Banning Of Books “Not The Answer”

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30528, 25 August 1964, Page 2

Banning Of Books “Not The Answer”

The banning of pornographic books did not discourage young people from reading them. Censorship, in fact, made them all the more enticing. said Mrs Lewis Leary, of New York, in Christchurch yesterday.

*’l hate to see a book banned.’’ she said. “It is not the answer.”

If there was plenty of good reading in a home there would be no problem. “But the responsibility is with the parents and you have to educate them first.'’ she said. “Children cannot be expected to read good books unless their parents do.” In the Leary family of Has-tiugs-on-Hudson. it is the custom to read aloud as a group. •■We enjoy sharing the experience together," she said. Mrs Leary is a trained librarian who still does voluntary work in building up the local library. Her husband. Professor Lewis Leary, is chairman of the Department of English and comparative literature at Columbia University, New York, and chairman of the American literature group of the Modern Language Association of America. Reading is an integral part of their close-knit family life. “Last year on a sea voyage to Brazil, my husband and I read aloud some of the nineteenth century novels with our younger daughter, then 16. who was doing them at school.” she said. “We both enjoyed sharing her reactions to them and re-reading them ourselves.” At the age of 10, his daughter (Martha), was taking her turn at reading “David Copperfield” with her parents and elder sister. The family also share interests together in walking and swimming on holidays, listening to music, going to the theatre and concerts together. U.S. Novelists Of the modem American novelists, Mrs Leary says: “I don't think we can be sure of the lasting qualities of any since William Faulkner ” There was a universatility about his -writing, though some critics said that the setting of his stones was definitely Mississippi. “But J feet in his relationships with his characters, be has gone far beyond the locai scene. His characters live and that is why a book lives. I am sure that is also why Dickens is still a favourite,” she said. Mrs Leary was surprised to find that Faulkner, “quite hard to read in English, at tunes.” was very popular in Holland, when translated into Dutch. “The Group” Mary McCarthy’s novel. “The Group.” she found most disappointing. “Miss McCarthy has written much better books than this "

she said. “But because she is such a well-known writer people are interested in anything new she puts out and that may be why the book has been high on the lists.”

Mrs Leary said her main criticism of the book was that the author took a group of women along without any real resolution. “It is really only a collection of vignettes. But the sex emphasis may have influenced some reactions." she said. “Frankly. I heard more about The Group’ in Melbourne, where it is banned, than I have at home.” Mrs Leary accompanied her husband to Melbourne recently when he attended a conference of the Australia. New Zealand and American Studies Association. In New Zealand he is conferring with professional colleagues at the universities of Canterbury. Xirtoria and Auckland. In Canterbury, they are the guests of Mr and Mrs A. G. Van Asch, of Rangiora, whose daughter, now Mrs Peter Scales, stayed with Professor I and Mrs Leary on an American Field Service Scholarship six years ago. Martha Leary is now on a similar scholarship in Germany.