AT
THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, MAY 17, -1958.
THE Robert Pitman BOOK PAGE
T four in the morning the intruder peoped into the Indy's scented boudoir. He
know that she was one of the most sinful women in Paris.
still a shock. -
But the view he got was
On the diven sprawled the lady herself. Neor her on the floor, with one of her feet reating across His knee, squalled France's best-known literary man -Emile Zola, the novelist,
Behind thick lenses Zola's eyes glinted with pleasure. But the pleasure was perfectly innocent. Though a plump, while foot wriggled seductively on ene knee, he hud a note-book propped against the other. While the lady dietated, his pencil serntchett"
011.
MONEY'S WORTH
HARE'S foot is used for rouge,"
Zola
was
"A your fingers
then spread it with the foot, Rouge at the cars for giris Dix young wonen. For a young wontan, from below the eye up to the forehead,"
The explanation was simple,
Zola was a scientific novelist. He was planning dawn WOX
A novel about a courtesun, Though breaking over the Parls roots he was getting his full money's worth by making notes on how *!። herolne would point her face.
But Zoln's research was not lufted le boudoirs.
with cold, he hobbled shyly sun
afler the women of the street during winter nights. Note- book after notebook was filled.
For Zola the pains palt off. He called his book Nasu. On the day of publication 50,000 copies were sold. Soon French cafe entertainers were singing si number called "1's Nanu-turat." At open-air fairs gingerbrend pigs were sold with the names Nano and Zola Inscribed on them in sugar.
TOO GENTLE
AND in Britain? 78 years after Zola sut scribbling A in the lady's boudoir, NANA is being published in paper-buck. (Elek, 38. Od).
Yet when it was first brought to Britain in 1888 Its publishers was sent to prison for three months.
Its reputation has made publishers ilmid ever since,
Why? Well, certainly Nona was shocking. Zola meant it to be, He had just published a mid and tender love story called Une Paye d'Amour,
But for French readers thore were too many pages and not enough amour.
Aslutely Zola commented: "Une Paue d'Amour is too gentle a book to excite the public. We should be satis. fled if we sell 10,000. But we'll
make up on None None
is going to terrific."
LI SEEKINGA 22 5A
Theresa
2.51301
2011 A
ZOLA'S HEROINES MAKE TODAY'S COVER-GIRLS
Naughty
forgiven
Nana is at last
neglect he is selling better here than in Franco.
And the strange phenomenon of British · book-selling can be
the spring book-lists.
They show 11 news Zola titles ke more than Dickens, eight more than Enid Blyton,
But Zole's farmyard animals facking in the kind of distinc- Britain at last. After ages of expressed in the statistics from behave rather more chastely lion pecullor to a sturdy man than Zoln's people. The book of pleasure..........” ends with one of the peasants In her dressing-room Nana 15 roesting his aged father in death not even wearing gauze, Zola in his bed.
writes: "The Prince with half- closed eyes marked the swelling lines of her bosom with an air of connoisseurship." The theatre munnger
exclaims: "These gentlemen know perfectly well what a woman looks like. They won't eat you,"
Yo! when LAND was pub lished agalry in 1954 (Elek, i8. It gol an approving preface trom that ever-delicate writer Angus Wilson.
Since which time it hus sold almost 40,000 coples.
THE FACTS
Zola continues:-
Quick Quotes
COWS,
OUT
HORSES, dog
in fact all normal - beasts, have their hind knees. close up against their bodies. WHY then has Naga had 10
not so sure of that,
In such animals the Joints wait before being risked said the Prince wittily.
half With
way down their hind Zola was right. With biting
legs bend in British muss pubile? that the whole, company began
the opposite · detail he described how the tall, with the
direction and are called hocke The answer may be that It laughing in an cxaggerated veluptuous, tawny-haired Nano
-they correspond to In order to pay him contains something more di mannor worked her way up from the graceful than sex or violence. A proper court."/
heels. An elephant'a hind slums to the slige; from the
The scene cids nt midnight
legs appear almost hum (2) stage to a chateau bought for naughty chapter about Brittsh
royalty.
with the Prince helping Nano
with leneer in the middle and Steiner) her by the Annncler
the hardly In his researches among the deereelly into his carriage.
noticeable hacks fron Steiner's chateau te the. pay-roll of a pious nobleman, facts about the exploits of
only a foot or so‘above the courtesans Zola learned many PHENOMENON
ground. This human rELEM- blanca Edward
may be the reason described her theatre
Vil-then Prince of SUCI are the fruits of Zula's Walcs in Paris.
why most people find their debut . the role of Venus not introduce a Prince of Wales paper-book publle will enjoy for research which the British
first sight of 迄 retrguing Finging voice was ns
elephant irresistibly comic. into his book. He brought in a the first time. 1 Trombone. But,
It seems a shame that at. since she was clad in little but
animal with such THE gauze, the audience coon covered compensations. opera giuksen passed from hand to hand, Nana's Parls success was established.
