[Rarebooks] FS: Fine Booth Tarkington Handwritten SIGNED Letter about Reviewing Books

[Charles Agvent]

TARKINGTON, Booth. AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED (ALS). Indianapolis, 8 April 
1881. A four-page AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED (ALS) in full on 10-1/4" x 
6-1/4" personal stationery folded into four panels to book reviewer 
William McCormick regarding his review of Tarkington's novel THE TURMOIL 
and reviewing in general. In part: "I feel peculiarly grateful to you; 
my feeling about reviews is that a reviewer reviews himself as well as 
the book he is estimating. Most reviews seem to me to reveal more of the 
reviewer than of the book. How many, many for instance, shout of 
egotism; the reviewer being in labor from the outset to demonstrate that 
he is the knowing fellow, the author a faltering apprentice, or worse! 
Your review made me grateful because it was kind enough to see at what 
pains I had been to write 'decent prose.' Such matters are usually 
overlooked because--I cannot help but believe it--because the great 
majority of reviewers have no perspective of prose texture. They do not 
understand it--they cannot even feel it... All my life I have worked for 
prose--for the texture of it--as the primary thing to be obtained--and 
seldom indeed has a reviewer told me that here and there I have obtained 
it... I shall put your review in the one copy of the book which I keep 
and I do thank you!" Also with a one-page 1930 AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED 
(ALS) from McCormick to the purchaser of this letter from him giving him 
the provenance of the letter, along with a typed transcript of 
Tarkington's letter. Ink smudged in several places, some soiling. Very 
Good with dark ink. (#020966)        $500

https://www.charlesagvent.com/pages/books/020966/booth-tarkington/autograph-letter-signed-als

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