We go abroad, or to the moors, or to the seaside for change of scene and thought; and we seek, in somewhat crude fashions, to make our holiday reading as different as possible from that of our ordinary life in town.

A famous Greek scholar of our time was wont to take away with him on these occasions a batch of Family Herald supplements; and Bismarck’s way was to load up one of his bags with the compositions of those masters of the police story, Gaboriau and Du Boisgobey. Many take with them a volume or two of Balzac. In short, the popular philosophy in the matter seems to be epitomised in the word contrast. And, not very surprisingly, they discover, as a rule, on their return that they have read very little of the books they took with them, and that their policy, in this respect, at any rate, has been a mistaken one.

Consider now the wise holiday reader. He takes a bag full of books with him, most variously assorted. Something of Ibsen, a dash of Pierre Loti, a short conte or so of Balzac, a recent German novel, a philosophical essay or two, something of art criticism. Faites ce que vous voulez is the feeling of the hour; and the wise man sees that he is able to act upon it in his reading as in other matters.

Let our reading be as varied as our moods, as diverse as our whims, and it will leave us grateful and refreshed.

Key quote

“The small sins of the saintly are as hateful as the big sins of the sinful.”

Novelist Coulson Kernahan

Talking point

Paris, Saturday. A lion tamer, named, had entered the cage occupied by a lioness, when the animal suddenly sprang at him and mauled him. His wounds are of so shocking a character that his life is despaired. Lion tamer mauled, Observer news in brief