SHERRIFF NOT A "ONE-GUN MAN"

Radio Record, 31 July 1936, Page 24

SHERRIFF NOT A "ONE-GUN MAN"

With "Green Gates" He Confounds His Critics R ©. SHERRIFF has confounded * those eritics who described him~ as a One-gun man-that one gun being his immensely successful play, "Joutney’s End." Since then he has written that little gem of English rural life, "Badger’s End," collaborated brilliantly with Auriol Lee over "St. Helena’ and now written a novel, "Green Gates" which the English papers are hailing as one of the most delightful in years. "Green Gates" draws a wonderful picture of the everyday life of a very noudescript little business man. . The story is woven round the cashier of a branch of an insurance company who retires after forty years’ service. In his mind he has worked out quite clearly what he intends to do with his leisure, but somehow eyerything goes wrong. He finds that he cannot settle down to his gardening, and his books on archaeology (a subject which he had decided to study).do not hold him. In addition he is always irritating his wife: and some very amusing domestic troubles arise. However, the situation is saved when Mr, and Mrs. Baldwin

decide to sell their home and all its contents and start afresh by building a modern bungalow with modern furniture on a brand-new housing estate. This complete break from his old environment works wonders with Mr. Baldwin, who finds complete happiness as the indefatigable secretary of the club which is founded by the residents on the estate, Mr. Sherriff shows in this story an almost. uncanny understanding of the little things in life. His characters ar? so vividly painted and so real that, once started, you cannot put his book down until you reach the very, last line. "Green Gates." R. C. ‘Sherriff. Victor Gollanez. Our copy from'the publishers.