Scribners: Five Generations in Publishing

by Charles Scribner III

Scribners tells the inside story of five generations—over 150 years—at the legendary publishing house of Charles Scribner's Sons, beginning with its founding in an unused chapel in downtown New York, continuing through its golden era on Fifth Avenue above the famous landmark bookstore and down to the present day. The author, the fifth of the Charleses to work at that house of celebrated authors, provides here an inside view—"between the covers" of illustrious and notorious books—of the family members, editors, and authors of this colorful literary history. Among the writers who illuminate this story, we find in the early years Robert Louis Stevenson, Rudyard Kipling, Henry James, Edith Wharton, Teddy Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, John Galsworthy, and the artists Charles Dana Gibson, N. C. Wyeth, and Maxfield Parrish, who illustrated Scribner's Magazine as well as Scribner books. Then with the arrival of "editor of genius" Max Perkins, the story takes off into the heights of twentieth-century fiction with Scott Fitzgerald, Thomas Wolfe, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, Marcia Davenport, Alan Paton, James Jones and—above all—Ernest Hemingway, that most loyal and enduring author whose works were published by four generations of Scribners. Famous children's classics The Wind in the Willows, Peter Pan, and The Yearling also take their place of honor in the firm's contribution to new generations of readers. This engaging personal account of family history—both in and out of the office—includes the most colorful from Mussolini and Trotsky to Lindbergh and C. P. Snow, as well as behind-the-scenes adventures of the author's father as he navigated the seas with industry storms and publishing corsairs before finding a safe harbor at Macmillan and finally, after the demise of tycoon Robert Maxwell, Simon & Schuster. The author, an art historian, found himself for thirty years in the company of writers by "an accident of birth." But it proved an adventure beyond his reckoning, here told with the candor and informality of a family gathering, as well as with humor and affection for his father, P. D. James, Louis Auchincloss, Andrew Greeley, and other authors with whom he worked personally. As Scott Fitzgerald wrote, "If it wasn't life, it was magnificent."

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Books About Books, Business

224 pages, Hardcover

First published November 7, 2023

About the author

Charles Scribner III is an art historian, author, editor, and lecturer based in New York. He specializes in Baroque art, music, religion, and literature, especially authors published by Charles Scribner's Sons, founded in 1846.

Reviews

[Lisa of Troy]

While I was at the F. Scott Fitzgerald Conference, I had the opportunity to meet Charles Scribner III. He even signed this book for me! I paid $20 for inquiring minds.

Apparently, Matthew Bruccoli resigned from The Cambridge editions because he wanted two changes made to The Great Gatsby: changing Astoria to Long Island City and retinas to irises. The trustees of the Fitzgerald estate did not support these edits, and this hot-head scholar then resigned.

Scribner also said that at some point Bruccoli tried to persuade Fitzgerald's heirs to leave Scribners and move to another publishing house (in other words take The Great Gatsby away from Scribners). Scottie, Scott and Zelda's daugther, declined the offer and stayed with Scribner.

Walking past the Scribners building on Fifth Avenue, I am delighted to pick up this book.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has some very personal memories for me, as well as being a fascinating and personal look at American publishing royalty. My first job out of college was as a marketing assistant at Scribners. I loved arriving at that beautiful building every morning and going up the stairs to my desk. My roommate was Charlie III's assistant on the 5th floor. I spent many hours using my employee discount at the store. Many of the names in the section about the late 70's I remember from my time there.
There is a lot of literary history in this book --- especially about Scott Fitzgerald, Hemingway, etc. But there are also authors I first encountered while working at Scribners--- PD James, Barry Lopez. Charles Scribner III also infuses the book with his own memories of growing up in the illustrious publishing family, and includes many entertaining, humorous and heartfelt anecdotes. I especially enjoyed his account of being involved in an art sting operation in Miami! (He is an art historian by training and "other" profession.
Maybe not everyone will enjoy this book as much as I did but it was a blast from the past for me.

