PRIZE-WINNING FIRST NOVEL

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 258, 29 July 1939, Page 2 (Supplement)

PRIZE-WINNING FIRST NOVEL

“Roughnapes," by William McDowell (London: Hodder and Stoughton). “Roughnapes” is the winner of a special prize for a first novel offered by Hodder and Stoughton, the award being made by Sir Philip Gibbs. In making it he wrote: “ ‘Roughnapes’ has the value of reality and no one who reads it can doubt that its author is writing direct from life and is soaked in the atmosphere and detail of the great shipbuilding yard at 'Garrow' before, during and after the War. ’ It is easy to agree with Sir Philip. Mr. McDowell makes a most promising start as a novelist. He writes clearly and easily, and he knows a lot about ships and their building and the men who are directly concerned with them. His story, full of colourful incident, never fails to be interesting, the only jarring note being the touch of mysticism he introduces in his references to the seventh son of a seventh son. This seems out of place in a book which is dominantly realistic in tone and achieves success because of this faithfulness to life.