THESE CRITICS
[TO the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] SIR,— I read with much interest, in your issue of March 19th last, a letter from Mr. Jerre Mangione, of the Cooper Union Institute Library, New York, describing the attacks that have recently been made upon the dramatic critics by the theatrical interests in that city, which, in my opinion, reflect most credit- ably on the critics, as persons conscientiously performing without fear or favour the mission which has been assigned to them of reporting the new plays which are appearing, and indicating at the same time to playgoers what is worth going to see. Alas, I wish one could say the same of the book critics who review for the English papers the latest novels as they are published. As librarian of an English library in rather a remote corner of the world, I used to rely on their judgement, as the only one available, in selecting our new fiction for the current year. But how have I been misled! To the book critics, in my experience, all new books are super- lativcly.good. In fact, most of the time they seemed lost for a new adjective to describe their superlative excellence. More, their praise of all new novels has becanfie so fatuous that they even rival in exaggeration and in bombast the publishers' own announcements. Of course, some of the novels so reviewed undoubtedly deserve all that is said of them ; but why will they refuse to distinguish between good and bad ?. Is it that they have lost the courage of their convictions, or are they in the pay of the publishers at the same time as that of the newspaper which employs them ? Or is it because they are writers themselves, and therefore cannot bear to say anything hurtful, even though true, of the work of any other member of the fraternity which they belong to ? Be that as it may; I have long since ceased to put any reliance in the book reviewers for the selection of our new books, which is a pity, as one would like to think that, like the dramatic critics, they were performing their task: conscientiously in an endeavour to give faithful news about new books, and guide the book- buyer accurately, instead of thinking so much about the author's feelings, or what the publisher will say, or how it will affect the advertising revenue of their own paper.—I ant,
Sir, &c.,- • •
English Club, Santa Crut, JOGS S. TRANT,
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