Show GORGED WITH ITS OWN TRASH I I do not believe that the English I book trade is affected by what Is called the financial depression of the times I believe it has gorged itself on its own trash like the boa constrictor who i i swallowed its blanket I lately own and I died thereof It suffers also from what every other trade suffers from in this century the overcrowding of its ranks What are wanted are a few great publishing pub-lishing houses a very few Instead of what should be this choice few there are scores of firms imbued with the same views of selling bpoks as a grocer gro-cer has of selling sugar and spice Regarded i Re-garded merely as a trade how far how very far Is the publishing trade i of London removed from that of Paris I contrast the cheapest French editions edi-tions of my books with those of the cheapest English editions of them the first so neat and simple In their glossy plain paper covers with their good paper and admirable type within with-in and the second so atrocious In the gaudy pictorial cover which is deemed i needful to attract the eyes of the British i Brit-ish multitude Even in what is called the Library Edition Heaven save the mark there are inferior type and Inferior paper in a rough red common cloth cover Why cannot the French I editions be imitated Ouida In the North American Review |