The Month's New Reading

With Judy Tudor

If new novelist Russell Foreman of Fiji had been de liberately provoked by the current crop of novels based on sex and fun beneath Pacific coconuts, he couldn’t have produced anything more devoid of Hollywood glamour, and more re dolent of Black Melanesia, than Long Pig.

NOT since Nordhoff and Hall wrote Pitcairn’s Island have we had such stark realism in a book about the Pacific. Nordhoff and Hall, of course, had historical fact on which to base their story. Fore man, on the other hand, is mak ing only a guess at what could have happened to the wrecked crew of the American ship Argo —and this is where some of the more squeamish of Australian reviewers, more used by now to mere frolic some antics amongst the South Sea palms, feel that he laid on the blood-bath with a ten-ton steam shovel!

For the purposes of fiction, per haps he could have spared more of his characters from so many horrible deaths. Nonetheless, there is plenty of historical basis in Melanesia for the type of tragedy Foreman makes happen in Long Pig —the wreck of the Saint Paul and subsequent happenings on Rossel Island, in Papua, recalled recently in the PIM, was just one of them.

Russell Foreman is an Australian, but has lived for the last six or seven years in Fiji, where he is probably better known as an artist than as a writer.

First Novel

This is his first novel and as such is an extraordinary achievement.

There is nothing of the apprentice about his technique; Foreman builds his story with the sure hand of a master craftsman, and against a background of detailed research. As a result, the story appears credible even to those who are naturally Mr. Foreman’s most candid critics — the people who live in the South Pacific.

By rights, this is a book that should have been reviewed by one of those Fiji Chiefs who, groomed by a cunning Colonial Office, now rank high in the Government hierarchy of Fiji, and so by training and a knowledge of Fiji tradition can be said to have a foot in both camps.

It would be interesting to have the opinion of some one of these men on the Fiji of 1800 as described by Foreman. Fiji, unlike the islands of South West Pacific that make up the rest of Melanesia, emerged from its Stone Age and most of its

savagery before anthropology really came into its own.

Anthropologists in the past 30 years have ranged enthusiastically all over Papua-New Guinea, until there is scarcely an aspect of Terri tory native life that has not been tabulated, itemised and churned out ad nauseam in anthropological treatises.

For the matter of that, the casual visitor today has still not got to go far inland from the coastal towns to see Stone Age flourishing in New Guinea surroundings.

Fiji, on the other hand, has been left almost entirely alone by an thropologists in the field, and, as a result, the casual observer today does not see much further beyond the modern Fijian than the culti vated, polished Chief; the good natured happy-go-lucky Rugby

footballer; or the enthusik Methodist, lustily singing hymrii the choir each sabbath.

Foreman’s Fijians then, off 1800 period, appear to one knows both Fiji and P-NG, a g deal more like New Guinea nas than Lauans—and, in this, author is probably historic correct although Lauans were are) by far the least Melanesia, the Fijians because of their tid tional connection with Polyne; Tonga.

Somewhere around 1800, , American ship Argo was wree on what are now known as e Argo Reefs—s lightly east!

Lakeba, in Central Lau, and m of Oneata.

Historical Fact

The fate of the men who 1 on her is unrecorded and accouL for in Fijian story only in vaguest fashion. But they aree lieved to have been the first vw men to have stayed for any leie of time in the Lau, and as ; were regarded with awe by Fijians; they are believed, too have been the first to discs sandalwood, a South Pacific o modity that accounted for nr misery and tragedy in the century.

So much for historical fact. UJ these wisps, Foreman builds novel.

When his Argo struck, 13 of : survivors, including one suites from dysentery, got away in ship’s launch and made their to Loa, a small crag of an . off the eastern tip of Oneata, it was here that the sailors irr their first acquaintance with Fijians from the bigger island!

