Tuesday 17 September 2019

Reviews of the Works of Edward Frederic Benson (1867-1940)


The purpose of this blog is to review, and to gather together other critics' opinions of, the entire works of E F Benson.  'Fred' is known today almost exclusively for his Mapp and Lucia novels and his ghost ('spook') stories, but in his day he was a popular and versatile author, whose career of almost 50 years saw him tackle a wide range of subjects in both fiction and non-fiction.

I've set myself the task of reading his entire literary output, though I'll probably have to draw the line at titles such as English Figure Skating and A Book of Golf, which would very likely kill me.

Though Benson is one of my favourite authors, I'm not an apologist ~ if a book's bad, it's bad ~ and he did, sadly, write rather a lot (mainly novels) that wasn't good.

Anyway, here goes ~ I hope you enjoy the blog and find it useful.

I realize there's no particular order to all this (other than The Order I Read Things In, which is no use to anyone, not even me), and as I can't get the 'Search this blog' function to work for the site, here's a handy alphabetical linked index instead.  The novels ~ all 63 of them ~ are in bold italic; everything else isn't:

N.B. Items marked NEW! ~ these are reproduced free of charge and in full for, as far as I'm aware, the first time ever to the WWW readership.
 
1886, aged 19
Account Rendered
Across the Stream 
Act in a Backwater, An
Adjustments
Adventure of Hegel Junior, The 
Aegosthena
Afrit of the Sea, An
Age of Walnut, The 
Alan
Alliance of Laughter, The
'And No Bird Sings ...'
'And the Dead Spake ...'
Angel of Pain, The
Ape, The
1889, aged 22
Archaeology in Literature
Arturo's Boat
Arundel 
Assunta's Sacrifice
As We Are 
As We Have Become
As We Were
At Abdul-Ali's Grave 
At King's Cross Station
Atmospherics
At the Farmhouse 
Aunt Jeannie [unpublished play]
Aunts and Pianos 
Autumn and Love
Autumn and the Spring, The
Autumn Sowing, An
Babe, B.A., The
Bagnell Terrace 
Baron, The
Bath-chair, The
Bed by the Window, The
Bensoniana
Between the Lights 
Birds NEW!
1893, aged 26
Blackmailer of Park Lane, The
Blotting-book, The
Blue Stripe
Book of Golf, A
Book of Months, The
Bootles 
Box at the Bank, The
Boxing Night
Bread of Deceit, The
Breath of Scandal, A 
Brick, The >>> Dodo and the Brick
Bridge Fiend, The
Bridgwater Club, The
Brontë
Brontës, The 
Buntingford Jugs
Bus-conductor, The
By the Sluice
By the Waters of Sparta 
Call, The
Capsina, The
Card of Casuistry, A
Carrington
Case of Bertram Porter, The 
Case of Frank Hampden, The >>> Return of Frank Hampden, The
1898, aged 31
Cat, The
Caterpillars
Challoners, The
Charlotte, Anne and Emily Brontë
Charlotte Brontë
Cherry Blossom
China Bowl, The
Chippendale Mirror, The
Christmas with the Old Masters
Christopher Comes Back
Clandon Crystal, The
Classical Education
Climber, The
Climbers and Godmothers
Clonmel Witch Burning, The >>> Recent 'Witch Burning' at Clonmel, The
Colin 
Colin II
Comedy of Styles, A
Complementary Souls
'Complete Rest' 
Confession of Charles Linkworth, The
Corner House, The
Corstophine 
Countess Hatso, The
Countess of Lowndes Square, The
Country House Parties
Courtship of Lord Arthur Armstrong, The
1904, aged 37
Creed of Manners, A
Crescent and Iron Cross
Cricket of Abel, Hirst and Shrewsbury, The
Crotalus, The 
Curious Coincidence, A >>> At Abdul-Ali's Grave
Daily Training
Daisy's Aunt
Dance, The
Dance on the Beefsteak, The 
Dark and Nameless
Daughters of Queen Victoria >>> Queen Victoria's Daughters
David Blaize
David Blaize and the Blue Door 
David Blaize of King's >>> David of King's
David of King's 
Day In, Day Out
Death Warrant, The
Defeat of Lady Grantham, The
Defeat of Lady Hartridge, The 
Demoniacal Possession
Desirable Residences
Deutschland über Allah >>> Crescent and Iron Cross
Dewan-i-Khas 
1909ish, aged 42ish
Dicky's Pain
Dinner for Eight 
Disappearance of Jacob Conifer, The
Diversions Day by Day
Dives and Lazarus 
Dodo [play]
Dodo: A Detail of the Day
Dodo and the Brick
Dodo's Daughter [i.e. Dodo the Second]
Dodo's Progress
Dodo the Second
Dodo Wonders
Doggies 
Dorothy Crystal Syndicate, The NEW!
Double Misfit, A
Drawing-room Bureau, The 
Dummy on a Dahabeah
Dust-cloud, The 
Early Brontë
Earthquakes at Atlanta 
Eavesdropper, The 
Economies of Mrs Hancock, The NEW!
Education of a King, The
English Figure Skating 
English Skating
1914ish, aged 47ish
Entire Mistake, An
Entomology 
Everlasting Silence, The
Expiation 
Exposure of Pamela, The
Face, The
Fallacy at the Heart of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, The
Fall of Augusta, The
False Step, The
Fascinating Mrs Halton, The >>> Daisy's Aunt
Femme Dispose
Ferdinand Magellan
Final Edition 
Fine Feathers
Five Foolish Virgins, The
Flint Knife, The
For His Friends
Freaks of Mayfair, The
Friend in the Garden, The 
Friend in the Garden, The [play]
Friendly Russia NEW!
Friend of the Rich
