Book lovers will be interested in remarkable article which appears fu" recent. iaauo of "Truth" on the Book Society's activities. So many people appear to be under the impression tat the selection of "book by the Book Society ie a parc, erty performance, {hat the very searching comments by a will be read with more then British land there is an uneasy, suspicion, especially in regard to "Red Ike," for example, that the influence chiefly at work is the publicity Jagent rather than the expert critic:
has been issly founded on 'A remarkable business enterprise appeal to those worthy folk who Jdesire to keep in the literary swim. but find embarrassment in the choice. Jof new books. Without paying any. Jean join the Book Society, Ltd., and.
be placed "in real toud finest modern literature." four one si month the the member a "selected book" which he agrees to buy at "the ordi published price"; though if he: dace pot like. the book selected he has the option of exchanging it for another in the Society's list of six. The Society's so-called members might perhaps be described more entrance fee or subscription they accurately as its customers, but that would mot sound so nice. Actually the Book Society, Ltd, is a private company which carries on the busi-abou years ago with an ness of booksellers. Tt was sisted authorised: capital of "38,000, soon afterwards increased to £10,000. The original directors were Messrs. JG. "Hudson (director. of the Alawych Advertising Company), tr." Roy de Hoven (an American advertising agent), and Mr. Alan J. Bott (editor). The present direc: tors are, Mr. Bottend Mr. D.C. Page (horticulturist"), "But "the directors figure very inconspicuously in. the pamphlet-prospectus, The names intended to capture attention are those of Mr. Hugh Walpole, Mr. 'B. Priestley, Miss Clemence Dane, Mrs, Sylvia Lynd, and Mr. G. IGordon—the literary" ladies and rents who ast.as the Book Society's selection committee.
Mr. Walpole, the chairman of the Jcommittee," opens the entitled "The Books You Read" wi the pertinent question, "Why should anyone join the Book Society?" [Supporting the definition of a philosopher as one Who asks questions for the Purpose of answering them himself, he proceeds, "Can T look at this question with "a disinterested eye? "es, Tan, If I were a lover of contemporary literature, but. had busy life, I should feel confused fand bewildered by the present flood for new books.... If, however, I had' five friends whose lives. were spent in judging. this contusing world of modern letters, who were themselves writers and orities, who offered me, at no cost at all, con tinual contact with their taste and lexperience—why, I should jump at the opportunity!" exordium is fol-and biographies the five friends to whom we may jump. Unfortunately, Mr. Wale pole's features are masked by big round American spectacles, o I am. junable to verify the disinterested jove. However, I accept the assur-Janice that the committes are given absolute freedom in making their Jxclection of the book for the month, though I venture to question the statement that they explore "the whole feld of contemporary litera~ ture. Anybody may see from glance at the publishers' lists, the committee could not, read a tithe of the mew books even if they made this " full-time job. It is, in fact, explained that the procedure is for the publishers to submit "the cream their MSS." some time before Publication, so that the selection for the month depends primarily upon leach publisher's own search among his own particular wares for those which he regards as the best—or, jit may be, mot as the best but as those most, likely to win the ap-Jproval of the committee, If the committee disagree, the final selection is made by majority vote, and would add much to the interest of these literary verdicts if we were allowed to know when the jury are unanimous and when and how they Jare divided. For instance, did all five or only a majority consider that "Red Tke" among all the publica tions of the month of June "stands out @s a great book'?
5 I have indicated, the Book Society is not—as some people clit suppose—an organisation formed with the purely altruistic object of serving as the guide, philosopher, and friend of the public {in the choice of new books. It is a commercial undertaking, and though private companies do not issue a¢ counts, it may reasonably be assum-fed that this company is cultivating the literary garden with results that Jara satisfactory to the shareholders. There are said to be some 7000 members, each pledged to buy the selected book of the month at the ordinary published price. No doubt exceptionally large wholesale order for the book—which, without this adventitious aid, might have no more than a library circulation—enables the society to get its supply. Jat a cut price, below the usual price to the bookselling trade, and on 7,000 copies of, say, x 7s. Gd. novel made." Naturally, "the booksellers very handsome profit, should be
Jdenounce what they regard as' unfaiv competition, and though, publishers may be disposed to welcome any movement which gives a much= needed stimulus to the buying of books, they are probably not too sure that this particular enterprise is wholly beneficial. The Society boosts one book a month, but what one among 20 many books—not to say so many publishers?
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.