LITERARY CORNER

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 360, 22 October 1932, Page 3

LITERARY CORNER

"Armchair.")

BOOKS— GOOD, BAD AND INDIFFERENT CURRENT REVIEWS.

(By

"Up Hill," Almey St. John Adcock, Hodder and Stoughton, 7/6. Although the author 'has chosen a rather bucolic setting for "Uphill," it is, nevertheless, a well-told story with human interest running through the pages in a manner which holds the attention while not "presenting thrills and neutrotic excitement. The heroine is a girl who finds life in a caravan with a drunken, though kindly, father and his gipsy companion, intolerable and she for ever dreams of a little home, respectability, a fiireside and someone to love. She tries to get the old man to break away from this nomadic life, hut he dies before her purpose is accomplished. Sooner than continue to roam with the gipsy part-. ner, she flees back to a village where she has met a young poacher. He is by no means a romantic or strong character, and the development of the theme is not exactly upon the usually accepted lines of ideal love stories, but as before remarked, it is full of human interest. The description of the scenery, the tramping of the country lanes, the simplicity of the lives of the characters portrayed, has at times a touch of Geoffrey Farnot's pen, but without the same glamour or dainty dressing. It is all in all just a story of the lives of humble country people, told in a way which gives interest to the daily tasks, emotions and ambitions of ordinary people. For quiet enjoyment the hook can be recommended. * * * 'The Long Rifle," Stewart Edward White. Hodder and Stoughton. 8/6 nett. Much has been written of the American frontier and many wild western stories have been penned in an endeavour to interest :the person in search of a thriller without regard to its literary merit. Consequently the reading public has learned to look askance at anything that savours of American border stories. There need be no misgiving, however, in settling down to read Stewart Edward White's latest novel, "The Long Rifle." In this Mr. White has sought to shed a new light on historical facts and he has succeeded in producing an >extremely readabie novel founded on the aetual recorded incidents of the earlier adventures of Daniel Boone and others. He pictures the conquest of a continent and in doing so covers the enthralling period of 1810 to 1840. Just as the "six shooter" typefies the cowboy era, so the long rifle for the adventurous half-century before 1850. Undoubtedly the "Long Rifle" may he claimed as the author's best production to date. * * * * "lan and Felicity," Denis Mackail;'1 Hodder and Stoughton, 3/6 nett. Mr. Denis Mackail has published a sequel to his delightful novel "Greenery Street," and has called it "lan and Felecity," after that charming and very happily married pair, lan and Felicity Foster, who embarked upon their first adventures in Greenery St. before transferring to other and more commodious quarters "round the corner" in Peninsula Place, where . the scene of this second story is laid. This is eminent'ly a hook for the happily married and in spite of modern fiction and the business of the divorce courts, it will still command a large audienoe. Mr. Mackail is a master of the prosaic. In both "Greenery Street" and "lan and Felecity" he dispenses altogether with anything so pretentious as a plot but makes his readers live with his characters because they are so absolutely "one of us." Mr. Mackail can write a whole chapter ahout the worries of a wife in despatching her husband to the offlce or in preparing for a simple dinner party, but he never falls* It has been said that the highest art in fiction is to utilise the commonplace, and Mr. Mackail has that art. He does not pretend to any "high falutin' " philosophy, and rabid sex-senti-mentalism, or any of the rather noxious ranting which distinguishes so much modern alleged prose. He simply records the trials and joys and sorrows of a charming little family, without affectation, with a delightful touch of humour, and a wealth of timely philosophy that is like a big breath of fresh air. After a wearisome succession of triangle stories, mtrospective sex ruminations, divorce dramas and turgid sentimentalism, this simple, laughter-provoking, very human tale is exceedingly welcome. * * *

("Rata," the N.Z. Annual. Published by Harry H. Tombs, Ltd., Wellington, 2/- nett.). Edited by Mr. C. A. /Marris, the well-known Wellington journalist, an all New Zealand production, "Rata," has made its appearance. This is the N.Z. Annual under a new and very appropriate name. Some of the best known of New Zealand's small but growing band of penmen and women have contributed to its pages, and the publication sets a notably high standard from all points of view. The photography work and art reproduc-

tion is distmctly good and is quite equal to anything of this nature done overseas, while the printing and general detail shows a high standard of craftsmanship. The magazine is well worth while, if only for its exceptionally fine N.Z. photographic studies, but these are only part of the good measure which it provides. James Cowan, Eileen Duggan, Robin Hyde, J. C. Beaglehole and Johannes C. Andersen are among its contributors, with other names not so well known, but contributing' Work of excellent promise. The prose and the verse alike are not only by New Zeaianders, hut they are about New Zeaianders, and New Zealand. "Rata" has a New Zealand individuality as distinct as its name. This young country is youngest of all in its letters, but is from such publications as "Rata" that its young writers must draw their encouragement, whatever their reward may be. Writers, leven more than prophets, have often no honour in their own country, particularly if it be a young country, but "Rata"_ has collected within a very attractive cover something which' is distinctively New Zea-

land and a promise for the future. The cover design itself is the work of I a young New Zealander, Mr. K. M. Ballantyne, at present resident in the United States and is a strilcing example of the designer's art. A number of ths colour illustrations in i "Rata" have already appaared in "Art in New Zealand," which preceded it last month, but it "is nevertheless an ■ entirely individual publication of distinct literary and artistic merit. — i * * * ("The Rope Which Hangs," Gerard Fairlie. Hodder and Stoughton. 3/6 Gerard Fairlie has published a new collection of mystery stories under th'e appropriately ghoulish title of "The Rope Which Hangs." This class of story has still a tremendous vogue, and Mr. Fairlie has the gift of creating the "mystery atmosphere" which alone can make a good thriller. He has a flair for ingenious plots and does not bewilder with a multitude of unnecessary and irrelevant detail. Obviously he sets himself out to write a mystery story and that is what his stories are — enither more nor less. The title story is the best of the three in the hook, although all hold the attenion and are well worth while. Admittedly the atmosphere of a detective story is no place for humour, but Mr. Fairlie might brighten his work by developing the occasional lighter touches which relieve the otherwise rather oppressively tense atmosphere of crime detection. Still, "The Rope Which Hangs" is an excellent thriller and one which can be r.eadily recommended to speed any lagging hour. — nett.)