ISLANDS OF WONDER

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXVI, Issue 111, 23 April 1936, Page 6

ISLANDS OF WONDER

Delightful Book On Our Country and People AUTHOR IN HASTINGS Mr Behumil Pospisil, the Czechoslovakian author and journalise who visited Hawke’s Bay during his ten months’ sojourn in New Zealand five years ago, and became well known through his delightful talks and newspaper articles, is back again. He is to stay in Hawke's Bay tor some time, principally for the purpose of continuing the special mission that he is now carrying out in New Zeaiaiid tor the CzechosiovaLiau National Museum, namely the collecting of ethnological specimens, Such specimens as lie collects will be exchanged tor specimens from the museums ot his own country.

Mr Pospisil’s visit coincides with the publication of an English translation, made by himself, of his book “Wandering On tne Islands of Wonder.” The book is about New Zealand, and has already been published in several lourupean languages. It is a delightful account of ourselves and our country, and Air I'ospisil appears to have a great admiration and fondness for New Zealanders and for the Dominion’s scenery. The book is a grand advertisement tor the Dominion, out better than that it is a Hank but exceedingly friendly criticism our race.

According to him, we are in many ways a mure likeable people than we should ourselves have dared to suppose, but we have some little peculiarities that we might not have suspected, and which it wid do us good to hear about. Air Pospisil admires our legislation and our system of Government: he thinks we are a much more fortunate people than we realise (and he gives good grounds for his argument), and above all he is enchanted witn New Zealand scenery.

Liking us and our country so much, it is little wonder that he found a New Zealand wife for himself, and she is back with hkn to spend a holiday here

“Wandering On the Islands of Wonders” is a well-written and extremely interesting book —much more so than the average bock about our country. Its author spent his previous ten months’ visit busily touring the Dominion, and seems to have seen every part worth seeing. The book is written in a bright and yet scholarly style, and the author’s gift of keen perceptiveness is fully matched by his turn for jests and whimsicalities. And by Jingo I as he himself would say, he has a hearty gust for our food, especially in the form of hotel meals. He likes what he is given, both in quantity and in quality, and enjoys the privilege of just being able to say "a return please, waitress,” when he is feeling peckish. In Europe, he tells us in his book, you pay for each item of a meal separately, and fez the diner it is an enormously expensive system.