KNOTTY PROBLEM

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 229, 27 September 1941, Page 8

KNOTTY PROBLEM

BANNING OF BOOKS

WHAT PUBLIC SHOULD READ

Should literature be banned? Every now and then this question looms large in public interest. First Remarque's "All Quiet on the Western Front" may stir up contention, then Rabelais or Boccaccio's "Decameron" cause a flutter in the literary dovecote. The latest disturbance in this respect has caused in Australia by the banning of James Joyce's "Ulysses" by Mr. Harrison, the Customs Minister. The only effect of this action will be that the attention of certain readers who otherwise would have remained uninterested in Joyce or his work will be directed to it. A certain type of mind will, perhaps be thus prompted to read the book, but, as likely as not, they will yawn over the first page and fall asleep over the second, the unusual style and unorthodox punctuation being too uninviting to maintain the interest of anyone not attracted to it on account of its literary value. But the question remains as to what extent should books be banned. In England the public censor is the Lord Chamberlain, and upon his idiosyncrasies, religious leanings and political bias depends the nature of the matter the people may read. In New Zealand, as in Australia, the Customs Department stands, as it were, at the portals with powers to prevent the entry of books they consider unfit for reading. The "police also have authority to cause the banning of books sold by booksellers. There is no consultation with any person qualified to speak upon the literary merits of any book, and the only time such extra advice is taken is when some unfortunate bookseller is brought before the Court for selling, as in the case of "The Decameron," what is actually a work of art It would appear to be highly undesirable from a cultural point "of view that a policeman or a Customs official should stand between the public and works which time has acknowledged to be of a definite value, or which, in due course, will be similarly acclaimed. Professor's Opinion "In my view, very much harm is done by banning." was the opinion of Professor \\\ A. SewelJ. of the Auckland University College, when interviewed, "in that it focuses attention on a particular aspect of a book which people otherwise would not hear about. With reference to 'Ulysses,' I don't think anyone would read it unless convinced of its literary merit. It is admitted by all critics to-day as a work of first-rate literary importance, if not the most important work in the twentieth century."

In this connection Professor Sewell said that "Ulysses" was not a book studied in the English course as reported yesterday, as the studies were of literature up to 1840. The book, however, was in the reserve section of the university library. "Nobody is entitled to" say what 1 may read," was the opinion of a bookseller, "and for that reason 1 have no right to say what other people must read. I do not believe in any banning at all as far as the general public is concerned. As for juveniles, it should certainly be the duty of the parents to see that thev are reading the right type of literature." Censorship by Public The censorship of books, the bookseller thought, should come from the public themselves as a result of an enlightened literary taste. To leave it to public officials was to run the dangers attendant upon personal caprices and the possibility of the P"- 1 <: being deprived of a book which was of value to it. The ignorance of officialdom was often astounding if not at times amusing as in the case of one official who raised the doubt as to J. M. Barries 'What Every Woman Knows" being within the bounds of pioprietv ♦u The , , c « ues t>on has been ~ very thoroughly thrashed out in Eng,nd,, stated another bookseller He a , d s ed , tl . lat tne Problem bristled with difficulties, but for the most part it depended often upon one of the 'unco guid" as to what people should read. He had no svmpathv with any suggestion for banning "If you ban a certain book as not being fit to read." he said, 'you are leaving perhaps half a dozen more which are worse. He pointed out that there was a certain type of prurient literatu'? which is sold and in respect of which it is very difficult to proseZ! le on £ time when banning SrtSSiMk 5 consldere < l Permissible wai w hen there was no doubt that a book was of a lowering tone.