[Mark Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

The distinguished publisher Charles Scribner’s Sons was founded in 1846. For fans of Jazz Age literature, Scribners is probably best known as being the publishing home of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, and Thomas Wolfe. In 2023, Charles Scribner III published Scribners Five Generations of Publishing, a history of the company. Charles Scribner III is the fifth Charles Scribner to work for the family firm, and he and his father oversaw the merger of Scribner’s with Macmillan in 1984. (The Scribner imprint is now a division of Simon & Schuster.)

Scribners Five Generations of Publishing is a fascinating look at the challenges and rewards of book publishing. Scribners has had more than its fair share of famous authors, from Robert Louis Stevenson, Rudyard Kipling, Winston Churchill, J.M. Barrie, Henry James, Edith Wharton, George Santayana, the aforementioned triumvirate of Fitzgerald, Hemingway, and Wolfe, to Charles Lindbergh and P.D. James. Scribner shares personal stories about many of these authors, passed down from his father and grandfather.

I knew I would enjoy reading this book when I read Charles’ description of Henry James: “James is a difficult author to read—beyond my patience—but of towering importance to the history of literature.” (p.29) My sentiments exactly.

Charles Scribner III is a great admirer of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s writing, as am I, and I found his paragraph about Fitzgerald to be an excellent summary of Fitzgerald’s brilliance:

“There is something magical about Fitzgerald...the real magic lies embedded in the prose, and reveals itself in his amazing range and versatility. Each novel or story partakes of its creator’s poetic imagination, his dramatic vision, his painstaking (if virtuoso and seemingly effortless) craftsmanship. Each bears Fitzgerald’s hallmark: the indelible stamp of grace. He is my literary candidate to stand beside the demigods Bernini, Rubens, and Mozart as artists of divine transfigurations.” (p.45)

Needless to say, I concur with Scribner’s assessment of Fitzgerald. There is indeed a magic that surrounds his sparkling prose. Scribner also aptly describes Fitzgerald’s duality: “Just as his life bridged two centuries, so does his work have a Janus-like aspect, looking back to the Romantic lyricism and epic dreams of nineteenth-century America and forward to the syncopated jazz of the twentieth.” (p.43)

Thanks to his family connections, Scribner provides us with a portrait of Ernest Hemingway that allows us a glimpse at another side of this literary legend. Scribner quotes from the moving letter that Hemingway wrote to his father after his grandfather’s death. Hemingway called Charles’s grandfather “the best and closest friend that I had.” Shortly before Hemingway’s own death, he entrusted Charles’s father with his last will and testament, a tribute that speaks volumes about the close relationship between the author and his publisher.

There are other fascinating tidbits as well: Charles’s father considered Charles Lindbergh “the fussiest author he ever had to deal with.” (p.97) Lindbergh was so controlling that he measured the space around punctuation marks! Although I guess that isn’t too surprising, given Lindbergh’s notorious attention to detail. When he was preparing for his historic solo flight across the Atlantic, Lindbergh trimmed all of the white space off of his maps and papers, in an effort to save as much weight as possible.

Throughout the book, one feels something of the sense of obligation and duty that the Scribner family did to keep the publishing house going. There’s an admirable lack of ego that runs through all 5 of the Charles Scribner’s, and the other Scribners who led the firm. Charles Scribner II had a deep disdain for “the vertical pronoun,” as he called it, once circling all the capital I’s on a memo. (p.31)

Charles’s father is an excellent example of putting family duty over personal glory. A brilliant academic, he had to turn away from academia when the family business needed him after World War II. Ultimately, he turned his commitment to scholarly work into editing many of the reference works that Scribner’s published during his leadership.

