Thackeray
QUARTER of an hour spent listening to "Bluebeard’s Ghost" in 2YA’s A Story to Remember session was sufficient to convince me that William Makepiece Thackeray was a man born 100 years too soon. For "Bluebeard’s Ghost" reveals him as a master in the ‘art of radio entertainment-the story is just that happy blend of wit and nitwittery that is considered most suitable to be served up with the housewife’s afternoon tea. The story concerns the widow Fatima, now courted by two suitors, Captain Bluebeard and Frederick, nephew of the Rev. Dr. Sly, to whom appears the ghost of her late husband, presumably to help her with her decision, (Line to remember-When Fatima asks tremblingly of the manservant if the apparition has a blue beard the manservant ‘reports "Yes,
m’am, powder blue.") But apart from this one line there seemed to me very few evidences of the master’s touch, and if I had not heard the annowincements fore and aft I might have wronged a great man’s memory by assuming "Bluebeard’s Ghost" to belong to the same literary family as "Bluebeard’s Eighth Wife."
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/NZLIST19461206.2.30.6
Bibliographic details
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New Zealand Listener, Volume 15, Issue 389, 6 December 1946, Page 15
Word count
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183Thackeray New Zealand Listener, Volume 15, Issue 389, 6 December 1946, Page 15
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Copyright in the work University Entrance by Janet Frame (credited as J.F., 22 March 1946, page 18), is owned by the Janet Frame Literary Trust. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise this article and make it available online as part of this digitised version of the New Zealand Listener. You can search, browse, and print this article for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from the Janet Frame Literary Trust for any other use.
Copyright in the Denis Glover serial Hot Water Sailor published in 1959 is owned by Pia Glover. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise this serial and make it available online as part of this digitised version of the Listener. You can search, browse, and print this serial for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Pia Glover for any other use.