New Style Reviewing

New Zealand Listener, Volume 20, Issue 504, 18 February 1949, Page 8

New Style Reviewing

HE new Sunday Book Review Session from the ZB stations promises to be a wholly worth-while venture. There’s rather more time for the individual book than is provided in the Wednesday night session from 2YA, say, and the fact that several speakers™take part makes for diversity of treatment and ‘style. I do not know whether I am impressed by the system of including in the session remarks by the author of one of the books reviewed, on the grounds that knowing the author we are more inclined to love the book, . I thought Miss G. B. Stern’s voice most putting-off, though her comments on her book No Son of Mine threw interesting sidelights on the book itself. Dr. Tom Garland was blessed above the others taking part in having to review the only book that lent itself to destructive criticism, and he made the most of his opportunities (to the delight, I should imagine, of his audience). Whereas Eric Ramsden, by the merit of his material (Dansey’s How the Maoris Came to Aotearoa) was forced into using such well-worn good work badges as "No library or classroom can afford to be without it," Dr. Garland was able to indulge in "No literary merit whatsoever... . Catalogue of sensational and nasty rarities. ... What the ‘blurb’ calls frank writing is merely potted case notes, and badly potted at that." It’s a nice point (and fortunately not for me to decide) whether it.is better to review bad books and give everyone a good time, or review good books and draw readers’ attention to the’ Highest, which we may presumably love when it is introduced to us. — ee