Sir Hugh Walpole thread

[Bick]

I was wondering if anyone out there has read (or has good intentions to read), anything by Sir Hugh Walpole.

Walpole is mostly forgotten these days, perhaps best remembered for being cited in Monty Python's Cheese Sketch, and for being critically mocked in Maugham's novel Cakes and Ale.

However, in his day he was lauded by such luminaries as Elliot, Hemingway, Woolf and Priestley. He also sold extremely well on both sides of the Atlantic, becoming a millionaire from his book sales and gaining a Knighthood (which he wasn't sure he deserved). His "Herries" series was especially well received. He's one of those greats of fiction that have not aged well in the public consciousness, and I've not personally read him yet, but I'm highly tempted to.

Does anyone have experience of reading Walpole, and what do you recommend? I'm aware he write some fantasy/ghost fiction, but I'm more interested in his non-genre work personally. Thanks for your thoughts...

 

[Extollager]

I recognize the name, but (as far as my own reading is concerned) can't help you....

 

[Bick]

That's unfortunate as I was hoping you might have read him, Extollager.

This is quite an interesting article on Walpole: Author Hugh Walpole comes in from the cold - BBC News

 

[Ursa major]

I own, by way of inheritance, The Herries Chronicle -- Rogue Herries, Judith Paris, The Fortress, Vanessa -- but until a moment ago had never opened it.

 

[Extollager]

Bick, it's interesting that the article to which you provided a link quotes Grevel Lindop -- in the past year or so I have read two biographies by him, both good (of Thomas de Quincey and Charles Williams).

 

[Bick]

Thanks for the replies. Go on, go on, go on, Ursa: dip into one of them and tell me if you like it.

I'm quite fascinated by the effect of Maugham's Cakes and Ale, on Walpole's legacy. This essay summarises the story rather well. Members of the forum will know that I very much like Maugham's writing, but it seems rather mean of him to have based his character so obviously on Walpole.

 

[Bick]

A great writer whose reputation has been obscured by history.

This short piece notes the excellent biography (Rupert Hart-Davis' Hugh Walpole), as well as focusing more on his supernatural stories.

The fact that Walpole dined with Hitler a few times is certainly intriguing as well. He said, years later I believe, that Hitler's evil was not manifest when he met him, but that he wished in hindsight he had put poison in his coffee when he had the chance!

 

[Bick]

Walpole family connections

The Walpole family is/was of course in the British peerage for centuries and many family members have had very notable careers and positions in history. I've looked into the family tree, as I wanted to work out exactly how Hugh Walpole fitted into the scheme of things. It was a fascinating history lesson for me. So, in brief, here are some fun facts:

1. Sir Hugh Walpole (1884-1941) was indeed related to Horace Walpole (1717-1797), author of the gothic novel Castle of Otranto.
2. Horace Walpole was the 4th Earl of Orford, and was the youngest son of Sir Robert Walpole (1676-1745) 1st Earl of Orford, the first de facto Prime Minister of Great Britain.
3. Sir Robert Walpole's offspring (or grandchildren) all died without further issue, so the Earldom went in 1756 to his younger brother Horatio Walpole (1678-1757). Horatio's fourth son was Robert Walpole (1736-1810) and he was ambassador to Portugal.
4. The line to Hugh Walpole can be directly drawn from Robert Walpole (the ambassador) - his eldest son was The Rev Robert Walpole (1781-1856), who was a famed classical scholar - who's second son was Rev Robert Seymour Walpole (1820-1910) - who's third son was the Rev George Henry Somerset Walpole (1853-1929), who traveled to New Zealand to be the incumbent vicar at the new pro-cathedral in Auckland (down the road from me), where his wife gave birth to... Hugh Walpole.
5. Numerous other famous names litter the family tree, e.g. the second son of Horatio Walpole (brother to the first PM, you'll recall), was Thomas Walpole. His son, also Thomas Walpole (1755-1840) was British ambassador to Munich. His son, Spencer Horatio Walpole (1806-1898) was long time home secretary in Lord Darby's Conservative government; his son, Sir Spencer Walpole (1839-1907) was a famed historian and biographer.

This is, I should imagine, the most historically important family to include authors of fantasy and the supernatural!

 

[Bick]

I popped into three used books stores today, two of which are excellent (usually) and cater for the rare, antiquarian market as well as used paperbacks. None of them had any Hugh Walpole books for sale! In fact, the (usually) knowledgable owner of one of the stores looked mystified when I inquired after Walpole, and admitted "he doesn't ring a bell". I think I have found the most forgotten 'great' author there is! To some extent this seems quite neat. On the other hand I'm struggling to find a book to read. eBay may have to come to my rescue, if I can find a UK antiquarian book store that will mail an old hardback to me in New Zealand for less than a King's ransom. But I like a project, so all's well...

 

[Ursa major]

Surely Google must have copied (legally or otherwise) at least some of the books by now.

 

[Bick]

Surely Google must have copied (legally or otherwise) at least some of the books by now.