From Abraham to Christ 
Future of the Novel, The
Gardener, The
Garden Gate, The
Gare du Nord 
Gavon's Eve 
George Moore
George's Secret
Ghost in the Secret Garden, The 
1925ish?, aged 58ish?
Givers and Takers
Godmother, The 
Golden Temple of Amritsar, The 
Gospel of the Gourmet, The 
Governments Who Dig Their Own Graves NEW!
Guardian Angel, The
Guy's Candidate
Hanging of Alfred Wadham, The 
Hapless Bachelors, The
Harmonious Blacksmith, The
Heart of India, The
Henry James: Letters to A. C. Benson and Auguste Monod
Hidden Power, A 
Home, Sweet Home 
Horror-horn, The 
House of Defence, The
House of Help NEW!
House with the Brick-kiln, The
How Fear Departed from the Long Gallery
Image in the Sand, The
Imaginary Interviews 1: Chamberlain and Kruger
Imaginary Interviews 2: The Marquis of Salisbury and Lord Rosebery
Imaginary Interviews 3: The German Emperor and Dr Leyds  
Inheritor, The 
Inscrutable Decrees
In the Dark
In the Tube
Jack and Poll
Jamboree, The
James Lamp
James Sutherland, Ltd.
Janet
1927ish, aged 60ish
Jill's Cat 
Jill's Golf
Joy of the Chase, The
Judgment Books, The
Juggernaut
Julian's Cottage 
Kaiser and English Relations, The
King and His Reign, The (I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, XII)
King Edward VII
Lady Massington's Resurrection
Lambeth Palace
Liberty of Law NEW!
Life of Alcibiades, The
Light in the Garden, The
Like a Grammarian
Limitations
Limoges Manuscript, The
Little Headache, A
Lovers, The
Lovers and Friends
Love's Apostate 
Lucia in London
Lucia's Progress
Luck of the Vails, The
Luck of the Vails, The [play] 
Machaon
Mad Annual, The
Magic White and Black
1930ish, aged 63ish
Male Impersonator, The
Mammon & Co.
Man Who Went Too Far, The
Mapp and Lucia
Margery >>> Juggernaut
Max
May 29th, 1928
Mezzanine
Michael >>> Mike
Middleman, The
Mike
Miss Mapp
Miss Maria's Romance
M.O.M. 
Money Market, The
Monkeys
Mother
Mother of Men, A
Mr Carew's Game of Croquet 
Mrs Ames
Mrs Amworth
Mrs Andrews's Control
Mrs Lauderdale's Office
Mrs Naseby's Denial
Mrs Ross Puts Her Foot Down
Mr Teddy
Mr Tilly's Seance 
Murder of Alan Grebell, The
1935ish?, aged 68ish
Music
My Friend the Murderer
Mystery of Black Rock Creek, The
Naboth's Vineyard
National Service or National Disgrace? NEW!
Negotium Perambulans
Noblesse Oblige 
Notes on Excavations in Alexandrian Cemeteries
Number 12 
Oakleyites, The
'Oh, to be in England ...' 
Old Bligh, The
'O lyric love half-angel and half-bird'
Once
Once a Year
On the Decadence of Manners
On Undesirable Information
Oriolists, The 
Orozco at Dartmouth College
Osbornes, The
Other Bed, The
1938ish, aged 71ish
Our Family Affairs 1867-1896
Our Hard-working Royal Family NEW!
'Our Sister, the Death of the Body'
Outbreak of War 1914, The
Outcast, The
Outside the Door
The Passenger
Paul
Paying Guests
Peacock Enamels, The
The Peerage Cure 
Peter
Pharisees and Publicans
Philip's Safety Razor
Pirates
Poland and Mittel-Europa >>> White Eagle of Poland, The
Poor Miss Huntingford
Portrait of an English Nobleman
Princess Sophia, The
Professor Burnaby's Discovery 
Progress of Princess Waldeneck, The >>> Dodo's Progress 
Psychical Mallards, The 
Public Schools Alpine
Puce Silk, The
1939ish, aged 72ish
'Puss-cat'
Queen Lucia
Queen of the Spa, The
Queen Victoria
Queen Victoria's Daughters
Question of Taste, A
Ravens' Brood
Reading in Bed 
Reaping, A
Recent 'Witch Burning' at Clonmel, The
Reconciliation
Red House, The
Relentless City, The 
Renewal, The
Return of Dodo, The
Return of Frank Hampden, The
Rex
Robin Linnet
Roderick's Story
Room in the Tower, The
Rubicon, The
Sanctuary, The
Satyr's Sandals, The
Scarlet and Hyssop
1940ish, aged 72ish
Sea Mist
Secret Lives
Sheaves
Sheridan Le Fanu
Shootings at Achnaleish, The 
Shuttered Room, The
Simple Life, The
Sir Francis Drake
Sir Roger de Coverley 
Sketches from Marlborough
Smorfia
Snow Stone, The
Social Customs
Social Sickness
Social Value of Temperance, The
Sound of the Grinding, The
Souvenir of the Air Raids, A
Spinach
Step, The
Story of a Mazurka, The
Superannuation Department, AD 1945, The
Tale of an Empty House, The
Technique of the Ghost Story, The
Temple, The
Ten Days in the Peloponnese
Terror by Night, The
There Arose a King
Thersilion at Megalopolis, The
Thing in the Hall, The
Thorley Weir
Thoughts from E. F. Benson (1913)
Thoughts from E. F. Benson (1917)
Three Old Ladies, The
1940ish, aged 72ish
'Through'
Thursday Evenings
To Account Rendered
Top Landing, The
Tortoise, The >>> Mr Teddy
Tragedy of a Green Totem, The
Tragedy of Oliver Bowman, The
Travail of Gold
Trouble for Lucia
Two Days After
Unusual Autobiography, An
Unwanted, The 
Up and Down
Valkyries, The
Victorian Biography - and Afterwards
Vintage, The
Weaker Vessel, The
When Greek Meets Greek
White Eagle of Poland, The
Winter Morning, A
Winter Pastimes
Winter Sports in Switzerland
Wishing-Well, The 
Witch-ball, The 
Woman's Ambition, A
Worshipful Lucia, The >>> Lucia's Progress
Zoo, The 

