ROUND THE BEND

Another straw in the wind suggesting a new trend in novels of spiritual import. Leslie Greener's No Time To Look Back (Viking) —published last Spring — was a significant and moving novel in this genre. Now comes the new Nevil Shute, showing advance in power over a rather fumbling handling of the spiritual impinging on the material in his No High- — almost, in this new book, a successful achievement. In both books, flying plays a vital part; in both, the mechanic is the central figure rather than the pilot. Here he uses the time honored Servant in The House motif. As Tom Cutter tells the story, the reader identifies himself with Cutter recurrently glimpsing divinity in the chief mechanic, half-caste, British-Chinese, more Atlantic than British in his spiritual values. Cutter didn't want to believe his friend and associate in the burgeoning commercial flying venture in the Persian Gulf area was anything but human. But he knew that his spiritual message to the mechanics in the air strips all through the East had made better men as well as better craftsmen of them all. He knew that the man himself was looked upon as Prophet and Teacher, by Buddhists, Muslims, Hindoos, and those countless fringe religions of the East. He knew that through him taboos of race and creed were being overcome. He knew the legend was growing, though the man himself did not seek it. He knew that the conservative British were afraid — and he moved Shaklin on to Bali; then the Dutch, too, became fearful, as planeloads of pilgrims sought his blessing. Finally, when fatal illness belied his divinity, the message he carried still dominated, and with his death the question, though still insoluble, hung in the air — and the legend, with its valued concomitant of worship through skills, grew and strengthened. Perhaps this is Shute's most important book, though not on the level of straight story. At times difficult, at times technical, at times distasteful to those who pigeonhole religion as apart from daily life- there is nonetheless that emphasis on seeking spiritual values which is a trend in modern fiction not to be overlooked.