Search

This article presents developments in the field of literature and its publishing, as of June 25, 1891. D.C. Heath & Co. have in press the "Introduction to Modern French Lyrics," by professor B.L. Bowen of Ohio State University. A collection of short stories by George A. Hibbard will presently be brought out by Harper & Bros. under the title, "Iduna, and Other Stories." The new London publishing house of James R. Osgood, McIlvaine & Co. is apparently going to make a specialty of introducing American short-story writers to the British public.

The article presents information on two books "The Best Short Stories, 1933, " edited by Edward J. O'Brien, and "Twentieth Century Short Stories," selected by Sylvia Chatfield Bates. In the prefatory remarks which always precede the stories in his annual anthology, O'Brien is this year even more hopeful than usual about the prospects for the American short story. It is presumably everything that O'Brien understands by good art and since he refers to the current short story in such lyrical terms people take it that he considers the better recent short stories typical of art of this kind. Bates's selection from the field is marked by thoroughness, intelligence, and more good taste than has been shown in a long time.

In this article, the author discusses several books. These books include "The Best Short Stories of 1923," edited by Edward J. O'Brien, "Brothers of No Kin," by Conard Richter, "The Heir," by V. Sackville-West, and "The Elephant Man and Other Reminiscences," by Frederic Treves. The author says that in comparing O'Brien's American anthology of short stories with his British collection a reviewer came to the rare and rapid conclusion that it lacked the homogeneity of the latter volume, and as proof he cited the titles, titles breathing of strange, foreign plots and places, which represent the Jewish and German, Irish and Scandinavian, English and half-breed authors.

The article presents a brief information about various books. The book "The Stones of the House," by Theodore Morrison discusses about tragi-comedy of a college president. "Old Pines and Other Stories," by James Boyd presents some stories about realism. "Water," by Thomson King Macmilan discusses about oceans and its inhabitants. "Prince of Players, Edwin Booth," by Eleanor Ruggles discusses about life of a man. "No Name in the Street," by Kay Cicellis is the collection of short stories.

In her latest collection of short stories, "The Wide Net," Eudora Welty has developed her technical virtuosity to the point where it outweighs the uses to which it is put and her vision of horror to the point of nightmare. Of course even in her earlier work Welty had a strong tendency toward stylism and "fine" writing. She liked to move toward the mythical and she had a heart for decay and an eye for the Gothic in detail. But she also had a reliable and healthy wit, her dialogue could be as normally reportorial of its world as the dialogue of Ring Lardner.

The article presents information on several fiction books. One of the book was "The Winning Lady and Others," by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman, which are a collection of short stories. It marks a definite return to the author's original theme and manner, such development both as time should naturally have brought. The other book was "Friendship Village Love Stories," by Zona Gale focuses on Gale's Friendship Village, an idealized New England which has captivated many readers somewhat surfeited with rural farce on the one hand and rural tragedy on the other.

This article presents information about the book "My Escape From the CIA (and Other Improbable Events)," by Hughes Rudd. Technically, the best story in this book of short stories is "The Fishers 1932." Dramatizing the financial and moral problems of a family of poor whites in Texas during the depression, the story is a kind of serious comedy. Perhaps the least satisfying of Rudd's collection are his war stories. In the story "Mavis at the Beach," Rudd satirizes academic eccentrics and the Beats who inhabit Perry Lane back of Stanford University.

The article discusses about the books of literature that have chosen for the Goncourt prizes. For four years all the prizes have gone to war writers. The only Goncourt Prize book that has won universal reputation is "Le Feu" ("Under Fire"), by Henri Barbusse. Goncourt brothers destined the prize to remunerate a work of imagination-the best novel, the best collection of short stories, the best volume of impressions, the best volume of imagination in prose, and exclusively in prose, published within the year. It stirred Germany herself to praise, which is ominous.