A book
must be very bad before the world condemns it, so bad, in fact, that
its own intrinsic filth disgusts the reader and seals its fate. But,
there is another kind of literature favorably received by that
portion of mankind called respectable, honest, and sometimes even
severe, and whose authority is capable of making a grave impression
on your mind.
It is, therefore, very important for you to know not only the signs
by which to recognize a bad book, but also whom you should consult as
judges in the matter. There can be no question here of those books
professedly immoral, in which vice is eulogized and corrupt maxims
sustained. Those books are not dangerous for you, because they will
not fall under your hands, and even when they would you could not
open one of them without flinging it away with horror;--in this case
the evil--contains in itself its own remedy.
But there are books, less dangerous in appearance, in which the most
delicate situations are represented, clothed in all the charms of
style, well calculated, under their moral guise and serious bearing,
to captivate the heart and imagination.
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