BOOK EXCHANGE.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SPECTATOR.
Shetutone, 3d January 1849.
Sut—I have published books of which I was the author, at my own expense; and have very many copies remaining unsold. These have now become a burden to the shelves of those booksellers who allowed their names to be placed upon the several titlepages, and they are useless to me. Before however, I make up my mind to self them as waste paper, I cannot help proposing a plan which would, 1 think, be advantageous both to myself and to all who are placed in my situation. It is that we should make arrangements for exchanging our various books, as though we were private friends. Many booksellers would, I am sure, be happy to arrange such transfers gratuitously; and others might charge a small sum for The proposal is ingenious, and there might thus be a considerable private cir- culation of literature. It would, however, be all of one class—the unsaleable. But our correspondent does not, like the authors of the " unacted drama,' propose to trouble the public about the matter; and many may be tempted to exchange encumbrances, each content to give house-room to another man's book in the mere hope of purchasing one more reader for his own.—En.]
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