A WAY OF ESCAPE

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 7, 3 October 1941, Page 9

A WAY OF ESCAPE

Public Seeks Relief From Flood Of War News CHANGE IN LITERARY TASTE « There are indications that the public is not reading the war news, or listening in to the long broadcasts of war news from overseas as it did a year ago. It would seem that grave as the situation is, the min'd of the public must now seek some means of escape from the daily bombardment of war through literature, the radio, the Press, and direct speech. Mr. J. Norrie, chief city librarian in Wellington, says be is certain that one means of escape being taken by the public is manifesting itself through the library figures. There are more members of the library than ever, and the number of issues recorded this year, as far as it has gone, has broken records. “Speaking generally,” said Mr. Norrie yesterday, “I should say that there is a slackening in the demand for war Literature, though, of course, .books of the Douglas Reid, John Gunther, Phillip Gibbs and Strasser type are still in demand. Take the reference department of the library. Last year a great many people used to take out works bearing on war, but this year that seems pretty well confined to broadand school teachers. It might be s'aid that the increase in the interest in the library is due to the new premises, which makes the changing ot books a pleasant business, but the increase in issues—and that is what tells the tale —is also reflected in the branch libraries. It might also be said that the increase of reading generally on the part of the public is, partly at all events, due to having less money to spend, to the curtailment of other recreations (such as motoring, for exemple), but I think that this increase is a way of escape from the harrowing war news day after day, all day and half the night. The people must have some escape, and literature offers the path to repose. “We even notice trends, said Mr, Norrie. "The effect of the screening and broadcasting of good Victorian novels and plays is attracting attention to such works. Other ways of escape are being- found in the greater attention that is being paid to music—now an important section of the library—the drama, and even poetry. “Actually, I do not think the public Is reading the war news in detail as it did last year, and I am quite sure that in many households the London commentators get short shrift from listeners, whereas they were eagerly appreciated last year. Major events will always capture attention, but the wealth of detail given of minor matters concerning the war do not interest as they used to do. We find that the public is turning more and more to good fiction, biography, and cultural literature, as a means of relief from the strain imposed on the mind by last year’s concentration on war news and war books, almost exclusively.”