I was just reading a review by Simon Callow in Saturday's Guardian of Tennessee Williams's diaries, and was struck by the playwright's bitter observation, regarding the wilting of his talent in his later years, that he had suffered "a kind of sunstroke under the baleful sun of success".
It seemed to me another odd coincidence (of the kind that are thronging me of late) that I had only a few days earlier come upon this similar complaint by Malcolm Lowry about the downside of having a successful novel. (We should have such problems!)
After Publication Of 'Under The Volcano'
Success is like some horrible disaster
Worse than your house burning, the sounds of ruination
As each roof tree falls, following another faster,
While you stand, the helpless witness of your
damnation.
Fame like a drunkard consumes the house of the soul
Exposing that you have worked only for this -
Ah, that I had never suffered this treacherous kiss
And had been left in darkness forever
to founder and fail.
Malcolm Lowry (1909-1957)
3 comments:
Did you ever read Simon Callow's biography on Orson Wells? I was surprised on how good it was.
Well, I've started to read the first volume. It's a big book; I'm a slow reader; most of my library had to be abandoned when I quit the UK 5 years ago.
Callow is extremely bright and a great wit; so was Welles! Thus I don't find anything 'surprising' about what a great book it is. It had been on my 'wish list', heavy-handedly mentioned to friends in advance of Christmas and birthday, for quite some time.... before I eventually felt obliged to buy it for myself.
You don't have it with you HERE, do you???
Unfortunately, no. I wish I did since I've not much reading material lying around the house. :(
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