The Far East holds an unusually important place in the literary world fat the present time, with Chinese authors and books on China leading in the summer and autumn book ists of the larger American publishing houses.
The authority for this statement is Mr. W. S. Hall of Snyder and Hall representatives in the Orient and in Europe for several of America's lars fest publishing companies. Mr. Hall who is in Shanghai for several week: fon hig second trip to the One well-known to readers of the mag zine "Asia" as the former literary editor of the Asia Book Shelf, a position now held by Mrs. Pearl Buck who took over the editorship In April. He is also a contributor to "The Salurdiy Review of Literature" and other American magazines, According to Mr, Hall the autumn of 1935. promises io be one of the most interesting literary periods several season. He predicts that there will be a widespread effect as a result of Dr, Lin Vu-tang's book, "My Country and My People" for which September 19 has been set as publica. ton date, Of this book Mr, Hall said:
'A Fine Book This is one of the finest books that has ever been written about modern China—the Chinese mind and char ter, customs, women and sex life, pottry, prose, drama, art, calligraphy. Rovernment, and social institutions. 1 am reading' the galleys now and it is putting it mildly to say Tam wildly excited about it"
Mr. Hall is also "excited" about another book which deals somewhat with the Orient. 'This is Anna Morraw Lindbergh's, "North 'To The Orient" with original maps by Col, Charles A. Lindbergh, "According to Mr. Hall. Col. and Mrs, Lindbergh refused "U.S$50,000 for' magazine rights for this story because. they id not want the book connected with the Hauptmann trial publicity. Mr. Hall describes this book as an enthralling story, beautifully and humorously written, In general the trend of Amertean fiction is away from stories of depression and clark realism and toward the regional novel. "There are several new ones just published deal-Ing with the soltling of various soclions of the United States," said.
"For instance the Harper's US-$10,000 annual, prize novel, "Honey In "The Horn," selected from 800 manuseripls, conecens the settling of Oregon. "The Wind Blow West" by Yawin Lanham which wilt be pubished sometime this month deals with the early settling of Texas and Aghts with the Indians."
Two Blographies In Mr. Hall's opinion the two outstanding biographies of the year are "Mary Queen of Scotland and the Isles by Stefan Zwelg, of which the frst printing was 75,000 copies, and "Marguerite of Navarre" by Samuel Patnam.
For the most charming book of the year but hardly the sort of a book fo enjoy big sales, Me. Hall has picked "The San Lica" by Colette faire and translated from the French by Heron Van Slyke. This is the story of two French artists who travel the waterways of Europe, selling: their paintings. predict" said Mr. Hall in discussing the' American publications, "that the big novel of the entire season will be "Europa" by Rober! Briffault. Because of lis sensational nature publishers delayed its publi tion for a year and even now its publication in Europe is problemat=
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