College and Research Libraries e r r o r s h a v e c r e p t in, to be s u r e , b u t r e m a r k - ably f e w f o r a w o r k so difficult t o compile and to edit. A n d t h e s e e r r o r s , it should be n o t e d , a r e being c o r r e c t e d in t h e s u p p l e m e n t s as soon as they a r e n o t e d . N o m a j o r c h a n g e s h a v e been m a d e in t h e c o n t e n t of t h e list itself, except, of c o u r s e , f o r t h e s i z a b l e i n c r e a s e in n e w h e a d i n g s w h i c h h a v e been i n t r o d u c e d since t h e p u b l i c a t i o n of t h e f o u r t h edition. T h i s expansion is p a r t i c u - l a r l y n o t i c e a b l e in h e a d i n g s r e l a t i n g to m u s i c and t o t h e l a t e w a r and r e c o n s t r u c t i o n . E s - s e n t i a l l y t h e s a m e h e a d i n g s a r e e x c l u d e d as in p r e v i o u s editions. N o a t t e m p t is m a d e h e r e t o e v a l u a t e t h e a d e q u a c y o r i n a d e q u a c y of t h e h e a d i n g s t h e m s e l v e s , f o r t h e s e a r e r e l a t i v e t e r m s f o r each l i b r a r y , d e p e n d i n g u p o n its collections a n d its clientele. I t is a p p a r e n t b o t h f r o m t h e f i f t h edition itself and t h e s u p - p l e m e n t s w h i c h h a v e been issued t o it t h a t c o n s t a n t e f f o r t is b e i n g d i r e c t e d t o w a r d m o d e r n i z i n g t e r m i n o l o g y a n d r e v i s i n g all s u b - j e c t h e a d i n g s in t h e light of a c h a n g i n g w o r l d and t h e books it p r o d u c e s . T h e r e a r e , of c o u r s e , m i n o r d e f e c t s . I n all copies t h u s f a r seen by this r e v i e w e r , it is evident t h a t t h e b i n d i n g is n o t s t u r d y e n o u g h f o r a book so b u l k y and s u b j e c t to such in- tensive use as this one. I t is r e g r e t t a b l e t h a t t h e binding could n o t h a v e achieved t h e s a m e s t a n d a r d of excellence as t h e list itself and t h e p a p e r on w h i c h it is p r i n t e d . A p p a r e n t l y t h e e d i t o r s h a v e n o t h e s i t a t e d on occasion to m a k e c h a n g e s in s u b j e c t e n t r i e s as listed in t h e f i f t h edition w i t h o u t h a v i n g n o t e d t h e m in one of t h e s u p p l e m e n t s . F o r t u n a t e l y , t h e s e c h a n g e s h a v e been m i n o r in n a t u r e and n o t too n u m e r o u s , b u t t h e i r i n t r o d u c t i o n w i t h o u t w a r n i n g imposes a g r e a t e r b u r d e n on those c a t a l o g e r s w h o a t t e m p t c o n f o r m i t y to L i b r a r y of C o n g r e s s u s a g e in t h e i n t e r e s t of economy. O n e w o n d e r s t o o w h y t h e e d i t o r did n o t con- sider i n c o r p o r a t i n g t h e list of subdivisions (Subject Subdivisions. 6 th ed. 1924) n o w s o m e w h a t o u t of d a t e in a 1936 r e p r i n t e i t h e r i n t o t h e basic list w h e r e a p p r o p r i a t e a n n o t a - tions c o u l d d i s t i n g u i s h subdivision f o r m s , or at l e a s t in a s u p p l e m e n t a r y section in the s a m e v o l u m e . B u t t h e s e a r e r e l a t i v e l y m i n o r m a t t e r s . T h e f i f t h edition of this s t a n d a r d s u b j e c t h e a d i n g list m a r k s an i m p o r t a n t step in its e v o l u t i o n . O f all t h e editions t o d a t e , this is t h e best designed f o r efficient use. L i b r a r i a n s e v e r y - w h e r e o w e a d e b t of g r a t i t u d e to t h e e d i t o r and h e r staff w h o s e p a t i e n c e and c a r e h a v e p r o d u c e d so excellent a p r o d u c t and t o t h e L i b r a r y of C o n g r e s s w h i c h once a g a i n h a s evidenced its i n t e n t of p r o v i d i n g m a x i m u m as- s i s t a n c e a t m i n i m u m cost t o l i b r a r i e s t h e n a - tion o v e r . — C a r l y l e J. Frarey, College of the City of New York Library. Philosophy of Literature Philosophy of Literature. By G u s t a v E . M u e l l e r . N e w Y o r k , P h i l o s o p h i c a l L i - b r a r y , [ 1 9 4 8 ] , 226p. $3.50. T h e P h i l o s o p h i c a l L i b r a r y h a s d o n e a u s e - f u l service in m a k i n g a v a i l a b l e a goodly n u m - ber of s u m m a r i