STRAY LEAVES

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIX, Issue 20077, 6 April 1935, Page 12

STRAY LEAVES

DOINGS IN WORLD OF BOOKS Mr Theodore Dreiser’s novels ‘An American Tragedy” and “The Genius” have been banned in Germany. “Eve Chaucer,” the name under which a novel with the odd title “No Ordinary Virgin” appears is a penname of Mrs Dennis Wheatly, wife of the writer of “thrillers.” Mr William Sarazan, author of “The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze” (one of the longest titles on record) was bom of Armenian parents in California. He wrote short stories for ten years before having one accepted. “S. S. Van Dine” (Mr Williard Huntingdon Wright) the American author of “thrillers” has now a libel action brought against him for inadvertently using the name of an actual person in one of his books. £IOOO,OOO damages were claimed. A book by one of the former wireless uncles of New Zealand is one of the new books of the coming publishing season. This is “Skipper My Chum,” by Lionel B. Fletcher, who was known over the wireless in New Zealand as “Uncle Leo” and who became famous of his gift for telling stories about animals. Four eagerly awaited novels came out in England last month: “The Stars Look Down,” by Dr A. J. Cronin; “The One-Eyed Moon,” by Miss Marguerite Steen; “God’s in His Heaven,” by Mr J. L. Hodson, and “The Whole of the Story,” by Miss Phyllis Bentley —this last not a novel, however, but a collection of short stories.

“The Broadcast Word,” by Professor A. Lloyd James published on January by Messrs Routhledge is an interesting addition to radio literature. Professor Lloyd James is well known as a broadcaster; he is Secretary of the 8.8. C. Advisory Committee on Spoken English. This book is a discussion of the effects of the new art of broadcasting upon dialect, standard pronunciation, and upon society and the world in general. Speech is viewed as an aspect of our social behaviour rather than as a subject of the studies of philologists and grammarians.

Cable advice has been received that the London “Daily Mail” has selected “Landtakers,” the Australian novel by Brian Penton, as the best book of the month. In a three-column review it states:—“The author has chosen a mighty theme—Australia striving to find herself—his pen has been equal to his vast opportunities. His gifts make memorable this vivid and stunning story. “Landtakers” is a worthy picture of a vast savage area which has been the setting in which Australia’s sons could fin/3 her soul. Its vast conception is like a pageant of crude colours, turbulent, and sometimes violently vigorous.” The Australian edition of “Landtakers” has been published by the Endeavour Press, Sydney.