Indeed, for those who can bear to read computer files as an alternative to books, they are certainly available for free on Project Gutenberg and such like. That solution doesn't appeal to me though, I'm afraid; I'd rather spend 5 years hunting around in used book stores than downloading today (which sums up my philosophy and thoughts on life generally, quite neatly as it happens).

 

[Stable]

If you are desperate for physical books but don't mind them being not-antique you can always try Forgotten Books: I found a number of Hugh Walpole books for sale.

 

[Stable]

Actually Bick, can you recommend one of those to start with? I may have to check him out. My only previous knowledge of Walpole was a community hall in Edinburgh called Walpole Hall. It's probably connected given the family status.

 

[Bick]

Hugh Walpole's father became Bishop of Edinburgh after he returned from New Zealand. That's probably the connection.

I wouldn't know what to recommend really, though I've noted that it was after he wrote Mr Perrin and Mr Traill that he was taken under the literary wing of Henry James, who thought it excellent. Might be a place to start? I've been looking for that one, among others.

 

[Bick]

I've ordered a very nice 1930 HB edition of Rogue Herries from eBay. Not that cheap, but it looks collectable quality (lovely gold embossed spine), so looking forward to receiving it in the post.

 

[Bick]

I started reading Rogue Herries last night. I have a fine condition 1930 first edition I picked up from an online antiquarian store. I enjoy reading old books like this one - they're the antithesis of the e-book.

So far, it's going well, one chapter in. Walpole writes well and his descriptions of people and places are very well done.

I will post more as I progress.

 

[Bick]

As I finish Rogue Herries this morning, I thought I'd pen a few short notes. It's been a very enjoyable experience reading this book. I know very little about the manner in which Maugham ridiculed Walpole, as I've not yet read Maugham's Cakes and Ale, but I suspect it was based on Walpole's character (Walpole was so very keen to be regarded as a major man of letters), than on his writing. I say this as his writing is very good - and generally considered so at the time by many other great writers. Its smooth and engaging, managing to create a sense of space and breadth through great detail, without getting bogged down into boring exposition. I'm very impressed. Funnily enough, if I was to liken his actual prose to another author, I might suggest Tolkien. They were of similar times, and both wrote of a pastoral 'olde England' in a rather wistful, longing way. Walpole's descriptions of the Lake District are very fine. More than this, his turn of phrase occasionally reminded me of Tolkien too.

To read this, you would need to be in the right frame of mind, I think, and I can see why this literature has become almost completely forgotten (well, Walpole has at any rate). Its slow in its plot, and is concerned with 'small' events in a sense. I read one review on Goodreads in which the writer complained that after 400 pages nothing much had happened. This is partly true, but in another sense also entirely untrue - many characters that you care about had lived decades of their lives in those 400 pages and continue to for another 300. I suppose its rather an old-fashioned style and might not appeal to many, although while reading it I thought more than once, I bet this would appeal to Extollager!

One other thought to help you imagine the style and content: it reminded me also of Dickens somewhat. It has the same depth of storytelling and immersion into the characters lives, and it also manages to conjure some superbly realised scenes that will stick in the memory. In the same way that you could never forget Pip's meeting with Miss Haversham, or Bill Sykes murderous assault in Twist, you wouldn't ever forget Herries selling his mistress at the Chinese fair.

Highly recommended (for the patient reader of classic fiction).

 

[Bick]

Incidentally, I've found and ordered Judith Paris, on eBay. This is the sequel to Rogue Herries (which covers the time period 1730 to 1774), and follows the life of Francis' daughter Judith, born in 1774. The book I've ordered is from the same green HB first edition series from the 1930's that I obtained for RH.

In case anyone is remotely interested, the main 4 Herries Family Saga books are:

1. Rogue Herries, pub 1930, set from 1730 - 1774
2. Judith Paris, pub 1931, set from 1774 - 1821
3. The Fortress, pub 1932, set from 1822 - 1874
4. Vanessa, pub 1933, set from 1874 - 1930

Each sequel traces the life story of a descendant of the last book. Vanessa, for instance, is Judith's granddaughter, I understand.

(I appreciate this thread is basically a monologue, and possibly a boring one to everyone else, but it floats my boat, so I'll keep it going )

 

[Bick]

My copy of Judith Paris arrived - a fine condition, 1st edition, 1st impression from 1931, with mint condition family tree foldout at the back. Lovely jubley. Only cost me a few of your British pounds; slightly surprised it wasn't more.

 

[Bick]

I never did update this thread to say that I'd read, and greatly enjoyed, Judith Paris.

I've since obtained (same 1932 HB first edition series), read, and greatly enjoyed the third book, The Fortress. It took me quite a while to read as I was reading SF most of the time, but read an enjoyable chapter now and again before sleep. I finished it yesterday. It's another very good addition to the series, and essentially spans the second 50 years of Judith Paris (who lives to 100). It would not stand alone well, and needs the preceding books to provide context and depth of understanding.

I recommend these novels if you enjoy classic family sagas - it's in the top two, I'm sure, along with the Forsyte Saga. I've now read over 2500 pages of Walpole's Herries' chronicles. One day I must source the fourth volume, Vanessa, which many reviewers seem to regard as the finest of the lot.