nov . i , 1888

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      Literaby Intelligence 1342—1356 Mitt. Bl...

      LITERABY INTELLIGENCE 1342—1356 Mitt . BLACK ' S NEW NOVEL 1843

      NOTES AND NEWS - 1343 / -1345 CONTINENTAL NOTES 1845—1347 AMERICAN NEWS AND NOTES 1347

      THE SALE OF ZOLA'S BOOKS 1348 THE LONDON LITEBARY SOCIETY 1349 , 1350 OBITUARY 1350

      TRADE CHANGES 1350 , 1351 ANNOUNCEMENTS 1351 , 1352 LORD BACON ! . 1352

      BOOKSELLERS' CATALOGUES 1352 , 1353

      MAGAZINES OF THE MONTH 1353 , 1351

      REVIEWS , & c . 1354—1356 INDE £ TO BOOKS PUBLISHED IN GREAT '

      BRITAIN BETWEEN OCTOBER 16 & 31 .. 1 . 357—1360 BOOKS PUBLISHED IN GBKAT BRITAIN FROM ! OCTOBER 16 TO 3 i .. " . i ... 1360—1368

      -NEW BOOKS AND BOOKS LATELY PUBLISHED 1369—1406 , ^ 428 aqSOEIXANEOUS „ 1407—1421

      BUSINESS CARDS 1415—1417 BUSINESSES FOR SALE 1418 | ASSISTANTS WANTED 1420

      WANT SITUATION'S 1420 BOOKS FOR SALE 1421 BOOKS WANTED TO PURCHASE 1421—1427

      St. Dunstan's House, E.C. : November 1, 1888.

      St . Dunstan's House , E . C . : November 1 , 1888 .

      We Hardly Know Whether To Congratulate M...

      WE hardly know whether to congratulate Mr . Vizetelly or sympathise with him .

      It is difficult , very difficult indeed , to give a legal definition of obscene literature . Some

      of the brightest gems of thought are set in the foulest of literary pinchbeck . The law ,

      therefore , can never finally determine what is healthy food for thje mind , or , in other words ,

      what w ill or will not in literature of this kind corrupt or deprave mankind . It is the

      unlettered classes that have to be protected , and their thoughts turned to a wiser direction .

      The cultured man or woman could read ' La Terre' without harm resulting ; indeed , the

      objectionable passages might create a strong feeling of repugnance and disgust that without

      doubt would materially interfere with any admiration which might be felt for the

      acknowledged ability of the writer . Mr . Vizetelly , however , has been fined

      heavily and bound over to keep the peace for publishing M . Zola ' s work . Why he has been

      bound over to keep the peace is one of the mysteries of English law . We are not aware

      that he has developed any pugilistic tendencies , or has any ideas of breaking

      streetlamps , wrenching off door-knockers , or any of those mischievous freaks which usually mrcall

      for ' binding over to keep the peace . ' The decision , however , is a warning to

      the trade . There must be many copies of M . Zola ' s works in our booksellers' shops , and

      it is not improbable that the selling of these may result in punishment . What will be done

      in the case of copies in the original ? In order that a proper idea may be formed regarding the

      position and arguments of the authorities , we give in this number as full an account as

      possible of the proceedings in Court . While speaking of impure literature , either classical

      or vulgar , it must be remembered that the dissemination of good ^—r , rwholesome books is

      increasing at a rapid rate , and the general

      We Hardly Know Whether To Congratulate M...

      desires of the British public may , in this

      respect / be gauged by the quality of the l > ooks which flow daily from the presses of

      the publishers .

      Ioi That The London. Literary Society Sh...

      IOI That the London . Literary Society should

      have come to grief will not surprise those who were acquainted with its mode of

      procedure , fit' was Mr . John Playster Steeds , who went tip for examination in the

      Bankruptcy Court on the 30 th ult ., and modestly stated that 'the Society consisted of himself

      alone . ' In a word , it was autocephalous . We do not wish to rejoice over the collapse of the

      'Society , ' but we cannot help hoping that it will not display the recuperativeness of the

      phoenix . Let even the ashes be buried and forgotten . There are one or two other

      companies and societies of a like nature which might well be dispensed with .

      c Societies' of this kind prey upon the credulity of a very sanguine class of people ,

      namely , those who are strong in the faith that their talents would be recognised provided

      their works were placed before the public . Disappointed , they pass from publisher to

      publisher , finding their compositions or compilations unsuitable . Seldom , indeed , do they

      —• take into account that publishers " of SI standing invariably submit the work of untried writers

      to authorities of repute before rejecting or accepting . It is true that these

      authoritiesreaders , critics , ' tasters / or whatever they may be called—are sometimes in the wrong

      and find an adverse verdict to a book which the public ^— may ultimately app . ^ hlaud . But

      sudden flashes of success are rare . The publisher is usually on the right side . Conscious ,

      however , of inward power , the author discredits V / JL . \ J- % * % M . VKf the UAU ¦ jud V *^ A . gment K ) * - * - * V ¦ / JLJL W M and / AAV « . MtMMA falls . JLKJ a 141 II willing XAAAIlCf victim ^ iVVil **

      to some c society , ' subscribes his guinea a year for whieh he gets nothing , and is induced

      to publish at a ruinous expense , not to the societybut to himself .

      To , exemplify this , one has only to look at

  • Citation
    • Publishers’ Circular (1880-1890), Nov. 1, 1888, page 1342, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/pc/issues/tec_01111888/page/4/