Count Muffat.
Neue's
cuarse ns
dia- As the
But Euch scenes can be found In any sentimental novel about a
But he did
Prince of Scotland instead.
The prince goes to watch Nana sing-and he insists on going to watch her more closet, back-stage.
Zola describes him:-
Then the Prince mado kls
Largely appearance.
and of beard strongly bull, gh
he was not
End girl with a good heart. 10 and rosy of hue, sordid realism Zolá went further, until the final ghostly scene in which Nana, still young, dies of smallpox, Napoleon III hus Just declared Prussia. In the streets the crowds are caught with patriotis Lover.
Zola writes:-
war
оп
"Nana was left alone, with upturned face in the light cast by the candle..... And over this loathsome and protezque mask of death, the hair the beauti- ful hair all blazed like sunlight and flowed downwards in rippling gold. Vertus was rolling. The room was empty. A great despairing breath came up from the boulevard and swelled the
curta: 'To Berlin! To Berlin! To Herlin!"**
SCHEME FAILS
YET can anything in Nane's A story explain why she has altacked In Britain until now?
Can I really be because of its starkness and candour? I do not think so.
Zoln seemed shoeling, and controversial in his own day: But no one now would, dispute hty claims us one of the great | serious writers of the mo tera age.
Even the mast sensational of his other books have fulled to rouse offence in recent years,
Take Therese Raquin, for example. In that novel Therese and Laurent, mad with love for each other, murder Therese's husband by drowning.
They
No one suspects them. marry" with the blessing of tho dead man's mother, who has been paralysed by the shock of the death, Yet the schema fcils. Each night the guilty pair And the image of tha drowned corpse lying between them, At fast they commit suicide and mama-ln-low guessez the truth.
In Zole' words the novel ends:-
"The corpses lau on the dining-room floor all night, twisted, sprawling. And for almost 11 hours Modome Raquin, stál) and mute, stared at them there at her jeet, unable to fadat har sight sufficiently, triumph- ing over them with fixed hate- filled sycs.".
Nona is not so grim as, that. Yet, quite apart from
bard cover editions, Therese Naquin -under the to THERESA (Coral, 28, d.)...has been sell- ing in Britain briskly in paper- back since 1952. .
Or take Zola's masterpiece. Land When Land was first printed in Britain' its publialier was prosecuted, Jurors stopped their cars when Crown counsel read out a passage about mbul from the first chapter.
But Naha will not be the only new Zola in paper-buck. BEAST IN MAN (Elek, 3x. 8d.) also appears DHUNKARDon which the film Gervulse is bascri -follows this month. The prim GERMINAL, set in a mining village, is already on the stall (Penguin 3s. 6d.).
The Zola flood has begun
majcatio
to
CYRIL ST
A GOLDEN DISC AT
FOURTEEN
YES, HIS
HERE is the latest news surely have rung, up the
· But, rock, ''n' roll; impresario Alan, Freed';doesn't agree, ~ "Sour, grapes", hazgowia,
And moved to eloquent: after- thought, he "kids; Tel's - Inco 1. Rock 'n' roll in bigger than all: oficio.'".
MONTH OF DESTINY
Bho
of destiny for singer Cleo on the record front-millionth sale before he proved the month and this is Cyril Stapleton reaches New York. Equally. Lalde. Her M.G.M. LP. She's presenting it. Top story of certainly, young Laurie will the Top got reves in the
critlog-and" from", me, the week for my money is be photographed holding married her boss bandleader being written by a pint-sized that Golden Dike aloft us Jalmar Dakworth. She audi- kid from Stamford Hill, 14. he steps off the plane back tioned for a play" peila" and year-old Lauriö London. in Britain. He will be the walked away, with the name
He made the star grade youngest-ever to win it as a recording artist while still a pupil at the Davenent
TURNED DOWN
part.
"Whon/Is rend-my,Ilnog to the producer, Cleo told me, "I was -*só schred “that Idust couldn't
Foundation School in White- P.S... Capitol recorda hold the script/still."," chapel. His first record cabled an urgent request "He's Got the Whole World for a Laurie London LP the In his Hands" has made other day.. the No. 8 spot on the
P.P.S. London's handlers American Hit Parade and I.
wonder: Cleo has bad absolutely no acting experience. "When (they' phpard", qöd 'told me I'd got the part, then I won really scared."
don't think that anything pleaded with the producers "Delle" will be: produced by will stop it going right to of the film of The 6.6 Tony Richardson, goes to the the top.
