5 NOVEMBER 1983, page 30

Party Lines

Bohdan Nahaylo The Day Lasts More Than A Hundred Years Chingiz Aitmatov (Macdonald £8.95) H ow little we know about the vitality I land aspirations of the numerous non- Russian......

Drab Tales

Christopher Hawtree Mae West is Dead Edited by Adam Mars-Jones (Faber & Faber f10, £3.50) I t would have made a more interesting piece of television than books usually receive......