Volume 44, Number 1, September/October 1964 - BCTF Home

ESTHER G. HARROP,
Book Review Editor.
work, and an adequate development of
these. Many of his innumerable practical
ideas will be welcome to experienced professionals,
who are probably already experimenting
with 'Central Theme Work'
and the reading of fiction types in units
like science fiction or .sea stories along
the lines of his 'Foretaste of Fiction,' both
rather like the fairly well known Scholastic
Units. They will also like his stress on
function and the real needs and possible
experiences of children.—G.H.C.
American Social Fiction, by Michael
Millgate. Oliver and Boyd,
Edinburgh, 1964. $8.50
The author's main concern has been to
present skctc:; studies of several American
writers 'outside the first rank' and outside
the 'major tradition' of American
fiction. The writers 'set. out deliberately
to create an image of the society in which
their characters move.' They are James,
Howells, Norris; Wharton, Dreiser, Anderson,
Lewis, Fitzgerald; Dos Passos;
Cozzens. Of these, Edith Wharton and
Fitzgerald become pretty obviously Millgate's
'good guys.' Along the way, Dr.
Millgate also has a look at 'institutions'
in current U.S. fiction, fastening his attention
on the military, the Hollywood, and
the academic worlds. This is an interesting
book, and especially worth-while arc
the Preface and Chapters 1 and 2. The
author-studies seem too sketchy, however,
and too limited even for the limited
nature of the topic. The arbitrary
and deliberate omission of the writers of
the Thirties further weakens the book.
, On the whole, it would best be read in
a library copy, beforethe rather toohigh
price, is spent on it.—I'.H.T.
.First Noel, an Anthology of Christmas
Play Si i Eileen Tree Drama
Series. McDougall, 30 Royal Terrace,
Edinburgh. $1.40
A collection of Nativity plays which
attempts to: interpret Christmas in terms
of the children's own lives. The settings
are usually modern or the plays have a
novel slant. Inexperienced teachers will
find the actor's and producer's notes and
the simple diagrams useful. Four plays.—
:
N.E.N. .
> v
Playsfrom Modern Media, by John
C. W. Saxon and John W. Mac­
Donald. Longmans, Toronto.
,•• $1.35 .
This''collection. of plays by various
playwrights ranges from television drama
and radio comedy to fantasy and serious
one-act plays. At the end of each play
are; questions intended to makevthc student
more aware of form, characterization,
interpretation and climax. The questions
arc under two headings: content
and creative work. A further section deals
with suggestions for dramatisation. The
plays are well chosen; to show a little of
the immense variety of plays available in
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SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 1964