1958-02-15 — Page 14

Page 14.

TOUGH GOING ON THE EPIC TRAIL ++++++++by RICHARD LISTER+++++++++ VOSS. By Patrick White. Eyra and Spottiswoods, 16x. 478

расо

pages.

50

THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY. 15, 1958

Speed & Brevity

In Books

By RALPH MIDDLETON

When a girl like

CYRIL STAPLETON'S

COLUMN

THE people finding the

THE

career to write 1,000,000 words a year. Anthony ARNOLD Bennett forced himack at one stage of his Trollope, the novelist, used a stop-watch to make sure

M work on the grand scale. It is centred round an everyone had his breakfast every morning at the time [R PATRICK WHITE'S new novel alms at being a that he kept himself to his target of writing 250 words 15 minutes. This he usually managed to expedition trying to cross the Australian continent in when he was still a Post Office official. In direct contrast 1846. An epic aubject, as the publishers imply, and epics to this was the method that Joseph Conrad --- one of the notoriously make tough reading. This one is no exception. greatest English stylists of all time thought he had We first come across him in achieved a lot when he wrote 850 words a day. But those Slowly, heavily relentlessly, monumentally it rolls its way Sydney choosing his fellow ex-360 words were invariably almost perfect.

record business the along at a steady even grinding plorers. And an odd chofce he

seems to me to make for

Robert Louis Stevenson was a Quite a few writers belleve in toughest these days are the durterous enterprise a writer who went in for pced brevity. A Dutch physician, Dr poor girls. drunk, an orthologist only a big way. He wrote his 04,000- Herman Boerhave, once wrote a partly revered from an word novel, "Kidnapped", in six book contaking 15 words. After

The hit parade has been accident, a self-distrusting poet days. Voltaire, the great French his death, this book, hitherto un swamped for so long now und a backward farm youth. sctrist, completed his classic read, fetched, as a rarity, the

novel, "Cidide",

£3,000. by the men that the in exactly phenomenal price of three days, But the prize for The buyer must have known sional female invasion just must surely go to Edgar what he was doing as 99 of the goes to show how hard it apeed At Bydney, too, Voss meeta Wallace who wrote his novel, hook's 100 pages were blank. Laura Trevelyan, the Intelles-The Devil's Man", in one sitting. The work quite simply

read: really is. tual nieve of one of his patrons with several secrefartes working "Keep your head cool, your feet

All praise, then, to Petul and there <TOWS

elbowed between in up

shifts and dietephone. warm and you will make the Clark, who has now under-Wallace dielated non-stop for 80 best doctor poor!"

the way up them a deep spiritual

Into the best- standing which continued dur-hours, stopping only for refresh-

clicts. ing the course of the expedi-iment.

"You'd think on the face of it that the girls would get by en glamour alone.

Voss, the leader of the ex- pedition, is a finty, gritty Ger- man mystic possessed by some daemon which compels him to pit himself against the hostile universe,

OTHER NEW BOOKS

It May Chill Your Blood

by

មា

DREAM MARRIAGE

Large,

A Frenchman published

MY TWO JUNGLES, y humble, Interaci, practical ex wore file

D

Shorter

Occa-

A at

But look at Marion Kyan fond who wouldn't). She's hit on

TV, knock-out personal, appearances. and, an eyoul in any language.

Yet she cannot get a spin on the turntable.

this can't

get a look-in

WOULDN'T YOU SAY SOMETHING'S WRONG?

soy)

musicians impecunious used to invite their friends to a party when funds were low and charge a modest admission fee,

These were known as skime or rent parties and the music made at them was called skime.

Personally I prefer the planation given by those price-

terrifying assault. Wyatt Earp is about to break out in song.

