Some People

by Harold Nicolson

On the face of it, bracketing Harold Nicolson and Vladimir Nabokov seems unexpected but the latter paid a remarkable tribute to Some People . When speaking to Harold Nicolson's son, Nigel, he confessed that all his life he had been fighting against the influence of Some People. ' The style of that book is like a drug', he said. The critic and biographer, Stacy Schiff, has also admitted ' Some People has exerted more influence than I care to admit. I would reread it any day of the week.' Ever since first publication in 1927 it has been attracting this sort of praise. It is an unusual book comprising nine chapters each one being a sort of character Miss Plimsoll; J. D. Marstock; Lambert Orme; The Marquis de Chaumont; Jeanne de Henaut; Titty; Professor Malone; Arketall; Miriam Codd. The author himself writes, a little disingenuously, 'Many of the following sketches are purely imaginary. Such truths as they may contain are only half-truths.' In fact, it would be difficult to point to one, other than Miriam Codd, that was 'purely imaginary', some were composite portraits, others skilful amalgams of divers traits from a variety of different people, and others much more overtly drawn from one real-life figure, for example Lambert Orme clearly represents Ronald Firbank, and Arketall Lord Curzon's bibulous valet. There is nothing else quite like Some People and in its own playful way is beyond category. To be tedious for a moment, we have to call it fiction but are then immediately thrown by Virginia Woolf's deft summary, 'He lies in wait for his own absurdities as artfully as theirs. Indeed by the end of the book we realize that the figure which has been most completely and most subtly displayed is that of the author . . . It is thus, he would seem to say, in the mirrors of our friends that we chiefly live.' Fiction? Biography? Autobiography? - the category doesn't matter, the result is spellbinding however you choose to read it.

Genres: Biography Memoir, Fiction, Literature

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1927

About the author

Sir Harold George Nicolson KCVO CMG was an English diplomat, author, diarist and politician. He was the husband of writer Vita Sackville-West, their unusual relationship being described in their son's book, Portrait of a Marriage.

Reviews

[Kaitlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written from the perspective of a British diplomat in the early 1900s with anecdotal stories of people and events in his life,I found it hard to get into at first in part due to the fact he writes as if the audience will automatically know and understand certain references or events/people. It makes sense as the story was adapted from his diaries, nevertheless by the end I enjoyed his witty way of recounting the types of people he met in his career.

[Sparrow .]

Diplomats are like rock stars: imperturbable beings traveling through the world with vast entourages. The entourage is more interesting than the ambassador, according to Nicolson – particularly the drunken Cockney valets. To the right kind of overcivilized English writer (Harold is almost at the level of Lytton Strachey) this life is a swerving farce.

Opening at random:

'His scholarship was incontestable; his knowledge of foreign politics sincere and unequaled: he was intimate with everybody of even incidental importance from Archangel to Algeciras; and he was always right. His gift of prophecy was in truth amazing. One would have read that morning of a massacre at Kustendil. “Ah, yes,” the professor would sigh, “it is a pity. Although I warned Guéchoff so long ago as ’98…”'

[Pipkia · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Titty was bilingual by origin and possessed in addition a curious facility for modern languages: he had thus passed young into the Diplomatic service. His advent had induced the Foreign Office at once to alter the examination, and to render it, as they thought, impossible for any Titty to pass in again. The change was wise and salutary: I have sometimes felt that in occasioning this reform Titty had justified his existence. There were moments when I found it difficult to discover any other justification at all.”

Full review on my blog: https://pentabook.wordpress.com/2020/...

[Pete · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this some years ago but pick it up from time to time. Nabokov infamously wrote to the author to call this book 'a drug' that he found impossible to resist. Mr Nicolson earnestly wrote back that he and his wife strongly disapproved of Nabokov's morals.

[Mary Narkiewicz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found out about this book because Stacy Schiff said it was one of her favorite books and the one she gave out the most to her friends.
I love the language and his vast knowledge of other countries, his experience with travel, entertaining writing skills.. The Latin, Greek and French quotes and small conversations are a stumbling block for me so have to get out my dictionary. But that's how we learn!

[Magda · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’ve ever lived in Western or Southeastern Europe, this book will be particularly meaningful. Any case, it was a lighthearted look at a specific perspective of a life in these countries, with relatable cultural insights and observations of an era that no longer exists.

[Mark Lilly · Rating 1 out of 5]

Excruciatingly pretentious; obscure figurative language:

this book will savour but of little wit,
when thousands weep more than do laugh at it. (H5)