Western Novels Are Army's First Choice in Reading

Taranaki Daily News, 2 September 1942, Page 4

Western Novels Are Army's First Choice in Reading

What happens to all the books which are collected by libraries and the public for the men in the forces? As far as the Dominion's largest inland' camp is concerned, where'-^the-Hreops of the Tank Brigade ' have "beeff "jfTthered from all over New Zealand, the fullest possible use is made of the reading matter donated. For 18 months an attractively arranged library, housed in the Y.M.C.A. Institute under the care of a qualified librarian, has been in constant use by the thousands of men who have passed through during their training. All types of fiction are represented, from the everpopular Western story and the detective thriller to the standard novels of such writers as Galsworthy, Wells, Priestly, Arnold Bennett (to mention only a few), and the distinctly classical Dickens, Scott, Bulwer Lytton, etc. What is the average choice of reading? The first is easily the Western novel, with the mystery tale running close behind. Many read purely for pleasure, and therefore seek the wide open spaces of Mulford's or McLeod Raine's creation; others delight in the thrilling suspense of Oppenheim, Agatha Christie and writers of the same school. Sea stories by Humphrey Jordan and "Taffrail" are always out, and the historical story is not neglected. D. K. Broster and Maurice Walsh are most sopular in this field. One writer whose Dooks are never on the shelf is Leslie Charteris. All the main classes of non-fiction are well represented in the lending list, especially travel and biography. Books for which a special request is made may be obtained from the New Zealand Government country library service on application. Such requests vary widely and inciude Hitler's "Mein Kampf," technical nlumbing, poultry farming, hydraulics, Paderewski's memoirs. and miniature camera photography. Some soldiers read widely, some read avidly all the time, others borrow only occasionally. A few change books daily, but some keep them for the full period allowed. Among the reference section are the two-volume Oxford Dictionary, and two encyclopaedias. A directory is consulted most of all. Thirty-five daily papers are kept in the newspaper racks, and magazines and illustrated weeklies lie on the reading tables. Library extension services are provided for the hospital and for troops on manoeuvres. Patients in isolation in hospital are supplied with books that have outworn their utility in the library, and are afterwards destroyed. The general wards .of the camp hospital are supplied with books and magazines from parcels received. Worn books, loss of which does not matter, are sent to troops out in the field in bivouacs. None of the books or periodicals received by the camp library is wasted. If a book is not strong enough to withstand library handling, then it is made available to other sources to ensure that every item of reading matter donated becomes of the greatest utility to the troops.