You must have heard of him, He is that strong-arm non of all strong-arm men, the Wild West Frontier Marshal

from Tombstone

11 Dodg (or is City?).

tion by letter and grows into a Alexandre Dumas, author of book in the first half of this cen- cort of spiritual dream morringe the waiversally-loved series of tury called "Should a Women be which is destined never to be novels, "The Count of Monte Loved?" The entire text of this consummated in fact.

Cristo" and the Three Musket book ran to five words: "It de The expedition Bels out and cers", is said to have written pads on the woman." before moving into the interior more than any other mao. There still wra the book published by

jcwonist, Radivoye Mcmirik, picks up several additions, in-are 12,000 volumes signed

Intensely Dumas and, although it is not who entered a competitten spon. Parla newspaper, convict, Judd. Soon the ex-single line (he was the first man Le Matin, for the best book on

How does this come about? the subject "Who Rules the spectively, the jungles are plorers are enduring terrible to employ "ghost writers"), B is Glasgow and Malaya. privations baking, waterless cortainly true to say that his was World?" Momirskl's book was Well, one theory is that:-

BOYS are more prone to hero- and then ceaseless the motivating genius behind published in four editions, even In Glasgow the author deserts,

though it consisted of only a worship, and save their adula- He was this enormous output. fought his way through torrential rains.

appear GIRLS, on the other hand, Half-starved, weak from dis often working on four novels at cover and four pages, on one of tlon for their own kind. 题 cruelty and squalor as

over and their stores case

pro- time which, together with which was printed: "Money!"

That coe child. In Malaya, years vender lost, the party

splits the seriale he wrote for the two

word eamed the squeal, emotionally

vocal efforts of almost дру Owl into two.

Paris, author £57, making him coe of; Later, he formed his

the lending newspapers hi One half, with

male,

But

have a different view, private army (with men simple common-sensical Judd at brought his personal output up the highest-paid literary men to

I think that the record charts from the Singapore slums) its head, turns back; the other to that of at least ten writers!

by Voss's

do not really represent public in order to defend the rub half is dragged on

bitter, Iran will. Elther way is

tante. Merely the taste of the ber plantations,

disastrous. Judd alone of the

youngsters who spend all their reaches rately. rebels

Voss

money en latest records. outlives the rest of his followers only to be hacked to pieces by the native boy he has inken as his guide.

Meanwhile, in Sydney, Laura

date!

FICTION SHELF

BY PHILIP:

OAKES.

There is RO attempt nt plamour in this book. Blagdonald's home was vicious and sordid; his father was slobbering, drunken bully-aud

'heavily coincidental that is how they are given to

is by some sort of sympathetic WARDEN OF THE SMOKE

AND BELLS. By whimsy or

Richard dilutes the excitement. us without meat. From his two jungles mogle undergoing James Macdonald has hewn an sufferings na Voss, in a terrible Llewellyn. Michael Joseph. 138. amazing life story. Parts of it bout of brain-fever, which ilita will chill your blood, but it may only when he dies,

near to

move you (Harrap, 162.)

scali-

tears too.

The menace

the same

NOT CONVINCED

the

believe that since Mum and Dad went in for television, it's the boys and girls who have taken over the gramophone.

why And that's

we seem plot doomed to an endless proces

sion of hip-swinging males.

At A

Youth IM certainly premium. When I was in the

had I Slates

recently,

the pleasure of meeting a competent and highly successful song- writer called Sus Rainez. Azēt Eighteen and already sho is after Cole Porter's scalp.

This, marshal, is war to the knife and no quarter asked or given. And I would add: "May the best man win" but It is scarcely appropriate,

ALL ABOARD

BAILWAYS

always

fascinated boys Recently they have operied branch line for singers, and if your care pre functioning at all, you must

noticed it... have

Wis

Inaugural run

Lonnie Dontgan's "Rock Island Line," followed smartly by "Freight Train," driven by young Nancy Whiskey.

