NEW FICTION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26043, 5 January 1946, Page 2

NEW FICTION

Literature

A MIXED BAG The Way. By J. M. Hartley. (Harrap). 8s 6d - „ Song of the Unsung. By Vivian C. Smith. (Hodder and Stoughton). 8s 6d. G For Genevieve. By Flight Lieutenant Herbert. (Polish Book Depot). Us 6d. Coast to Coast. Selected by Vance Palmar. (Angus and Robertson). The Three Wise Men What became of the “three .wise men” after they had journeyed so far to pay tribute to the child who was born at Bethlehem? This is, partly, the theme, of J..M. Hartley’s interesting novel, The Way, and the manner in which he treats his subject will give rise to thought. The author suggests that the wise men were representatives of a certain ancient brotherhood, and he takes up his tale, some 15 years after the ‘birth of Christ, when he brings these three together again to search for the youth from whom they expected so much. The protagonists are brought together in Jerusalem at the time of the Feast of the Passover. Two other related themes in the book are the reaction of a Roman centurion to the. seething strange world of the East, and ’ the story of a young Jewess who becomes an outcast because of her love for this ambitious man. The contrasts between imperial pomp and might and the vital faiths of the East are well made, and the scenes in Jerusalem are particularly rich in historical colour. A Story of Sappers Although Song of the Unsung is presented as fiction, there can be little doubt that it is, in fact, a personal record of experience. The fictional guise has, however, given the writer a greater personal freedom to develop the figure of the narrator, for he can thus, without embarrassment, make him a man of action as well as an observer and interpreter. The storybegins with a reunion of a group of friends who have seen service together in many fields in Europe and in the Middle East. Their memories turn naturally to the early days of their experiences and the period actu- j ally covered by the narrative is that of the spring of 1940, when the 8.E.F.; went to France, returned through Dunkirk, and was promptly made ready again for overseas service. The story is not overdone; the experiences pf these men are all credible, and their reactions are those of average civilians confronted for the first time with the realities of war. The impression of actuality is strong throughout, and the disappointment that the story is so brief is balanced by a hope that this book may be the prelude to another, as the experiences it describes are the prelude to the greater adventures in the Middle East. ,• Polish Airmen Possibly “G” for Genevieve should not be reviewed as fiction since the author —he is a well-known Polish novelist writing under a pseudonym—states that all the incidents are true; but the book is not autobiography, since some of the characters are composite figures and happenings are described as occurring to them which were really experienced by others. This technical point is, however, of much less interest than the fact that here is a notable account of adventures on land and in the air. Flight Lieutenant Herbert writes admirably; he has a vivid style, a keen sense of humour, and a profound capacity for sensitive observation. He tells the experiences of a group of young Poles who escape internment and make their way, eventually, to England, where they .join the celebrated Polish Air Force, which was formed there. The title of the book is taken from the name given to their Wellington bomber. Not often has a writer managed to convey so clearly the physical sensations of flying and of aerial combat. Several episodes have a memorable quality that would assure them of a place in an anthology of war stories. The book is illustrated with a number of small sketches in the peculiarly vivid style of the Polish artist Topolski. Australian Short Stories For the fourth year in succession, Mr Vance Palmer presents his selec- • tion of the best Australian short stories in Coast to Coast. Some twenty-four authors are represented in this collection and there is a wide range of matter and manner. On this evidence there are a number of very skilled craftsmen working in the medium- in Australia and the development of the short story from the simple < narration of an incident to the presentation of a character or a mood, from statement to evocative suggestion, is well illustrated. The impact of the war is evident in, a number of the themes, but the writers are not obsessed by it. There is something here of a real Australian spirit, but the appeal is not merely a national one. There is pleasure here for all who like short stories which are more than completely written. Some of the stories, indeed, might well find a place in a‘ much more general anthology. •It is interesting to find that two clever studies of Maori character, by Ruth Park, are included. D. G. B,