Arrogant

The Oneata natives who am in a canoe party were at first : dined to be arrogant and danjx ous, but this was all changed s denly when Captain Berry tooc long shot with his musket shattered a sea bird. Such pm from a harmless-looking bent ss could only be magic; such men T commanded it could only be gg The attitude of the Fijians cham completely. They took the n back to Oneata, made them v come, provided them with food!

The crew settled in to deck launch, and erect masts for an j tempt to sail to Port Jackson — peace settled on Oneata But not for long. With familiar came a lessening of awe; with whr man fallibility, no longer fear; wV the Fijians proved that one wh man was mortal, all the others their god-like character. And at tf point, real trouble commenced.

The seeds of destruction I already been sown, however, LI before the Argo wreck; they w? transplanted in the virulent tf

gntery carried ashore with one nember. Within days, dozens ives in the village were lying my on their sleeping mats. y t they were being buried in graves; or when they become live”, or not capable of caring emselves, strangled or buried particular incident —ttye in tion of an alien disease to a susceptible primitive com j which has been repeated and again in the Pacific — the author to produce some starkest facts of uncivilised Wholesale abortions, the de of live wives with dead ids so that the latter might ompanied on the lonely road halla. i this, coupled with the an al details of cannibalism that earlier in the story, and later wen greater effect, that will ,te more delicate readers, con id to a South Seas of hula nd Hawaiian guitars, truth, of course, is that early Islands adventure was corn ed as much of the Foreman f Dark Melanesia-ism, as of dalliance beneath the Poly palms. man ends his novel on a y promissory note: The Mate seaman plus the native girl, a, with whom the former has in love, escape from Oneata tig sailing canoe, running be he Trades until they come at Bua Bay on south-west Levu. The narrative ends without conclusion, leaving ?ld clear for a sequel to this lanned beginning.

American edition of Long Pig published some months ago as done exceedingly well. The can edition is a “longer i” than the one available to British Commonwealth audi but longer in which way we ; know. foreman had been aiming at American best-seller market, likes its sex in as much lurid as Foreman gave to the ig up and roasting of one of hite victims of Oneata can sm, he could have elaborated more on the love story be- Slater, the mate, and the ful, light-skinned Seyawa. lough there was ample scope something more robust, the tory (in the British edition, at , is in very subdued counter to the rest of the composition, s treatment, while true enough il life, is not usually what the lean best-seller market de s!

NG PIG. Published by Wm. Heine- Australian price, 20/-.)

Monarchy at 2id

Per Head

IF you are looking for a True Confession along the lines of I-was-the-Queen’s-Sixth-Foot man; or crave the fanciful behind the-Royal-scenes of Sunday-news paper journalism, you won’t find what you are loking for in How the Queen Reigns, by Dorothy Laird.

But if, on the other hand, you want a first-class reference book on the British monarchy, as it is represented in the person and life work of Her Majesty Elizabeth 11, you will go a long way before you get anything better than this ex cellently produced and detailed book.

Dorothy Laird, as she explains in the beginning, is a journalist and not an historian, but when she was asked to write an article about Buckingham Palace she found her self up against the lack of one single volume in which the seeker after knowledge could find all de tails of the Sovereign’s work and duty.

Eventually, she got around to thinking she would write such a book herself. This is the very good result.

Miss Laird did not get any of the material for this book via the back stairs. She spent three years in re search, in interviewing members of the Queen’s household and mem bers of Government departments.

As a result she is able to draw a complete and authoritative picture of the Queen’s life from day to day, and show clearly Her Majesty’s place in the British Common wealth.

The Queen in relation to

the UK Parliament is discussed; so is her relation to the established church. She is the Nation’s Chief hostess; the fount of honour and chivalry; the head of the Com monwealth; the symbol of that Commonwealth to Foreign Powers.

She works a great deal harder at her task, longer, and more con scientiously than any wage-plug.

She wears magnificent jewels and fabulous gown s—and prefers a simple family life. She is the United Kingdom’s most precious asset—and the cost is 2«d per annum per UK person.