SHORT STORY COLLECTIONS
Countess of Lowndes Square and Other Stories, The
Desirable Residences and Other Stories
Fine Feathers and Other Stories
Flint Knife, The
More Spook Stories 
Sea Mist
Six Common Things
Spook Stories
Visible and Invisible

Mapp and Lucia



Saturday 14 September 2019

Friday 26 July 2019

The Judgment Books

Fiction ~ novella
First serialized in The Graphic November 1894
Published in full 1895
24,405 words

A very posh portrait-painter paints a self-portrait, neurotically.
When you boil all the rotting flesh off this bloated carcass of a story, that's all you're left with.
Even if Benson had told it at his customary short-story length (5-6,000 words), it would still have been vastly overlong.
The author doesn't blush to mention that he's been inspired by (voir plagiarized) Stevenson's Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1886); what he singularly does fail to mention is that the yarn owes as much to Wilde's Dorian Gray (1890/91).  At the exact time The Judgment Books was being published in full, Wilde was engaged in his idiotic trials.  So that might have had something to do with the omission.


A truly mind-blowingly atrocious piece of writing.

QUOTABLES
There's one very brief interlude in all the tedium.  Our toff hero and his toff wife have invited the vicar and his wife to dinner ~ for no reason other than to have a break in the tedium, it seems.  The vicar's wife, Mrs Greenock, is ceaselessly inquisitive:
[Asking questions of everyone], she was persuaded, was the best way of improving an
 already superior intellect, as hers admittedly was.  There is a great deal to be said for
 her view—there always was a great deal to be said for her views, and she usually said
 most of it herself.

Now that you've read the one good line in this yarn, please forget about it.  Under no circumstances should you attempt to read it.