z i n g o r s u r v e y i n g v o l u m e s . I t h a s also t e n d e d t o publish u n d e r s i m i l a r t i t l e s v o l u m e s t h a t a r e in f a c t e c c e n t r i c o r special- ized pleas, so t h a t its i m p r i n t does n o t c e r t i f y t h e book to be of one s c h o l a r l y class, a n d its titles m a y be m i s l e a d i n g . T h e p r e s e n t book by P r o f e s s o r M u e l l e r is of t h e second class. I t s simple t i t l e , Philosophy of Literature, l a c k i n g even a definite a r t i c l e , s u g g e s t s a so- b e r a n d inclusive g e n e r a l position. I n s t e a d , w e h a v e a r e l a t i v i s t i c a t t e m p t to d e m o n s t r a t e a cyclical, sociological d e v e l o p m e n t of t h e c r e a t i v e i m a g i n a t i o n . " T h e chosen p o e t s f r o m H o m e r to D o s t o e w s k y a r e b e a c o n s illu- m i n a t i n g t h e r h y t h m i c ' u p ' and ' d o w n ' of t h e W e s t e r n civilization d u r i n g t h e l a s t t h r e e t h o u s a n d y e a r s . " I t is difficult t o believe t h a t such a t h e o r y c a n define t h e t r u e g r e a t n e s s of t h e s e poets, h o w e v e r u s e f u l t h e sociological s t u d y of t h e c u l t u r a l b a c k g r o u n d of l i t e r a t u r e m a y s o m e t i m e s p r o v e . Such a book m a y w e l l s e r v e some p u r p o s e in t h e w o r l d of specialized p h i l o s o p h e r s . B u t a l t h o u g h its t i t l e w o u l d seem to r e c o m m e n d it to t h e u n d e r g r a d u a t e ' s g e n e r a l s h e l f , I f e a r it w i l l h a v e l i t t l e u s e f u l n e s s t h e r e . M u c h of t h e w r i t i n g seems t o be a d d r e s s e d to u n d e r - g r a d u a t e s ( e l e m e n t a r y e x p l a n a t i o n s w i t h o u t f o o t n o t e s of t h e f a c t s of D a n t e ' s l i f e , e l e m e n - t a r y d e f i n i t i o n s of w o r d s like " p l o t " a n d " c o n t e n t , " and oversimplified a s s e r t i o n s t h a t " t h e R e n a i s s a n c e is a t r a n s i t i o n and a c o m - p r o m i s e b e t w e e n a religious and a s e c u l a r 184 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES a g e " ) ; b u t m o s t u n d e r g r a d u a t e s w i l l be e i t h e r repelled o r c o n f u s e d by t h e u n e v e n e m p h a s e s of this book. T h i s is n o t to say t h a t P r o f e s s o r M u e l l e r m a k e s n o u s e f u l c o m m e n t s on his chosen a u - t h o r s . M a n y a p a r a g r a p h r e p r e s e n t s an in- t e r e s t i n g and s t i m u l a t i n g point of v i e w . B u t too m a n y of t h e m seem to m e t o be obvious t r u i s m s , cloudy g e n e r a l i z a t i o n s , o r f o r c e d and u n t e n a b l e i n t e r p r e t a t i o n s o r a s s e r t i o n s . " T r o y e v e r l a s t i n g l y s t a n d s f o r e n d a n g e r e d h o m e l a n d s . H o m e r ' s poetic h u m a n i t y be- s t o w s e q u a l s y m p a t h y on f r i e n d s and f o e s . " ( p . 8 ) ; " T h e R e n a i s s a n c e t h r o w s itself w i t h a m y s t i c ecstasy to t h e bosom of n a t u r e . " ( p . 125) ; " T h e concept of t r a g e d y is an u n p l e a s - a n t a e s t h e t i c concept, b e c a u s e it defies ex- p l a n a t i o n . " ( p . 1 1 6 ) . T h e s e a r e a v e r a g e s a m p l e s of t h e t h r e e types. F u r t h e r m o r e , t h e t r e a t m e n t is t o o slight a n d e c c e n t r i c to s a t i s f y t h e s t u d e n t of any one of these a u t h o r s . T h e sixth c h a p t e r , on H a m l e t , E r a s m u s , M o n t a i g n e , a n d R a b e l a i s as i l l u s t r a t i o n s of t h e R e n a i s s a n c e , a l l o t s t h r e e brief p a g e s to a p e r f u n c t o r y s u m m a r y of t w o c o n v e n t i o n a l a t t i t u d e s t o w a r d H a m - l e t ; f o u r p a g e s to t h e a u t h o r ' s h u r r i e d ex- position of his o w n belief t h a t t h e play in- cludes H a m l e t ' s n o r m a t i v e t e n d e n c y t o p u r i f y o r c o r r e c t " t o g e t h e r w i t h t h e o b s t r e p e r o u s and o b s t r u c t i v e blindness of i r r a t i o n a l n a t u r e " ; and t w o p a r a g r a p h s to t h e o t h e r t h r e e a u - t