346. Cakes and Ale

Cakes and Ales
William Somerset Maugham
1930
Around 310 pages

We are on a string of not so great novels, which pains me to say, as I am a huge Maugham fan. Of Human Bondage changed my life forever. So I guess my expectations for this novel were a scooch high. Once again, the author is depending on us to understand allusions to the personalities of dead writers. Who the hell is Hugh Walpole? 

 Our narrator is William Ashenden, an author who is contacted by Alroy Kear, a busybody, slightly hacky writer. Alroy wants assistance after being commissioned to write the biography of the late Edward Driffield. Driffield's second wife is hellbent on cementing Driffield's literary reputation, even though it is well known that Edward's first wife, Rosie, was his muse and was largely responsible for his success.

Okay, maybe this is better than I am giving it credit for. After all, Maugham is a magnificent writer, and I do love reading about reading. It's just a little dry and not as good as Of Human Bondage.

Why are so many titles from Shakespeare lately? I know the man is timeless, but it seems like a weird coincidence. 

RATING: ****-

Interesting Facts:

Title is based on the remark of Sir Toby Belch to Malvolio in Twelfth Night: "Dost thou think, because thou art virtuous, there shall be no more cakes and ale?"

Alroy Kear was based on Hugh Walpole. In The Fine Art of Literary Mayhem, Myrick Land asserts that Cakes and Ale ruined the last 11 years of Walpole's life and destroyed his reputation as a writer.

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