SELECTIONS FROM THE NEW NOVELS

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32703, 4 September 1971, Page 10

SELECTIONS FROM THE NEW NOVELS

Briefing For A Descent Into Hell. By Doris Lessing. Jonathan Cape. 251 PPWith this new novel Doris Lessing’s reputation as one of the most interesting writers of modem fiction must become even more firmly established. “Briefing for a Descent into Hell”-is exciting to read on many different levels. It tells the story of Professor Charles Watkins admitted to hospital with a mental breakdown. Through letters from his wife and friends it traces his life up to this point and finishes with five very brief letters indicating his complete recovery. But how much is said through this simple plot The author’s own description of this novel is "inner space fiction”; probably less is known of man’s inner space than of outer space yet it is surely equally as important and as fascinating. Doris Lessing gives us an extraordinarily exciting and moving glimpse into the subconscious mind of a brilliant and troubled man. His terrifying experiences in a ruined stone city viewing the savage war of the Rat-dogs, his absorption into the Crystal and whirling through space, his briefing for the descent to earth to proclaim yet again the reality of cosmic harmony—all this presents truths about man’s state in a highly imaginative and complex way. There is incidentally a pleasure akin to that of a crosswork puzzle to. be gained in matching together the pieces of Watkins's “inner” and "outer” lives. An added pleasure, too, comes from the fragmentary but vivid portrayal of the doctors who struggle to bring Watkins back to "reality” and his wife, mistress, friends and colleagues who send letters brilliantly revealing themselves far more than Watkins about whom they write. This novel is a magnificent imaginative achievement, exciting to read and revealing truths on many different planes. Doris Lessing is clearly saying that if only we would listen to the mentally "ill,” instead of drugging and shocking them we might 'learn something important. Unfortunately eventually Watkins is “cured" and the chance to hear the message with which he was briefed has gone again. Lqg of the S.S. the Mrs Unguentine. By Stanley G. Crawford. Jonathan Cape. 110 pp. Few authors attempt the difficult literary labour of writing fantasy; fewer- still succeed, but Stanley Crawford is among them. His tale of comic invention and masterful enchantment, in spite'of its unpronounceable title, carries his readers on an epic voyage in which a garbage-laden barge sails the seven seas for 40 years,, gradually becoming the most luxuriant garden in the world. From the rich soil of its

original cargo the crew, Unguentine and his wife, bring forth trees which nature never intended. The fantastic ship, guided by Unguentine’s attention to weather forecasts in 14 languages, manages to sail through each season four times within a year, even while also serving as a floating flesh-pot, an extraordinary smuggler, and, is briefly “claimed by an impoverished government which sought an island on the cheap.” Mrs Unguentine, whose account the book purports to be, observes: “We fuelled by night in obscure, foetid ports where I stripteased on the prow, ringed by candles, to mollify thin-lipped customs officials, while Unguentine whispered assignations for contraband into the lapping darkness over the stem.” To “interpret” the “Log” would be .to play into Mr Crawford’s hands. He has provided material enough for would-be psychological sleuths to uncover in its pages a philosophy of life, a satire on marriage, a homily on oceanic pollution, or a discourse bn child-birth. Each reader deserves the chance to give his own “meaning” to Unguentine’s heroic silences, his grand passions', and his dramatic suicide when he leaps overboard, a bottle clutched to his lips, and all the vessel’s navigation charts in his pocket. Not that this makes for a tragic ending. After that, his wife could at least stop pruning the garden and allow it to grow over the pilot house, for what was the point of being able to see out if she did not know where to steer? No Reference Intended. By Barry Crump. A. H. & A. W. Reed. 154 pp. Just over a decade ago, Barry Crump began to mine a rich vein of New Zealand humour, and the result was “A Good Keen Man,” a book stuffed with nuggets of pure hilarity and down-to-earth robustness. The mine now, alas, appears to be worked out; Mr Crump’s latest novel “No Reference Intended” is a dull and arid exercise with nothing but a faint gleam of gold dust to relieve it occasionally. It tells the story of Jeremy Cosgrove, a New Zealander, determined from early boyhood to be a successful newspaperman. There, is a brief chapter or two on his early career as he rose to even higher positions on ever smaller newspapers always further out into the backblocks, but the main part of the book is concerned with the inevitable episode when Cosgrove becomes desperate, sends in copy which is all fantastic make-believe and finds himself swiftly elevated to the top of the newspaper tree. A simple enough story, which could be mildly amusing but Barry Crump’s humour has become so predictable that it no longer has any freshness of appeal to the reader, or,

