Rabelais Plus
LOUIS WILKINSON first met J. C. Powys in 1901. Mr. Wilkinson is now in his late seventies, Mr. Powys in his late eighties. These letters were written between 1935 and 1956, and there are over 300 of them. So much for fact. Now, who is this book for? Perhaps there are enough Powys addicts about to make a quorum, but I should think they would need to be real addicts to wade through this quagmire of in- flated whimsy, rumbustious 'frankness,' private jokes and self-conscious character-playing. Mr. Powys is not blind to his own characteristics; in one letter he says that he has `the soul of a sadistic, sentimental old maid . . . fastidious and finickin and fussy and garrulous and bubbling and gushing and talkative and exhibitionist.' This larking about with adjectives, by the way, seems to be one result of the author's great admiration for Rabelais—indeed, the cornerstone of his style seems to be Rabelais plus Lady Ottoline Morrell. The subjects covered are the Powys family, the author's literary admirations and views on the prosecution of the war, and his passion for the life and literature of Mr. Wilkinson, who seems to have edited this volume with great reverence and
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