General Reading

Moonlight On A Lake In Bond

STREET, by Shephen Watts. The

Bodley Head, 20/-.

Stephen Watts is known as a critic, and this collection of pieces is his third book. It’s in the form of a brief autobiography, dealing with the author’s activities in the British Army during the war. It’s all light hearted in the English blase manner, with understatement all the way through, but somehow these occasional pieces grow on you. They’ll bring back

memories for ex-army men—what ever army, and whatever rank.

The Primal Yoke, By Tom Lea.

Macmillan, 22/6.

Tom Lea is known best as the author of The Brave Bulls and as a painter. He was first war corres pondent artist for Life magazine in World War 11, and he ilustrates this novel of a returned American war hero with his own drawings. They add a great deal to the book. The text is about Hank Spurling, who heads back to Wyoming to take up his dream of life as a guide in the mountains, but strikes trouble. It’s an UnUSUaI novel. (Over)

Implacable Hunter, By

aid Kersh; Heinemann, 20/-.

: Kersh Rabelaisian approach is lere, but there is a unique plot nakes this novel different. The ; is Caesar’s Empire at the time sus—or more accurately, just he crucifixion of Jesus. Diomed, n prefect in Tarsus, like any District Attorney would, be suspicious when he hears ac ; of how Jesus is supposed to •isen from his tomb. Who has ed the body? What is behind ot? Diomed gets his boys on >b —and Christians everywhere )e pleased to learn that he t manage to upset history.

SS OF POTAGE, by Natala de

: erere; Macmillan, 20/-.

i family was never the same drinking Grandmother . . ie narrator of this light-hearted 14-year-old Louis Pierre, right beginning. He then goes on >lain that Grandmother’s ashes len drunk, and enjoyed, by the in mistake for soup powder, at afterwards things were never the same . . . Anybody who iated Gabriel Chevalier’s ?merle will want this irreverent book written in the same de -1 vein.

ROSE LESS, by Pat Flower;

Smith, 16/-.

> murder mystery by a writer las come to be regarded as an than although she was born in will while away a well spent Dr two. The locale is Sydney’s North Shore, and the mystery nds a redhead with a number /friends. It holds your interest, lower is married to Australian Cedric Flower.

IOOTING STAR, by Wallace

gner; Heinemann, 22/6.

erican author Stegner, whose has been a bestseller, is being d to Steinbeck as one of the important and readable novelists lerica. He is readable and he rite, but he isn’t Steinbeck yet. lovel is about a poor little rich who is bored with her doctor nd and plays around a bit. But i bored with that, too. That’s the extent of the plot, and it ;omething for Mr. Stegner that n keep the readers reasonably sted.

Ohemian Affair, By Ray

thew; Angus & Robertson,

6. s selection of thirteen short

stories lets the reader follow Will, the observant and quick-witted hero, from boyhood in the country town of Gungahla (Australia) to young man hood in Sydney. In the city he be comes involved with the Bohemian set hard-drinking, hard-talking, amoral, crafty and arty-crafty. It is with much skill and humour that Ray Mathew makes the simple country people and the more complex city ones equally lovable and entertain ing.

Kings Cross, that unique and fascinating section of Sydney, is particularly well-drawn its bed sitters, its all-night parties, its strange love-affairs, its very human weak nesses and foibles. The author was born in Sydney in 1929 and left last year to travel and to work in London.

In these short stories he is obviously writing from experience—that is why his characters are so vital and con vincing and easy to read.

Hospital Careers For Girls, By

Joan Llewelyn Owens. The

Bodley Head, 18/9.

This book is intended as a guide for those girls who feel strongly that they would like to work with the sick and injured, but who are unsure how their capabilities can best be used. Some people know instinctively that medicine or nursing is their vocation, so medicine and surgery, nursing and midwifery are all in cluded, but here also is information about the almoner, dietetics, medical laboratory technology, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, and radio graphy. Each chapter follows a similar pattern with clearly marked

sections giving details of the type of work, the personal qualities necessary, educational requirements, length and cost of training, present salary scales (in the UK) and the prospects for employment and ad vancement in the future.

Good Health And Common

SENSE, by D. D. Alexander. The

World's Work (1913) Ltd., 26/-.

This book sets out to tell you how you can have better health, prevent

illness, look younger, live longq using common sense and eatinjr right foods at the right times.

Good health depends upon of things. Environment, for insk which we cannot do much abouu pre-natal influences, a matter in t we are also rather helpless. Onr make the best of the good H one has by not indulging to e the many many vices to whichr (and woman) is prone. By so one dodges a lot of unnecessau ness. But who wants to look yoc or live longer? Quite frankly I sg hate to think I looked anything the modern teenager, draped in ill-fitting pants and sloppy pulll and with the threat of atomr hydrogen bombs hanging over ;

us, why live longer?-

EN.

Die All, Die Merrily, By\

Bruce; Peter Davies, Lot

17/-.

The gifted amateur who so m solves the crime which has all thr brains of the police force gu« is always rather an irritation to < who know something of the widespread and exceedingly effl police force maintained on ratepc money—that is yours and However, Leo Bruce is quite con ing in his latest book and carrii ingenious plot through to a satin conclusion.

If the reader has a shrewdt what the conclusion will be probably because the author play and shares the evidence and at clues with his readers. He has a j wit although his characterisatii or rather caricatures—are often i what cruel and his humour lies ] in the dialogue than in amusing ; tions and characters. Incidea could there possibly be a schco like Rupert Priggley?

However, the connoisseur of: done-its will enjoy this new oft and find it good reading.