The Weeping and The Laughter.
19761253<p><b>THE DEDICATEE'S MANUSCRIPT REVIEW SMALL ARCHIVE<br /></b></p><p><b>WILSON Angus 1913-1991 English novelist short story writer and reviewer. KING Viva 1893-1979 1920's Bohemian. </b>Small archive relating to the publication of scandalous London hostess Viva King's autobiography <i>The Weeping and The Laughter. </i>London: Macdonald and Jane's 1976 the archive includes Wilson's manuscript book review & more. London 1976. </p><p>King writes the <i>Preface </i>to her autobiography ".Angus Wilson offered to write this book for me. However I decided to try my luck myself.Illness and other interruptions caused delays in finishing this book and but for Angus Wilson's encouragement I might never have come to 'Finis'; and so to him with love and gratitude I dedicate this work." With the archive we include a first edition of the book in dust jacket whose blurb describes Viva King as "for many years one of London's best-loved hostesses" who "now in her eighties Mrs. King looks back on the Bohemian-smart world of the Sitwells Augustus John Ronald Firbank and Norman Douglas." Here is Wilson's 1000-word manuscript review of the book 3 1/2pp. 4to with additions and deletions in which he writes first about reading Proust saying "I have never felt so close to Proust as no when at sixty two I have been honoured by the dedication of Viva King's funny and touching memoirs. "I who as a nervous voluble painfully thin young librarian of twenty-five was entered in her guest book among all the impressive names as 'Man from the British Museum". Viva then was a brilliant eccentric colleague's beautiful witty wife whose erratic headaches threatened verbal annihilation to those whose conversation didn't come up to her husband.she didn't actually annihilate me but I didn't expect to be asked again." Wilson describes her as a "Formidable hostess tough bohemian sharer of jokes often bawdy until we cried woman of discriminating tastes and sensitive feeling for people and places all these I have gradually assembled over the years in Proustian interplay.To all who think of the artistic bohemia and the literary monde of the interwar years as a brittle shell I recommend this book to that they may learn that that glittering world had a heart as well as a sense of fun. Angus Wilson." Viva King was described as shy tough and tender a "British Higher Bohemian Mother Courage" by Maurice Richardson in his review in the <i>Observer </i>2 May 1976. <b>Accompanied by notes for a review</b> by one "Patrick" whom we have not identified 10 pp. of his preparatory manuscript notes for his review on small 6 1/4 x 4 1/4" light blue sheets of paper and the review itself in typescript 2pp. small folio. <b>Accompanied by</b> King's 2pp. 4to ALS on her 15 Thurloe Square London stationary May 20 1976 in which she says "Dear Patrick I thank you so much for your letter & nice review. I know I am apt to denigrate myself to the point where it becomes a bore-all part of my inferiority complex-not really knowing where I belong. I didn't care so much about the dyke's Miss Kay Dick review. It was Charles who got in to such a state & I am grateful for all the trouble he took.I am much in the dumps because this house becomes more of a burden than I can bear. I can't afford to live in it nor leave it-However! Cheer Up.! I hope to see you soon. With love Viva." <b>Accompanied by </b>a manuscript invitation to "Patrick" from the publishers "to celebrate the publication of Viva King's autobiography" at her house at 15 Thurloe Square 28 April. There is a printed letter to the <i>Times</i>by Wilson and six others protesting Kay Dick's review with a typed copy of their collective letter calling it a "fierce personal attack." There are newspaper clippings of reviews of the book one by Margaret Drabble who wonders "While one cannot help wondering what so distinguished an amanuensis as Angus Wilson would have made of this life we can find here much of his raw material: the darling dodoes the extravagant fancy-dress parties of <i>No Laughing Matter</i> the sporting sponging gentlemen of small means who live in studios and boarding houses: they are all here." That's exactly what Wilson's review tells us. <br /></p>
Howard S. Mott, Inc · États-Unis500,00 $US≈ 423,05 €