Charles’s father is also the source of two of my own favorite quotations from the book: “You can always tell a moral question because it makes you feel so rotten.” (p.100) And his bon mot when author James Jones left Scribners for another publisher: “My disappointment is under control.” (p.117)

We also learn from Charles that his piano playing skills might have contributed to Scottie Fitzgerald’s decision to keep Scribner’s as the publisher of her father’s works. In the late 1970’s, thanks to changes in copyright laws, Scottie and her adviser, Fitzgerald scholar Matthew J. Bruccoli, were looking at the possibility of changing publishers. When Scottie arrived at the Scribner’s office for a meeting with Charles and his father, she saw the piano in Charles’s office and asked him to play her something. He played his favorite Chopin waltz. “Halfway through it, I had the chilling thought that Fitzgerald’s future at Scribners might depend on this waltz.” After Charles finished playing, Scottie sighed and said, “It’s all so romantic.” (p.153) And so the works of F. Scott Fitzgerald remained with Scribners, his only publisher in the United States.

Scribners Five Generations in Publishing is a lovely testament to books and literature, and it is a reminder of a bygone era, when a book publisher made decisions based not just on how many units they could sell, but on the talent of young, unproven authors. If you love the world of books, you’ll enjoy Scribners Five Generations in Publishing.

[kerrycat · Rating 2 out of 5]

he lost me when he admits that James' works are "beyond his patience" (a common sentiment) but BUT

to say some of the movies based on his novels are "worth watching, perhaps even reading"

just no

[Jill · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was fine for what it was. My chief criticism is that this just seemed like stream of consciousness recollections from the author that didn't seem to be organized in any particular way. When I learned that he intended for this to be more of a family history to pass along to his grandchildren, I felt like I could give the author a little bit more grace. I feel like learned a few small tidbits that were interesting. It was fun to see all of the books that Scribner's had published over the years. It seemed like a lot of the book was about the relationships between the author's father/grandfather and Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald. I was going to say that this book could have benefitted from a good edit--but it likely had a good edit. So maybe the editors were too close to the subject?

[Zibby Owens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scribners: Five Generations in Family Publishing by Charles Scribner III is an account of the author’s family history in publishing. In the book, Charles shares anecdotes about the fascinating evolution of the family business that spans over 170 years. The book starts with the humble beginnings of Charles Scribner's Sons in a New York chapel, traversing through its golden age and into modern times. It’s a treasure trove of stories about literary giants like Robert Louis Stevenson, Rudyard Kipling, and Ernest Hemingway, whose careers intertwined with the Scribner legacy. Including influential children's classics like "The Wind in the Willows" and "Peter Pan" highlights the firm's diverse impact.

This book was so impressive. The author conveyed so much history within these pages. Each chapter had interesting anecdotes, stories, or pieces of history I hadn’t known. The author doesn't shy away from the controversies or challenges faced by the industry or his family. His self-reflection and his personal connection to the world of literature add a poignant touch to the narrative, making the book feel like a family story rather than just a corporate history. For me, it was a book to savor and read again. Scribners: Five Generations in Family Publishing celebrates literary history, family legacy, and the enduring power of storytelling.

To listen to my interview with the author, go to my podcast at: https://www.momsdonthavetimetoreadboo...

[Bailey Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

More than a solid overview of the history of a distinguished house, this somewhat rambling but beautifully written memoir tells as much about its author, in my opinion, as it does about Scribners.

It's also a fascinating look at publishing as it existed in the pre-internet era, Scribners having started in the 1840s, a time when most "publishing" was done by booksellers and authors. Specializing in the publication process itself was the innovation that launched this great house. Thus, this story is a snapshot of the history of publishing as we know it.

Charles Scriber III, the fifth or sixth of that name (they lost count), views and expresses the world from a rarified social perch, without arrogance or condescension, and in a way that offers a special and, perhaps, unique glimpse into the New York high society of his times. It's likely that, for many readers, there will be a striking sense of "other" in the narrative, and that's part of what makes this such an enriching read.