Miss Laird has managed to pro duce an excellent reference book, and a story that is quite worth reading for itself. There is a de tailed index, and over 50 illustra tions in the book’s 370 pages. (HOW THE QUEEN REIGNS. Published by Hodder and Stoughton, Ltd. Australian price, 37/3.)

Combining Business

With Business

FOR a guy who does all his writ ing between 10 p.m. and 1 a.m., novelist Norman Collins does pretty well. In the rest of his time, he runs the United Kingdom’s independent television company, a full family and social life and even has parliamentary ambitions.

Bond Street Story, written on this extraordinary work schedule, is almost as good as London Belongs To Me, which appeared over a dozen years ago and nudged the 200,000 sales mark. Almost as good. But not quite.

In his new novel he continues his story of his favourite Londoners— those who live east of the right side of the tracks. And Rammell’s, the

ond Street department store

inary) is the vehicle he em to intwine the stories of ilourful cross-section of Lon amanity; Privett, the floor walker, who got the figure for tails and as though he had bought with the idea of sharing them someone else; Mr. Eric tell, the managing director socially ambitious wife and ;ptic ulcer cause him equal or Sir Harry, the 80-year-old nan, whose ideas spread more ion than a tear-gas attack, there was I-reen, the reluct pprentice salesgirl; and i, the much-married model, mung Mr. Rammell, whose was really in interior decorat >e are some of the characters walk through the opulent doors of the Bond Street ium; or have their domestic love affairs and assorted 3s; grow their roses, sail their yachts, have exotic Indonesi dance before the Old English lo\ Society in the drawing .—all the way from Sloane j to Highgate. task of weaving it all into xovel of normal length is ious but Collins, as he showed usly in London Belongs To s master of this particular que and the whole thing together as smoothly as a dish ipped cream. what is described as a d-to-m eas u r e Tory, Mr.

3 writes penetratingly, with

thy and with realism of the orders in English society, it is all done, if not with ’s, then from pure imagina- He is not, we have been as the type to go slumming r to absorb atmosphere, any than for the purposes of two • novels he felt it necessary to Malaya on a tramp steamer, a small South American town, these novels were written in m, although possibly, in those not on the 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. ins was born in 1907 and d his working life on the News dele; eight years in a publish louse followed before he was to the BBC. During the war, ,s Director General of that in ion’s Overseas Service. Tele i naturally followed —but he i stormily with the BBC in (when he disagreed over nal policy), to become the ig figure in the fight for In dent Television, s was quite a war but he won d he is now Deputy Chairman .ssociated Television Limited, ompany that revolutioned the ng habits of a nation. Tele i, as the monopoly of the BBC, ilmost moribund by 1955; since

the independent company went into operation at the end of that year, a new look has come over the whole UK TV industry. Even the BBC has been forced to pull up its sox.

As well as these full-time com mitments, Collins is actively in terested in enterprises connected with the stage, films and music. In this crowded schedule, the writing of books —that have provided him with a lot of butter for his bread —are done when most people are in bed, but though they are the product of the butt end of the day, the customer can be certain that it doesn’t show in his finished work. (BOND STREET STORY. Published by Wm. Collins. Australian price, 20/-. i

For the Younger

Brigade

THE two children’s books received in the last month are both about ships—one for the under sevens; the other for those of more mature years.

THE CAROL MORAN, written and illustrated by Peter Burchard, is outstanding for its illustrations, even amongst the beautifully pro duced picture books being got out for youngsters these days. Carol Moran is a New York tug-boat, and the story is about Chip, who goes on board with his grandfather (who is her captain), to spend the day.

During the course of that day they move the giant Queen Mary out from her berth —and that is about the end of the story. The book, however, is one that will delight any small boy—or girl, for that matter. (Published by Brockhampton Press.

Australian price. 13/3.)

