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Elkin Mathews: Publisher to Yeats, Joyce, Pound
. 1989 bright clean copy
314 pages, Paperback
First published December 15, 1989
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March 20, 2022
James Nelson’s later volume ‘Publisher to the Decadents’ is one of my favourite books, as it throws lots of light on the various characters associated with the 1890s who were published by Leonard Smithers.
In this volume, Nelson does the same type of thing for Elkin Mathews who, partnered with John Lane until their split in 1894, also published many of the major authors of the period. Lane is perhaps better remembered nowadays as Mathews tended to specialise in poetic rather than prose works but it is fair to say that he revolutionised the market for such as he began to produce editions priced at far lower prices (a shilling) than his rivals who priced such volumes at nearer five. In doing so he helped expose the public to new poets such as Laurence Binyon, Robert Bridges, Henry Newbolt and Stephen Phillips - the latter’s ‘Christ in Hades’ going through seven editions in three years, a huge number for a book of poetry.
Nelson has chosen to focus on three big names associated with Mathews, W. B. Yeats (whose works came to epitomise the ‘Celtic revival’), James Joyce and Ezra Pound, both at the fore-front of modernism. In each of the three chapters, Nelson details the to-ing and fro-ing between publisher and poet as contents and publication dates are set (there are quotes from some amusing/interesting letters between the publisher and poets over such things as papers and colours) and the books success (or failure) charted. Nowadays we think of these names as ‘the greats’ of poetry so it is incredible to think that Joyce’s works sold so very slowly at first or that Pound was forced to cut various poems from his volumes because of fear of prosecution. Even if you have no interest in these people (I must confess I am not big on any of them) it is still fascinating to see the mechanisms at work and Nelson writes with a straightforward but engaging style that makes lifts the book from being a dull academic exercise. However, collectors are not shy of lots of material here; a full(?) descriptive checklist of the books is given which will help in differentiating editions and the like.
Mathews comes over as a nice man; a poetic traditionalist in many ways, but supportive of new authors and with, as shown by his publications an ‘eye’ for interesting writing. I think I would have liked him. He certainly seems more affable than the harder headed and more wily John Lane.
I enjoyed this book a lot and if you like any of the three poets then I imagine you will like it even more than I. Although now quite old I imagine this volume still stands the test of time as Nelson had impeccably researched it- and this still shows. Recommended.
In this volume, Nelson does the same type of thing for Elkin Mathews who, partnered with John Lane until their split in 1894, also published many of the major authors of the period. Lane is perhaps better remembered nowadays as Mathews tended to specialise in poetic rather than prose works but it is fair to say that he revolutionised the market for such as he began to produce editions priced at far lower prices (a shilling) than his rivals who priced such volumes at nearer five. In doing so he helped expose the public to new poets such as Laurence Binyon, Robert Bridges, Henry Newbolt and Stephen Phillips - the latter’s ‘Christ in Hades’ going through seven editions in three years, a huge number for a book of poetry.
Nelson has chosen to focus on three big names associated with Mathews, W. B. Yeats (whose works came to epitomise the ‘Celtic revival’), James Joyce and Ezra Pound, both at the fore-front of modernism. In each of the three chapters, Nelson details the to-ing and fro-ing between publisher and poet as contents and publication dates are set (there are quotes from some amusing/interesting letters between the publisher and poets over such things as papers and colours) and the books success (or failure) charted. Nowadays we think of these names as ‘the greats’ of poetry so it is incredible to think that Joyce’s works sold so very slowly at first or that Pound was forced to cut various poems from his volumes because of fear of prosecution. Even if you have no interest in these people (I must confess I am not big on any of them) it is still fascinating to see the mechanisms at work and Nelson writes with a straightforward but engaging style that makes lifts the book from being a dull academic exercise. However, collectors are not shy of lots of material here; a full(?) descriptive checklist of the books is given which will help in differentiating editions and the like.
Mathews comes over as a nice man; a poetic traditionalist in many ways, but supportive of new authors and with, as shown by his publications an ‘eye’ for interesting writing. I think I would have liked him. He certainly seems more affable than the harder headed and more wily John Lane.
I enjoyed this book a lot and if you like any of the three poets then I imagine you will like it even more than I. Although now quite old I imagine this volume still stands the test of time as Nelson had impeccably researched it- and this still shows. Recommended.
Displaying 1 of 1 review