h o r s . T h e style is s o m e w h a t a w k w a r d a t times, possibly f r o m t h e t r a n s l a t i o n of p h r a s e s first conceived in G e r m a n . T h e v o l u m e ; t h o u g h a t t r a c t i v e , is carelessly p r i n t e d , o r p r o o f e d , so t h a t t h e r e a r e t o o m a n y a n n o y i n g s m a l l e r r o r s . —Allen T. Hazen, School of Library Service, Columbia University. Fore'Edge Paintings A Thousand and One Fore-Edge Paintings, with Notes on the Artists, Bookbinders, Publishers and other Men and Women Connected with the History of a Curious Art. By C a r l J . W e b e r . W a t e r v i l l e , C o l b y C o l l e g e P r e s s , 1949. ( C o l b y C o l l e g e m o n o g r a p h no. 1 6 ) . xvi, 194P. $7.50. H e r e is t h e first book t o be published on f o r e - e d g e p a i n t i n g s , a l t h o u g h t h e " c u r i o u s a r t " itself is n o t n e w . B o r n in t h e seven- t e e n t h c e n t u r y , it g r e w s t r o n g in t h e e i g h t - eenth, r e a c h e d its h e i g h t e a r l y in t h e n i n e t e e n t h a n d l i n g e r s on, m a i n l y as a hobby, even t o d a y . A n E n g l i s h invention, and p r a c - ticed m o s t extensively and s u c c e s s f u l l y in E n g l a n d , one w o n d e r s w h y t h e b o o k - m i n d e d B r i t i s h h a v e neglected t o tell t h e w o r l d a b o u t such a f a s c i n a t i n g aspect of b o o k m a k i n g . W e c a n be g r a t e f u l to P r o f e s s o r W e b e r f o r filling this g a p w i t h a d e l i g h t f u l a c c o u n t t h a t is a p l e a s i n g m i x t u r e of a b o u t t h r e e p a r t s l i t e r a r y l o r e w i t h one p a r t book history, t h u s reflect- ing his d u a l p o s i t i o n — p r o f e s s o r of E n g l i s h l i t e r a t u r e and c u r a t o r of r a r e books a n d m a n u s c r i p t s in C o l b y C o l l e g e . P r o f e s s o r W e b e r ' s s t u d y is based on ex- a m i n a t i o n of h u n d r e d s of v o l u m e s w h o s e edges b e a r p a i n t i n g s . H i s c u r i o s i t y w a s a r o u s e d by t h e f e w e x a m p l e s of t h e a r t in t h e C o l b y C o l l e g e L i b r a r y , and by t h e d e a r t h of l i t e r a t u r e on t h e s u b j e c t . H e f o u n d t h e l a r g e s t single collection of all in t h e v o l u m e s a s s e m b l e d by M r s . E d w a r d L . D o h e n y in t h e D o h e n y M e m o r i a l L i b r a r y a t St. J o h n ' s S e m i n a r y in C a l i f o r n i a . T h e " T h o u s a n d and O n e " of t h e b o o k ' s t i t l e r e f e r s t o t h e n u m b e r of f o r e - e d g e p a i n t i n g s listed in an a p p e n d i x . T h e s e a r e located in m o r e t h a n 50 collections, p u b l i c and p r i v a t e . T h e a u t h o r , in e x p l a i n i n g his s u b j e c t , says t h a t m a n y people do n o t k n o w w h a t f o r e - e d g e p a i n t i n g s a r e , even those " w h o h a v e k n o w n and h a n d l e d books all t h e i r lives." F o r e - edge p a i n t i n g s a r e p a i n t i n g s on t h e f o r e - e d g e of a book. If t h e p a i n t i n g s a r e e x e c u t e d on t h e p a n e l w h i c h t h e closed book o f f e r s , t h e n w e a r e d e a l i n g w i t h a p r a c t i c e w h i c h goes back to at l e a s t as e a r l y as t h e t e n t h c e n t u r y , w h e n edges w e r e d e c o r a t e d w i t h designs s t a m p e d into t h e gilt w i t h a h o t tool. B u t it is n o t this obvious kind of f o r e - e d g e d e c o r a - tion w i t h w h i c h this book is c o n c e r n e d . F a r m o r e p r o v o c a t i v e is t h e r e s u l t o b t a i n e d by o p e n i n g t h e book, f a n n i n g t h e leaves, p a i n t i n g a design on this l a r g e r s u r f a c e and t h e n gilding o v e r t h e p a i n t i n g s . W h e n t h e book is closed t h e p a i n t i n g d i s a p p e a r s and t h e edges a p p e a r m e r e l y gilt. N o w o n d e r this is called a " m y s t e r i o u s a r t . " O c c a s i o n a l l y an a m b i - tious a r t i s t , a f t e r p a i n t i n g t h e edges w h e n t h e leaves w e r e f a n n e d f r o m t h e f r o n t , w o u l d f a n t h e leaves t h e opposite w a y and e x e c u t e APRIL, 1950 18 7