Special" to give the boy a provinces before opening at the Schoolboy Lauric files off part. They turned him Royal Court, Theatre.. Gigg'a with mum and dad to the down-and I bet they are latest recording is a number States for TV appearances
kicking themselves! Lon called "They Were Right
was written on the night before on the Ed Sullivan show don's name could have made the recording salon-li: 15 and others. Fee. for
the film this
a certain hit in minutes flat, wordstand, music, little jaunt; 1,000 dollars America.
By whom? None, other than Old Man, Dankworthie (£850), plus lavish
F.F.P.8. His dad gave up
This business and domestic being penses.
shop monager to
make manage his prodigy.
He says: fortune..
pariparship could "Laurie's earnings are being put into a deposit account for
DODMED TO DISAPPEAR
THE old, famillar blecults that
we've been playing, foé no many years have just been set- tenced to 'death by Capitol, dr near enough. : Capitol now only press 78's. for artists of the Sinatra calibre. 45 rpm a
ZOOM TO FAMĚ
his own use later on We allow Him 98. pocket money—and the The little London's ride has to have a good excuse bb- to fame has been "WHILE Retening
more fore he gets another shilling." counsel he ans speedy than most, Last forward, la head thrust out summer he gave an
aggressively, his elbows on promptu song at the radio the open notebook before him show. Rather shrewdly, he. Latest gimmick in the his hands cupped round his
ruth, like a small ban blots went to the B.B.C. stand to States Horror records. ing warm' on a cold day. His do it, and they invited him Sample titles hands move from in front of back as a regular. After "Screaming Ball : at Yould be surprised how many his mouth and, he slumps his that it was TV's “6,5 Dracula Hall" and "Dia- three-speed players), have now
a recording nier head on to one of them, His Special" and whole demeanour seems to contract shout, "Docs all this really tern. malier?! Suddenly he will Like 80 many latter-day scratch his car," play with b pencli,
pince-nez.
STO
the new standard size,
with "Drac" One been sold," they told me. "Someone had to caji á häit a common pat recording character calls sometime to pressing 58's Wa
himself "The Cool Ghoul." arcided to take the hills
‛
?
think, the other companies will follow sufe
with his prodigies, Laurie London KNOCKING THE ROCK tou One notices that does song, writing on the
Is in the Interest of tha his wig is slightly askew and side. He was responsible. DECORD exccptive Milch, record-buying • pubijệt Capitol that his robes, which appear for his second recorded. Müller has been lambasting pay yes. 45's. are virtually un- to have dean donned in harte.
"Hey make enormous saving in storage space; they are light to cœry; easy to handle); j<A
That the American
'n' roll.
front and witte *levatima should provoke childish titters with a back view, like a slont comedian in baggy troust s From 800NDAR MOONI. by E, O. Shebbeare (Gollancz, 18s.),
"He's true clephant story from Assam,
disc jockeys for breakable; are not as new as they might, "Boomerang." have Been. From under the particular missile is likely their slavish acceptance of rock crimson and ermino preps a to be made of solid gold by blue shirt,"
the time it makes the re- From LORD GODDARD- HIS CAKEER
turn flight. AND CASES (Wingate, 10s.). Brief, scrappy,
Got the Whole World in his Hands" will wilderness. but readable too.
A
VIGNETTES OF LIFE
THERE'S NOTHING TO BE DONE - EXCEPT TO STAND BY AND LET THEM SETTLE IT IN THEIR OWN WAY – IT'S HEART RENDING --- YES MAAM.
OF COURSE FATHER HAS A HEART- BUT HE'S NO GOOD AT SINGING LULLABIES- NOT AT THREE A. M.
HE ISN'T.
SOMETHING TO WARM
"I HAVE NEWS
HIS HEART- BEFORE SHE LOW
COM
GENERAL HAJURI
DOST, TH/WORLD KYBĖSTI KLÁDÁVÁ
FOR YOU – THE
NEW CAR · DOESN'T FIT /
THE GARAGE!
BOOM
Heartstrings
THERE'S ALWAYS SOME PASSER-BY
WITH A HEART WHO KNOWS HOW
TO COMFORT A CHILD THAT IS YELLING ITS
HEAD OFF- WHILE MOTHER
SHOPS.
WENU"
KOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS
THE TELEPHONE.
Adults, he said, wore longing · They have; in fact, inil, the
the for a break in cacophony, virtues except ons. We lose the Miller's has been hailed as ineffable satisfaction that break- n-sane voles. In the teenageing. really irritating" "record
HEART BURA.
brings.
By Harry Weinert
OH, SURE, WE WERE YOUNG" OURSELVES ONCE
STILL WE"
LIKE TO SEE THE SHOW.
THIS IS JUNIOR AN THIS
THE FIRST BOYEA THERESY SOMETHING. TO
REAKCIBUSTA VISTE BUTTONİS/