At the end of the “Among the Literati” column in last Sunday’s Bulletin appeared the following line: “The reasons for the flop are obvious.” Readers searched in vain but they never were able to find “the reasons.” The reference was to the publication of Charles Dickens’ “Life of Our Lord” but because of lack of space or for some other unfathomable reason, gentle and irate readers were left in the air and still do not know why the most talked of book of the Spring did not sell.
This week you shall have the unadorned information. “The Life of Our Lord,” which is fast becoming one of the major duds of the year, found a cold reception from book buyers because: 1—It ran serially in at least one newspaper in every city of any size in America. This gave people a chance to read it before buying it, a fatal mistake. 2. Book reviewers with very few exceptions, tore into the tome with justified indignation. 3. Many people objected to the fact that the book was issued by a Jewish publishing house. 4. The price for the slim, padded volume was much too high. 5. Publicity was unfavorable, the fact that Dickens himself desired to keep the book from the eyes of the public being stressed.
Evidently Dickens was smarter than his publishers. He knew that the book wasn’t worth printing.
GOSSIP WITH MALICE
The most outspoken and scathing book review seen in many seasons appeared in the Chicago Daily News on June 9th. It was written by C. J. Bulliet, art critic, on Thomas Craven’s book, “Modern Art.” Bulliet accused Craven of everything from Jew-baiting up or down, as the case may be. Mr. Bulliet himself, once wrote a book called, “Apples and Madonnas,” which dealt with modern art and artists. It was very well received and is still considered one of the most authoritative books on the subjects….
The recent strike of the employees of the Macaulay Company, a Jewish publishing firm, was the most polite on record. Even the arrest of the pickets was carried out with all the amenities. The police seemed actually embarrassed at the employees’ desire to be arrested and apologized because the patrol wagon which called for the strikers was so small. The strike has now been settled with enough victory for everyone.
Johannes Steel, young German refugee is writing his autobiography which will be published in the Fall. It will concern but ten years of his life. He is not quite 30 years of age but has had political and diplomatic experiences the world over.
Aben Kandel’s wife, Judith, is in Hollywood working for a moving picture company while her husband stays in New York caring for the children and finishing his novel, “City for Conquest.”…
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