THE CRITICS
An odd, suggestive story … The tale is well told, the conceit a striking one.
~Hartford Courant, quoted in front endpapers of The Vintage

Mr. Benson is at his best thus far, in this new book rather than in Dodo, and that best is excellent.
~Boston Advertiser, quoted in front endpapers of The Vintage

The new work of the author of Dodo is much less ambitious and somewhat better written than that amusing story. It is hardly long enough to be called a novel, and treats of a single episode in the life of a portrait-painter. This gentleman, who is not very strong in the mind, reads Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde whilst he is casting about for a new piece of work, and it fires his imagination to “put his Jekyll and Hyde on the canvas for men to wonder at and be silent before.” He would paint himself, he decided, “as the husband and lover of Margery, the Jekyll of himself who had known and knew the best capabilities for loving in his nature; and he would paint his Hyde, the man who had lived as other men live in Paris, a Bohemian, careless, worthless, finding this thing and that honey in the mouth, but to the soul wormwood and bitterness.” Unfortunately Margery, who was not only his wife, but his backbone, went away on a visit, and the consequence was that Hyde got the upper hand on the canvas. One is then led to expect a sort of Dorian Gray transformation, but nothing comes of it. The wife returns home, the picture is destroyed, and everything goes on as before. There is a good deal of moralising about the immortality of all our deeds, and how they are inscribed in the 'judgment books', but it is not particularly new. One is left with a distinct feeling that in this little work Mr Benson, to use an expressive American phrase, “has bitten off more than he can chew.”
~The Glasgow Herald, 18/07/1895

The Judgment Books, by E. F. Benson, tells the story of an artist who painted himself as he was, influenced by the story of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. It is rather horrible, but the conception is well carried out. Frank Trevor had “lived the life of a man,” in Paris too, and his wife accepted him, declining to hear his story. She was consistent, however, and when he had painted a terrible picture of himself as he was (or, rather, of the 'Mr Hyde' part of him), she saved him by her love from madness, and accepted him as he was, good and bad. A book like this cannot be read without one gaining an impression not merely of its cleverness; the brief, concentrated story is one that haunts the imagination and awakens thoughts which the best of men would willingly let die out of his memory.
~The Leeds Mercury, 31/07/1895

A curious, imaginative, introspective study of character. An artist of singularly sensitive temperament paints a portrait of himself, and knowing of certain dark passages in his life is driven to express them in his picture. The result is a 'horror' that terrifies his wife and well-nigh deprives him of reason. How he is saved by her courage and devotion must be learnt from the book itself, which is well worth reading from more than one point of view.
~The Liverpool Mercury, 28/08/1895

The Judgement Books [sic] is Fred's attempt to emulate Dorian Gray, and was published in the year of Wilde's disgrace (1895 also saw The Importance of Being Earnest). The hero, Frank, is an artist who believes that each time he paints he loses part of himself which is, as it were, kidnapped and absorbed by the picture in hand. He is now embarked upon a self-portrait, but is frightened by the prospect that he may paint himself as he really is ~ dissolute and depraved ~ and not as the good and decent man his loving wife Margery sees. For Frank, before he married, had been rather a cad and risks raising the ghost of that past life. Indeed, as the picture progresses, it grows more vicious and reveals a loathsome personality, which Margery flees from in fear. Eventually, Frank persuades Margery to help him, to rescue him from himself, and the painting is dramatically ripped to pieces.
Not only is the theme Wildean, but there is a Wildean principle at stake which Fred seems to question. The preface to The Picture of Dorian Gray makes the famous claim, “There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written, or badly written.” Benson has Frank make an analogous point about art:
You call one thing pretty, another ugly. Believe me, art knows no such terms. A
thing is true, or it is false; and the cruelty of it is, that if we have as much as grain
of falsehood in our measure of truth, the thing is worthless. Therefore, in the
picture I am now painting, I have tried to be absolutely truthful; as you said at
dinner, I have tried to paint what I am, without extenuation or concealment. Would
you like to see it? You would probably call it a hideous caricature, because in this
terrible, cruel human life, no man knows what is good in him, but only what is bad.
It is those who love us only, who know if there is any good in us.
In other words, a portrait may be well-painted (honest) or ill-painted (deceitfully), but it cannot be accused of evil. It can only depict what is, and not be blamed for failing to depict what ought to be. With the denouement of the story, however, it is clear that Benson is challenging this view. He does not believe the artist has a responsibility towards his audience as well as towards his art, that there is evil in the world and the artist must neither glamorise nor excuse it. Fred's moral view is simple, and it occurs again and again in his work. It is this: evil can be banished by good, and salvation is always possible, but the struggle, the conflict, are unceasing. In The Judgement Books it is Margery who saves Frank. […] Since many of Fred's books are made of incidents in his life, stitched together in varying ways, or reflect moments in his intellectual and moral development, we are bound to ask, who was it who saved Fred from himself.
The Judgement Books was a dismal flop …
~Brian Masters in The Life of E. F. Benson, 1991