Hector, The Stowaway Dog,

which has appeared in shorter form in Reader’s Digest, is written by Kenneth Dodson, who usually writes for grown-ups ( Away All Boats, Strangers to the Shore, etc.).

Hector was a fox terrier, also a sea dog, belonging to the second mate of a Dutch freighter. Unfortunately, on one occasion, while his ship was at Vancouver, he allowed it to get away without him. This is the story of Hector’s search for his master and how he stowed away on the one ship that would get hirn to Yokohama in time to rejoin him.

Some adults, as well as children, will like this tale of a dog’s luck— °r( PißdlishedT by Angus and Robertson.

Ltd. Australian price, 15/-.)

What's New in

Paper Backs

THE following Pan and Fontana paper-backed editions became available during the month (ours from Wm. Collins (Overseas) Ltd.) :

OFF WITH HIS HEAD: A quite recent Ngaio Marsh—model of 1957—that is up to her usual high standard, both as a mystery and as a piece of fictional writing. Ngaio usually introduces a band of eccentrics, possibly for greater contrast to her polished sleuth, Roderick Alleyn, and this time it is a bunch of zany folklore addicts. (Fontana).

The Angel Of Terror: Wherever

Edgar Wallace’s shade may be at the moment, no doubt it is interested in the fact that the Wallace heirs are still col lecting royalties on thrillers he wrote back in 1922. A good whodunnit, according to the publishers, is never too old. And probably, in the case of Wallace, the father of the modern mystery, they are right. This one is about a girl who mar ried a convicted murderer for his money and then found herself marked down as the next target. (Great Pan).

SHADOW OF THE MOON, by M. M.

Kaye, is a story of old India, its white rulers and their gay ladies immediately before and after the Indian Mutiny (1957- 59). Dancing, dining, wining, loving—that made up the social whirl until the terror of barbaric India was unleashed upon them. (Pan Giant).

THE NIGHTMARE: C. S. Forester, author of the famous Hornblower series of novels turns to something different— the horrors of the Nazi regime. This clutch of grim stories is based on fact— but are not actual happenings. (Great Pan).

The Barbarous Coast, By John Ross

Macdonald—a tough, Lew Archer thriller of the real American school. Unputdown able (so the critics say). (Great Pan).

Upstairs And Downstairs, A Funny

story by Ronald Scott Thorn—a first person account of the author and his wife as newly-weds and the stream of domestics and mothers’ helps that stood between them and bliss. As the household domestic is a dying institution in UK and a dead one in Australasia, the story may have some historical value as well. (Great Pan).

MISTER JELLY ROLL, the life story of Jelly Roll Morton, the New Orleans Creole who is credited with inventing jazz. A lot of people wish he hadn’t, but Alan Lomax s story of the small-time crook who was also the greatest jazz pianist and composer of his time is worth reading as an academic study of this angle on the American way of life. (Pan Giant).

FIDDLEFOOT. a Luke Short Western about an ex-horse thief who was prepared to shoot his way into going straight. (Great Pan).

The Tribe That Lost Its Head,

Nicholas Monsarrat’s excellent novel of an imaginary native territory in Africa under British rule but on the way to self-government. A compelling piece of fictional writing that will strike a Particu larly sympathetic chord with anyone who has had anything at all to do with native administration. (Pan Major).

The Second Pan Book Of Cross

WORDS —there are 150 P in the book, for those who like to fill m an odd moment with this type of relaxation.

They are graded into four sections of “easiness”—and the solutions to all of them are printed at the back. (Great Pan).

RE-ISSUED: Two paper backs that have been re-issued this month are the

„e Tey thriller THE SINGING (Great Pan); and WHITE MAN’S >y Pierre Boulle (the author of the on the River Kwai”), which is n the true story of the Dutch girl 5W up in Malaya during the occu and married a Malay. (Fontana). ralian prices; Great Pan, 3/9: Pan >/-; Pan Major, 7/6. Fontana, 3/9.)