one suspects from the mechanical writing, .to the author. His eye for personal idiosyncracy of manner and appearance, and his accurate ear for catching tiie rhythm of New Zealander’s colloquial speech are here largely■ los) under a great weight of over-elaborate striving for effect. Lost too is the sense of vitality and fun which permeated his-earlier work. If Barty Crump wishes to retain, the position, which the- dust-jacket claims for him,. as New Zealand’s foremost humorous writer, he’will have to do than this. Princlpafo. By Tom McHale. Michael Joseph* 311 pp. Princjpato is an Italian American in his mid-thirties caught by author ■McHale at a time of crisis in several aspects of his life. His 11-year-old marriage to Cynthia, the ugly sister of three enormous and persuasive Corrigan > brothers has become insupportable, his adored sister Lucy has decided to leave her convent, and his father' who for thirty-five years had defied the Catholic Church is about to die. Thus an unpromising scene is set but there is played out one of the funniest, bitterest, most extravagant stories to be produced this century. It culminates in a death-bed scene which must surety rank as one of the most extraordinary in modem fiction. The stage is peopled with an astonishing assortment of characters, some giants, some pygmies, many grotesque, some comic, others tragic but all reflecting vividly some facet of common • uncertain humanity. The same extravagance is brought to the description of the Catholic Church and Principato’s love/hate relationship with the Church in which he has been brought up is emphasised and expanded by the attitudes of others to convey an eccentric, sometimes sacrilegious, but essentially religious viewpoint. Mr McHale has an astonishing mastery of his medium; the comedy never degenerates into meaningless hilarity, the tragedy never becomes pathos and the occasional real sentiment never slips into sentimentality. This is an astonishing novel by an extremely talented young author, funny, sad, larger than fife in its descriptions of both life ’and death it poses crucial questions and suggests sensitive insights. Teltlebaum’s Window. By Wallace MarkHeld. Cape. 387 pp. In the past, readers have been presented with many a saga of male adolescence; here is yet. another. Its chief Character is Simon Sloam, a Jewish boy, who progesses from grade school to college, whence he marches to the Second World War. On the way we; meet the obvious people and events:.: parents, teachers, classmates, his "gang,” his first soul-mate, his first descent to the flesh, and his first romantic entanglement, from which the war extracted him. He is part of the Brighton Beach Jewish Community in New York, and the book is saturated with Jewish words and customs; the style 18 a medley of diary, dialogue, letters, and fragmented narrative. The author,, in thus attempting to recreate a whole social' milieu, is aiming at the' highest, and by high standards he must foe judged. The dust jacket claims that it is “a spectacular, lavishly comic send-up. of every solemn Jewish family saga Oyer written . . . Portnoy without the complaint.” It must be admitted that some parts are indeed funny (Simon’s parents are flat comic creations comparable with Dickens’s minor characters), but there are many parts where the humour is strained or entirely lacking. The -ponderous recreation of an era has not made Simon himself come to life: in this type of novel, the author must conceal his hand'Well, and daze the reader with delights rather than pound him with cleverness.

The Young Victoria. By Tyler Whittle. Heinemann. 247 pp. This novel is the first of a trilogy on the life of Queen Victoria. It begins during George IV’s reign with Victoria’s childhood at Kensington Palace and,ends after her first disastrous year as queen with her marriage to Albert of Saxe-Coburg. The two following books will be called “Albert’s VicI. r .

toria” and "The Widow of Windsor” and if they are equal to the standard of this first volume they will be worth reading. Not- that there is anything realty outstanding about "The Young Victoria” but it is, in most respects, a solid, worthwhile, readable historical novel. The author stresses that although he has given his subject fictional treatment he has always been faithful, to known fact* and the diligent research he has clearly done provides a firm base for his novel. The grand-daughter of George IH; Victoria had a large family circle which included some eccentric members and Mr Whittle is adept at sketching their characters briefly but memorably. The family tree given is a great help in tracing the involved and intricate relationships. Victoria’s childhood was extremely simple and quiet for one so close to the throne. Her mother, the Duchess of Kent, showed her little affection but guarded her jealously as a key to future power; the Duchess’s constant disagreements with her brothers-in-law, George IV and later William IV pro-vide--fascinating reading. The character of Victoria herself is well revealed as is that of her sole confidante, Baroness Lehzen. "The Young Victoria” is a novel which should interest many. It deals with a little known time in the great queen's life and draws- a convincing, lively and unexaggerated picture of royal life in the 1820 s and A Guest Of Honour. By Nadine Gordlmer. Jonathan Cape. 104 pp. James Bray, expelled from Africa by his British colonial colleagues because of his involvement in the African Independence movement, is invited back to join in the Independence celebrations 10 years later. Mweta, the President, is afraid that his rival, Shinza, has betrayed the principles of the revolution. Mweta oelieves that in order to expand the economy it is necessary to' supply a docile labour force. Is Shinza stirring up dissatisfaction among the workers? Shinza believes that political revolution must be followed by a social revolution and is prepared to wade through blood to bring real change. Risky energies are released by social change and riots and intrigues are rocking Mweta’s country. Bray finds the situation difficult to sort out and is fired with a desire to give the natives a sense of purpose and a blueprint for a new education scheme but is accused of being a nice white liberal getting mixed up in something he does not understand. However, it is the fact that he lives in Africa as a participant, not as an adversary, that attracts Rebecca Edwards to him. Her husband is concerned with making his pile and getting out Bray’s wife who has remained in England to await the arrival of a grandchild, keeps postponing her trip to Africa and Bray’s and Rebecca’s love affair bums brightly. Everything is ablaze in the final dramatic and tragic climax. Nadine Gordlmer is a fine and powerful writer and is capable of balancing a majestic sweep of writihg with beauty and tenderness. The question she poses is, is there any way to enter the modem world without suffering?