Latest to ride the rods is Johnny Duncan,

a boy from Tennessee Who married on English girl and settled in Bri- lain. His vehicle is "The Last and, Train to San Fernando"

In nun with a alike, meet,

alta,southern accent. There is reason for every- thing, of course. The skifflers CRE fog out an unfagging Jangle on their guitary on

this particular track. The young- Elers who buy the records do net have to overtax themselves trying to understand what it is all about

less leg-pullers, Morris & Mitch, SO SINISTER on their latest release, "What Is A Skice Not that they

the On record the marshal will really tell us much about music, but they do try to paint

In the guise of Hugh O'Brian, actor, but that is not a plcture in words of the nature of the species home

going to foot anyone who has eye on tkimus. Understand the man and

per-en the way he disposts of his taps we shall understand his antagonists on TV. music.

The other side, "The Tommy Rot Story," pokes fun at some one I have read about, some- or other can't quile whore recall—but the point is that this Tommy finishes as Prime Ministeri

Wickedly debunking satire. In a pop world that badly needs

BONIL.

As I have said before, you CRUELLEST CUT

6d. Moustachlood Marco Polo, ✪ SETUWO THE TIGER. By

cannot Fabricus.

boy the fabulous Princess of Cathay, Johan

Just

keep that Heinemann

of the nows. "The Tommy out Dante ("When shall the pages of 168. Plain and powerful story of

Stocle Story" was favourably Dutch administrator your Comedy be with us?"), a and a large cost of extras, in a Sumatra displaced by the new noticed by the Hollywood Re- wordy,

romance regime, whose last service to the porter. But the film has been

rolilled" for "export. It is country he loves

to track set in 13th-century Italy.

known as "Rock Around The down and kill man-coting

World." ilger. A good adventure story.

over-written

18

now

TN the recording world today, competition 18 murderous.

from You never know

which direction your assailant

will strike.

Ho is out to sharpshoot his way to the top of the Hit

Parade, and the very titles of

his

arc

first release in the States "I'm alniater:

Walking Away" and "Don't Move"

Even that game kid from

Bermondsey, Tommy Steele,

And the men with a financial

the altuation

under- stand all too well. It is all aboard the

train for gravy them, and long may it rus.

HERE'S HUMILITY

you may

bo Interested to. know that the singing voice Wamer on the sound-track of Brothers' "The James

Dean

Tommy has

#

Elvle

must be rockin' in his shoes.

Story" is that of the boy who Yet in moving cut of his own threatens to jump into territory, Wyatt Earp may be Presley's ahoce-Tommy Sands. taking on odds that he has He sings the theme of mis- never faced before. A younger, understood youth: "Let Me Be tougher generation has moved Loved." In just lately-fighting, furious

touching desperadoes like 16-year-old humility for an entertainer. Canadian Paul Anka (three hit "I'm not the handsomest guy in records, all with songs written the world and plenty casing by himself). In the record and act better," he confesses.

La struggle the marshal

That going to

is no real handicap. feel his age. He may come up The old groaner himself, Bing against the Farthingdale High Crosby, recently admitted; "I've

and already gelting raves for thin it is almost transparfat its performance).

Been doing it for more than 30 Remember how business men'

усага" used to be reckoned too old et 407 That is nothing. First question asked of a new singer now is: "Have you ever worn long pants before?"

WHAT IS SKIFFLE? dogs on record. We have had School Band (average age 14, stretched a talent which is so

Thus, which add a very thick layer to the novel, seems to ene wholly unconvincing. But then I must confess to remaining in O WHISTLE AND I'LL COME.

