Eighteen-year-old Anthony is a complete innocent (he doesn't even know how to dance at the start) living in a private hotel in Kensington and dreaming about the wonderful things he will do with his life. He intends to start writing a novel on Monday morning. He falls in love with a young girl also staying at the hotel and writes poetry and love letters but she doesn't really seem to be in love with him. He tries for journalist jobs on national papers but his utter lack of experience always results in a recommendation (studiously ignored) to start with the provincials. An acquaintance with an actor lands him a job as an assistant stage manager but he doesn't even know what a prop is; nevertheless he gets a small part as an actor and goes with the company on tour. He avoids prostitutes and travels to Paris.
It's quite funny in places and an amiable narrative of an inexperienced and utterly gauche lad trying to fall in love.
Selected quotes:
- "He had a one-reading acquaintance with a few of the best-known works of the best-known authors of today" (Ch 1)
- "It transpired later (indeed it never failed to transpire sooner or later) that the first Braynes settled in Sussex somewhere about 1600." (Ch 7)
- "Twilight may turn London to purple beauty but never Sheffield." (Ch 8)
- "In the dark, feeble hours of the morning Anthony pulled himself to pieces, and that done conscientiously erected something of himself more handsome and sturdy than he had ever erected. Though he decided not to employ that erection until he had returned from Paris." (Ch 13) I had to read this twice. Not exactly subtle.
April 2023; 252 pages
No comments:
Post a Comment