TWO WOMEN WRITERS

New Zealand Listener, Volume 37, Issue 952, 8 November 1957, Page 14

TWO WOMEN WRITERS

DINNER DOESN’T MATTER, by Mary Scott; Paul’s Book Arcade, with Angus and Robertson, 12/6. HARVEST OF DARING, pi Florence Preston; Cassell, English price fo. ‘THESE novels are by New Zealand women writers who have had some success with previous books. No effort of local patriotism is required to say that they are well constructed and very readable.

Dinner Doesn’t Matter gives us @ women’s-eye view of modern New Zealand back-country life; with its "rehab" farmers, the essential postmistress-store-keeper, a shifty sheep-stealer and his dog. and so on. -Needless to say, there is no real harm in any of them. Into this stronghold of common sense come two refugees from the city, both female, one flighty and blonde, the other brunette and plain, but with possibilities. The story then revolves around the relations of these two to the local bachelors, with entertaining diversions. It would be easy to treat this book as if it were a chronicle of back-country wossip, but it has two conspicuous virtues; a deft wit, and a complete lack of pretension. It deserves to be popular. Miss Preston set herself a much more difficult task. Her story is also in the back country, but it takes us to the Pioneering days of the Otago high country, and the fortunes of an early settler family. The writing of a successful historical novel demands much more in the way of literary skill than a "contemporary" work, where the writer can draw directly from her experience; and there are dangers of lapsing into an over-conscious effort to give authenticity. We find at first that Florence Preston seems determined to wreck the book by allowing herself about ten times the optimum number of adjectives; but fortunately the difficulties of the plot keep her busy enough to allow the characters to speak for themselves. Thereafter the skill of the author becomes increasingly evident. She is confident enough to introduce some eccentric, dialect-speaking characters without straining the reader’s credulity; the plot has a slightly melodramatic flavour, but is handled well. It is to be hoped that Florence Preston is planning more books, and that she will develop her obvious talents while suppressing some faults; the result may well be an outstanding novel.

Edmond

Malone