I listened to the audio format, which was narrated by the author. It was a special treat to hear the story in his own voice.

While I'm not a big fan of memoir in general, I'm glad to have taken the time to let Mr. Scribner tell me his story.

[Mike Violano · Rating 3 out of 5]

My path in publishing and reading has repeatedly crossed with Scribners over the years. I read a few Scribner Classics illustrated by NC Wyeth as a kid then moved on to Hemingway and Fitzgerald in high school and college. The Scribner Bookstore on Fifth Avenue was a must visit destination when I was in the area. Later I joined Simon & Schuster where Scribners titles resided after their acquisition from Macmillan in the early 1990s. So as a longtime fan I looked forward to this book by Charles Scribner III.
The book begins promisingly with a funny anecdote about choosing the title for the Great Gatsby. Much of the book has the bones of the Scribner publishing story but not enough flesh. Chapters on Fitzgerald and Hemingway are among the best but that story is better told and more detailed in A Scott Berg’s Max Perkins: Editor of Genius. When the author finally joins his family publishing company in the 1970s the book teeters between personal memoir and company history. Scribner bestselling authors signed and published more recently—Stephen King, Patricia Cornwall, Janet Evanovich, Barry Lopez—are mentioned in passing but there are no stories shared.

[Jen Postma☕️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating and intriguing!! Stumbled upon this book at Warwick's in La Jolla, CA. Scribners is the history of the publishing house, Charles Scribner's Sons. Among their many noted authors, one is Hemingway (such an interesting fellow!). Hard to put this book down. For book lovers, lovers of classics, and those who desire to learn about publishing history (I learned so much!), you'll enjoy this book! Very well-written!

[Kara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting pieces on authors, especially Fitzgerald, Hemmingway, and P.D. James but the tone seemed off to me. Nothing too terrible ever seemed to happen to the family and everything seemed to come easy so felt like it was only part of the history of the family. I also started noticing how often Mr. Scribner talked about his father being a cryptologist for the Navy and his mother was a professional ice skater.

[Alan Kimball · Rating 5 out of 5]

A solid overview of the publishing history of the publisher and the authors that they published. Hemingway, Wolfe and there is a complete chapter on Fitzgearld which is interesting and informative about the author of the Great Gatsby.

[Sully Augustine · Rating 3 out of 5]

library hardbound - an interesting look into the history of the publishing company and the thinking of the last family member to work for the company before it was subsumed into a faceless media corporation. Best quote ~ 'If you admire an author's works its usually best not to meet him.'

[Thomas Lopez · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun read and a great source for rediscovering classics you’d like to read again! The story is sometimes small and familial but also weaves in a unique perspective on the literary giants who crossed the path of the author. Worth the read

[Enrique Ramirez · Rating 5 out of 5]

SIEMPRE ES BUENO LEER UNA BUENA OBRA QUE UNO NO TENIA IDEA QUE EXISTIAN, ES UM BUEN LIBRO

[Olga Vannucci · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such charmed lives--Princeton, New York.
Publishing's not much like work.

[Joan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I developed a lot of hesitations as I read this book. While it was interesting to read about the Scribner family's role in building one of the great publishing houses in the United States, and about the authors they championed – luminaries like Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Edith Wharton – I was put off by the tone and style of the writing.

There is a real sense of the elite circles in which the family moved and prospered. Their world is a club in which I would not feel very welcome.

The author is actually the fifth generation of the family to work in the business, though his major interest was in art history, but he has managed to balance his work in that field with his strongly-felt obligation to maintain the family legacy.

Two other individuals he mentioned are Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who wrote a book on environmental activism which Scribner's published before he entered the world of the anti-vaccination movement and other paranoid groups, and Donald Trump. He seemed quite comfortable with both of them, even accepting, which I found surprising, and frankly, disturbing. I lost respect for the author at that point, and only finished reading the book since I was quite close to the end.

I cannot recommend this book.