Episode 36: 'The Silver Mask' by Hugh Walpole
As the workload producing the podcast/YouTube channel seems to grow exponentially, I've been keeping these blog entries brief. Biographical information is often readily available on Wikipedia and the like, and I'm not sure repeating tittle tattle about the authors' private lives adds much value here.
That said, since I began EnCrypted, I've been struck by the fact that the British writers of much horror/supernatural/speculative fiction of the period this podcast usually concerns itself (roughly 1890-1930) represent a definite literary clique. At first that seems rather obvious, that writers working in the same genre should have awareness of each other's work, correspond about it, and sometimes form friendships. What is more surprising is that so many should be public school-educated, scholarly sons of clergymen, and either closeted homosexuals, or conspicuously celibate.
One can only speculate why this particular set of circumstances should seem to engender a particular macabre mindset - were they wrestling with the trauma of their schooldays, the conflicts between scientific rationality and religious dogma, the angst over their still-forbidden sexual desires, or all three? - but with Hugh Walpole (1884-1941) we find it again.
Walpole was born in New Zealand but sent to a preparatory school in England, in Truro, in 1893. He went on to study at Cambridge University, during his time there becoming infatuated with Magdalene College don A.C. Benson (who, like his brothers E.F. and R.H., also wrote ghost stories...and "never married"), losing his religious faith (discussing agnosticism with H.G. Wells), and beginning a literary career (developing a friendship with Henry James).
Somewhat sneered at by the literary establishment of his time, critical appreciation seems to have eluded him, although he enjoyed commercial success and a soujourn in Hollywood, working on the screenplays for David Copperfield (in which he made a cameo appearance) and Little Lord Fauntleroy. His short story, The Silver Mask, was also turned into a motion picture (filmed twice, in fact, under the unpromising title Kind Lady).
The Silver Mask is a cracking little tale - and darkly comic - about a spinster who, one evening, takes pity on a tall, dark stranger, apparently fallen on hard times. When she invites him into her home she unwittingly opens herself up to a ruthless exploitation of her good nature.
While it's usually not advisable to assume too much autobiographical intent in a writer's work, it's tempting to see the story's heroine, Sonia Herries, as a cipher for the Walpole. Like Sonia, he was an avid and discerning art collector (owning works by Utrillo and Sickert). Also like Sonia, he was a social butterfly who wanted to be liked and loved, and was apparently generous to a fault...
I hope you enjoy this latest audio presentation.
Jasper
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