All About Willy
Somerset Maugham: A Candid Portrait. By Karl G. Pfeiffer. (Gollancz, I8s.)
I SHOULD not have thought it possible to write a totally uninteresting book on Somerset Maugham, and I feel that some sort of con- gratulation is due to Karl G. Pfeiffer for achiev- ing this-considerable feat. In 1941 he heard Mr. Maugham -announce 'in a mock pontifical tone,' 'After my death, Dr. Pfeiffer will write the authoritative work on Maugham' ! It did not occur to .him that this might possibly be a de- plorable example of English humour. 'Amazed and embarrassed, I tried to find words to ex- press gratitude, but Maugham cut. me short.' It is hardly surprising to learn that a few months after Mr. Maugham, while giving permission for a book. about himself, 'didn't mention that the suggestion had originated with him.' And less sur- prising still.to find that that permission was with- drawn ten, years later. Professor Pfeiffer, how- ever, was understandably reluctant to throw in the sponge. Between Mr. Maugham's own works, standard books of reference and his own notes of conversations with and letters from his hero he has fabricated a book of 224 -pages which bears about the same relationship to biography or critic- ism as the Emperor's .clothes bore to Savile Row suiting. Among the faits-divers which the atten- tive reader may gather from perusing Professor Pfeiffer are the fact that Mr. Maugham's school- days are 'described movingly in Of Human Bond- age,' that he always buys his underwear in. London and that the Duchess of Windsor when playing bridge said, 'What good are kings? They always abdicate.' But that is about all he will get from what is really rather a nasty piece of parasitism. As a literary phenomenon Professor Pfeiffer is a bit of a tick. That he hasn't more to show for his efforts is due to the toughness of the animal to whom he chose to attach himself. -
ANTHONY HARTLEY
Previous page