• THE BLACK CLOUD, by |the end qulie unconvinced by

Harray. CERTAIN By Philip McCutchan. Mir Hoyle is the Voss himself; and unless we feel 12a. Od. First-person

WOMEN. Fred Hoyle,

suspense Erskine. Caldwell. Heine dann, distinguished astronomer, Not some greatness in him,

story told by an ex-sailor whose 15% Shoddily written stories FIVERY so often I am cornered wonder whether set the Solar we long ago he

(for manslaugh about seven women and sex in prison record

by some earnest student of System quivering by unnounc-destroyer ar saviour,

Uni-life who wants me to explain may not saint, this long book, for all its ser) involves him with Com the American mid-west, ing that the planets

grubby, depressingly briefly just what skifte is. have originally split off from undoubted skill and power, will munist agents who help him to formly

break emigration kuws in dull the weary, leering second There are two explanations. the sun, as we were taught in not be worth the trudge.

Australia. Good reportage of best of a practised raconteur,

The first is highly improbable. school. Instead Hoyle took a

back-street life in Sydney, but

Years ago in America (so they

look at the jumps of nanly- looking gas which float around the universe, If the sun had had to plough through such a cloud-sald Hoylethe planets may have been picked up on the way.

Now astronomer Hoyle takes to science fiction and packs his theory into a fascinating novel. Ho tells us how the politicians and scientists might react another strolling cloud happened to come our way today.

f

And he addy A now

possibility. This particular cloud can think. (Heinemann, 253.)

Saucers

THE MIDWICH CUCKOOS, by John Wyndham. More science fiction by the Day of the Trifilds man. Here wo learn how a dying saucer lands in an English village and how everyone around promptly falls asleep. When they wake up they find that the saucer has gone. So village life resumes, until cach woman of child- bearing age discovers that she is about to bear a ehlid, Who are these embarrassing children? Are they cuckoos planted by a master-raco in order to tuke over mankind's nest? Author Wyndham's answer adds a few shivers to a bright, amusing book. (Michael Joseph, 131. Gd.j

Rumbustious

• THE ETRUSCAN, by Mika Waltari. If you remember hory bold Horatius kept the bridge, may also remember that

you

more

the Etruscans were the people ho kept it against. If you don't know much

about Etruscans, you're in good com pany. Neither do the experts. When Home grow big tho civilisation of their ll enemies somehow vanished into the thin Italien air.

But lack of knowledge has not handicapped autbor Waltari. He has already written one opic of historical Action called Michael the Finn, and another called The Eurphan.

Now he covers up the gaps left in history by assuming that big interest there was ono

shared which Etruscan, men with Egyptians and Finns. Women. Ho also trota' ħin susceptible hero round Greece, Sicily Rome and similar places where history is less hary before bringing him back to the old Erican folk at home." Waltack-thun, fills 480, pages. ip Timbustious "style. (Putnam,

unless he devil or

-London Express Service).

-London Express Saretes,

VIGNETTES OF LIFE

Be my Valentine

SENTIMENTAL VALENTINE FOR THE GIRL WHO THINKS MORE OF HER POOCHÝTHAN

SHE DOES OF YOU.

FOR THE ROMEO. WHO THINKS HE KNOWS

ALL THE ANSWERS, WE SUGGEST

THIS PADDED ISOLATION

BOOTH.

S

SPRITELY

THING FOR

THE

BOY FRIEND WHO KEERS HIS EYES GLUED ON" TELEVISION.

ALL

EVENING

Everyone tries to get into the act. We have had the singing

Anton Walbrook. Robert Mitchum, Jet Chandler, Tab Hanter, Robert Morley

and Laurenés Olivier, and no douot Uncle Tom Cobley would be 18 too. If he could raise a crvak.

Now the final blast is on us -the cruellest-cut, the most

Custom Fitted Valentines

میشد

Bing is a great kidder, of course, But if he has lttle tolent, what, oh what are some of the present crop of vocalists using?

BY HARRY WEINERT

TIAL

LOUD

DRIP

CUT ON DOTTED LINE

Á LOVELY RENDERING FOR "THE OLD GROUCH WHO CONSIDERS VALENTINES A LOT OF

OLD-FASHIONED MUSA.

XXX

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FOR THAT PEAINLY. PINCHING HUSBAND,

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DANDY