Life, 1909-06-17 · page 18 of 32
Life — June 17, 1909 — page 18: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a humorous book recommendation list disguised as a restaurant menu. The conceit, explained in the introduction, stems from a friend trapped on a flood-bound Arkansas train who entertained himself by ordering lavishly from the dining car's bill-of-fare—spending thousands on meals during his enforced captivity. The page presents summer reading suggestions organized like a multi-course meal: books are categorized as "Menu," "Fish," "Entrees," "Joints," "Game—In Season," "Salads," "Sweets," and "Dishes to Order." Each entry includes the book title, author, and publisher. The ostrich illustration appears decorative, likely referencing the absurdity of the literary "menu" concept. The satire gently mocks both the friend's excessive dining behavior and offers readers a curated literary selection for summer travel—suggesting good books provide sustenance comparable to food during idle hours. The "carefully selected" list represents "the best that the markets of the past twelve months have had to offer."
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Gib Je 22 LIFE’S Guide to Summer Reading FRIEND who had just spent the better part of a week upon a flood-bound train in Arkansas recently confided to me that, next to a tin box of Nabisco wafers and three bana his sleeping car was the volumiuous bill-of-fare of a Broadwa timated that during the five days of their incarceration they had ordered from it at least six thou- her as a souvenir. He sand five hundred dollars’ worth of Barmicide meals and had contracted a The subjoined literary menu is offered to the readers of Lire with an eye to like, if less direful, contingencies. that the markets of the past twelve months have had to offer. to satisfy It has been carefully selected you should cut it out and carry the imagination. Menu MoRs-p’oevvnes Tue Lertexs or Jexsie Autex to Her Feirxp Miss Muscrove, by Grace Don- worth. (Smali, Maynard and Company.) Is Sutaxesreane Deav? by Mark Twain. (Harper and Brothers.) Tue AFTER, by (The McC pany Tie Hermit axo tHe Wito Womas, by Edith Wharton. (Ch Ss atvacr, by Owen Seaman. Holt and Company.) Stickrex, by John Muir. Miflin and Company.) By tux Curistaas Fire, by McChord Crothers. (Houghton, and Company.) Tue Diary or a Snow Girt, by Grace Luce Irwin. (Moffet, Yard and Com- feny.) ue Wotrvitte Fouxs, by Alfred Henry Lewis. (D. Appleton and Com- pany.) O. Henry bner’s (Henry (Houghton Samuel Miglin risit at Sea, by Charles Fred- (The Outing Publishing Bio Game erick Holder. .Company.) ENTREES Arasinta, by J. C. Snaith. (Moffet, Yard and Company.) Tue Actress, by Louise Closser Hale (Harper and Brothers.) Arkixsaw Cousixs, by J. Brecken- ridge Ellis. (Henry Holt and Company.) Tue Great Miss Driver, by Anthony Hope. (The Macmillan Company.) Loapen Dice, by Ellery H. Clark. (The Bobbs-Merrill Company.) Tue Max 1x Lower Tex, by Mary Roberts Rhinehart. (The Bobbs-Merrill Company.) Sarno 1x Bostox. Anonymous (Moffat, Yord and Company.) It includes the be t with you on su mer travels, it 1 joints Tur Heart or a Curt, by Frank Danby. (The Macmillan Company.) Hate Way Hovse, by Maurice Hew- lett. (Charles Scribner's Sons.) Lewis Raxp, by Mary Johnston (Houghton, Mifflin and Compan Sostenow Goov, by William de Mor- (Henry He d Company.) Tur Post Girt, by Edward C. Booth (The Century Company.) Tue Turee Brotuers, by Eden Phill rots, (The Macmillan Company.) Toxo-Bencay, by H. G. Wells. d and Company.) (Duf- GAME—IN SEASON Tocetner, by, Robert Herrick. (The Macmillan Company.) Davio Brax, by Morley Roberts. (L. C. Page and Company.) Tue IsMorta Moment, by May Sin- clair. (Doubleday, Page and Company.) . in some unexpect s. the most cherished possession of the small fraternity in restaurant that a lady from Little Rock was taking home with gastronomic curiosity that it would take them a year And, if 1 crisis, keep hope alive by feeding J.B. Kerfoot. Fraternity, by John Galsworthy (G. P. Putnam's Sons.) SALADS Tux May Wuo Was Tuerspay, by G. K. Chesterton. (Dodd, Mead and Company.) Over Bemertox'’s, by E. V. (The Macmillan Company.) Tite Wixo ty tHe Writows, by Ken- neth Graham, (Charles Scribner's Sons.) Lucas. SWEETS Greex Ganurs, by L. M (L. €. Page and Com- A or Montgomery fany.) Cy Wintaker s Pace, by Joseph C. Lincoln. (D. Appicton and Company.) Tue Trait or tHe Lonesome Pine, by John Fox, Jr. (Charles Scribner's Sons.) DISHES TO oRDER Tue Americay Stace oF To-pay, by Walter Prichard Eaton. (Small, May- nard and Company.) Cuartexs or Orera, by Henry Edward Krehbiel. (Henry Holt and Company.) Psycuotierary, by Hugo Munster- berg. (Houghton, Mifflin and Company.) Tuomas Cuattertox, by Charles Ed- ward Russell. (Moffat, Yard and Com- pany.) Tue Goverxaent or ENxctann, by A. Lawrence Lowell. (The Macmillan Company.) G. K. Cirstertox, an Ancnymous Critique. (The John Lane Company.) Tue Live or James McNett Wits- tier, by Elizabeth and Joseph Pennell (The J.B. Lippincott Company.) A Princess oF INteicue, tHe Broc- rapny op ANNe Genxevirve pe Bourson, Ducutesse pe Loxcuevinie, (1619-1679). by H. Noel Williams. (G. P. Putnam’s Sons.) Tue Tecuxiqve or tHe Novet, by Charles F. Horne. (Harper and Broth- ors.)