While England Sleeps seems to have avoided the tone of academic exercise which the author displayed in his book of short stories, The Marble Quilt. Reviewed early this year, those short stories had a textbook feel, a didacticism that I found distracting, even a little annoying. Not so this novel.
Set in the mid 1930’s this story follows the relationship of two British men in London. It was a time of political unrest throughout Europe, a time when a sense of impending doom clouded all educated European society.
Our protagonist, Brian Botsford, aspiring author, twenty-two, son of an Earl, lives on his own with some financial help from his aunt, a successful romance novel writer in her own right. He attends a Communist Party meeting (rally) where he meets Edward Phalen, a subway ticket taker and soon-to-be lover. Despite their class differences they leave together and, like some first meetings in the gay community, end up in bed. Actually they seem to have a lot of anal sex (buggering as they say) standing up. After a bumpy beginning their relationship grows, Edward moves into Brian’s apartment and all seems well…except that Brian pressures himself into some heterosexual experimentation. He takes his straight play a little too seriously, proposes marriage, and is summarily rejected. On returning to his flat he finds that Edward has read his journal. Edward, understandably devastated, runs off to fight in the Spanish civil war with the communists. Brian, realizing he loves Edward, runs off the Spain to find his beloved. Later, disillusioned, Edward deserts. With a judiciously applied bribe here and there, Brian springs Edward from the brig where he’d been languishing.
All seems well but Edward is sick unto death and, having been smuggled out of Spain, he dies at sea.
This is not be best plot I’ve read but it has a certain Hollywood charm…it’d make an OK made-for-TV movie, perhaps a high-end premium cable production.
Two things almost save this book from being sappy. First is the writing style, elegant and lucid, conveying without clutter the emotions of the characters and propelling the plot at an even predictable clip. I liked the writing in The Marble Quilt. I found the writing in While England Sleeps to be equally enjoyable, consistent and eminently readable.
Secondly, though, is the intriguing author’s preface to the new edition. It appears that the story was originally published in England but, as the result of a lawsuit, the books already on sale were pulled from the shelves and destroyed (shades of Fahrenheit 451!!). Apparently the story line was close to an actual real series of events. Lawsuits flew and ultimately the story was reworked and re-issued. What’s really weird is the Q and A format of the preface which takes the form of legal interrogatories. While I don’t doubt that the replies were at least quasi-truthful (whatever “truth” is), I took an instinctive dislike to the author. His responses to the set of questions revealed an articulate person whose attitude is at best arrogant. (I got some of the same feel from parts of The Marble Quilt as well.)
My recommendation here is ambivalent. Good writing, OK characterization. The mediocre plot is nearly redeemed by some wonderful introspective prose as Brian deals with his guilt, his weaselly dishonesty, and his attempts at self-redemption. Wisely, Edward never lets Brian off the emotional hook. Although I see no “kiss of death” flaws in this novel, there are many others I’d read first. With limited time to curl up with a book While England Sleeps might be better put off until retirement (or at least until you’re out of work and have time to kill).