More Maugham
JHEN you consider that a diamond end a lump of coal are but twoeforms of the same substance it should not occasion much surprise if the radio ser al version of a novel bears as little resemblance to its original as coal-dust to cufi-links. However, in the case of The Moon and Sixpence, the two allotropic forms are very closely related. A good novel hes been transmuted into a good serial. It suffers somewhat, of course, from beng forced into the narrow 15minute mould favoured by the Commercial stations, and from the fact that each 15 minutes must lead up to a dramatically decl:imed climax (fast week’s ended in "I hate him! I hate him!! I hate him!!!"’), so that the listener feels as one tossed on a choppy sea rather than car-
ried forward on the strong surge of the original. The character:sation is not all it might be. There is a strong touch of caricature in Colonel MacAndrew which suggests that he may have stepped straight out of Ye Olde Time Theaytre programme, and Charles Strickland has not so far succeeded in conveying that his brutality of utterance results from anyth.ng more elevated than dyspepsia. But the Maugham dialogue is intact,’ even though his marginal comments cannot, because of the dialogue form, be included, and there is the authentic gleam which characterises both real diamonds and real coal.
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/NZLIST19470214.2.16.3
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New Zealand Listener, Volume 16, Issue 399, 14 February 1947, Page 10
Word count
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232More Maugham New Zealand Listener, Volume 16, Issue 399, 14 February 1947, Page 10
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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.
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