WALTER MURDOCH’S ESSAYS

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 92, 12 January 1935, Page 19

WALTER MURDOCH’S ESSAYS

“The Wild Planet,” by Walter Murdoch ( Sydney: Angus and Robertson).

One reads Professor Murdoch for many reasons; for his wit, his culture, his unexpected attacks on accepted institutions and customs, but, above all for the substratum of really solid and provocative original thought. Sometimes when the reader has failed to observe anything out-of-the-way or worthy of comment in some particular subject, he is surprised into interest by having his attention drawn to some unnoticed aspect by this particular author.

The present volume ranges entertainingly, at times almost ridiculously over a wide field. The title-sfory concerns a palm-leaf manuscript supposedly discovered in the Cave of a Thousand Buddhas at Jun Huanj.” A Sport for Supermen” puts forth a novel scheme for keeping the population within bounds. “The Lime-lighter” hits at publicity seekers, and other articles challenge the position of the church. According to Professor Murdoch, a great deal of the world’s trouble comes from the Devil passing to and from thereon sowing seeds of strife and discord in the shape of abstract nouns. He also has something to say on the delusion called “character-building.” and a few words on the difficulty of locating Conrad’s grave.

Many of these essays have already appeared in Australian publications. Needless to say, the author’s hope that “this is the most uninteresting statement in the book” is realised.