Re: RARA-AVIS: Reprinting the lost classics

From: Rene Ribic ( rribic@optusnet.com.au)
Date: 31 May 2002


>
> I think 2nd rate work is 2nd rate, even if it is by one of our gods.
> Mainstream publishers should stick to reprinting the classics, lost
and
> otherwise. The junk should be the stock in trade of rare book dealers
and
> small specialty presses catering to people like us.
>
> --
> Scott
>

Mainstream publishers will always chose what they think will sell - quality has little to do with it. Not all the Jim Thompson books are masterpieces but almost all have been reprinted since the 1980's. Personally, I'm glad to have the material available for me to decide which are the good ones & which aren't). And what is junk to one reader may be a flawed masterpiece to another(again, see Thompson reprints). I agree you'd want to see the "good" books republished but I also feel that some authors' books are worth republishing even if they aren't all masterpieces - in the end there's only one way of finding out if a book is any good & that is to read it, which is rather problematic if the book isn't available to read.

Rene

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