Chris Reed reviews Hastings: A boy’s own adventure by Dick Frizzell for NZ Booklovers:
‘Dick Frizzell’s Hastings is a warm, nostalgic, and often hilarious tribute to his hometown, capturing the peculiar charm of mid-20th-century New Zealand. Best known as a painter, Frizzell turns his well-known artistic eye to storytelling, crafting a memoir that is as visually evocative as it is rich in character and wit.
Set in the 1950s and early 1960s, Hastings offers a portrait of a town—and a boy—coming of age. Frizzell recalls his childhood with an affectionate mix of admiration and nostalgia, painting a world of rock ’n’ roll, market gardens, the freezing works, and the mischief of a town on the cusp of change. His descriptions of neighbourhood characters, oddball traditions, and everyday adventures create a vivid sense of place, transforming Hastings into a microcosm of post-war New Zealand life.
The book is structured around 30 short, standalone stories, each a snapshot of a formative experience or eccentric local figure. This episodic approach allows Frizzell to move fluidly between humour, reflection, and sharp observation. His storytelling is stereotypically conversational, infused with the same energy and playfulness that defines his artwork. Whether recalling learning the Twist in the Labour and Trades Hall or teaching privileged South Island boys to dance at art school, he brings the past to life with a wry self-awareness that never veers into self-indulgence.’
Read the rest of the review here.
