Autobiography Of Alfred H. Mendes, 1897-1991

by Michele Levy

Alfred Hubert Mendes (1897–1991) was a member of the influential Beacon group of artists, writers and intellectuals in Trinidad in the 1930s. In common with other Beacon writers, including C.L.R. James and Ralph de Boissière, he set out to create a Trinidad-centred literature, and his extensive output of poetry, short stories, novels and journalism bears witness to his dedication to this goal. The sheer vitality of Mendes’s writing and the huge scope of his interests will attract both scholars and general readers keen to understand what life really was like in the early decades of the twentieth century. Whereas Mendes’s poems and short stories tellingly illustrate the stresses of social life under colonial rule, the journalism contains much thought-provoking discussion of the development of a national identity and political maturity through his intensive examination of Trinidad’s cultural life.

Genres: Autobiography

224 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2002

Reviews

[Erick M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finally finished my reading of the autobiography of Alfred hubert Mendes and I certainly have a lot to say. Spoilers and a lot of text. Enjoy (Spoilers, maybe).

I can quickly say yes, this book is worth every page completely. If you want to read it, you can find it at this link: https://epdf.pub/queue/the-autobiogra...

I'm not here because of Mendes' contributions to Trinidadian literature, in fact, like many others, I knew absolutely nothing about him until last year, when I saw 1917, a fascinating film made by his grandson, Sam Mendes, Based on your grandfather's war experiences during WWI.

Mendes' life was fascinating in many ways, one of these being the number of famous people with whom he interacted, with CLR James and Aldous Huxley standing out among all. Nobody even bothers to remember this man anymore and that is why, for me, it is so fascinating to find that not only did he meet so many, but he became close friends with many of these men and women. But if there is one thing I value Alfred in particular, it is because he was more than many could expect, myself included. The first war only occupies two fleeting chapters in his book, taking the rest to speak in depth of the love and aspirations he had towards his greatest talent: writing.

The soldier that all the news talks about now was and is much more than just that, Alfred Mendes was a complete writer who, with his precarious situation, made his way through adversity and became a pioneer in his native Trinidad, making way for for subsequent generations to exploit the potential that he and others had already discovered. Unfortunately, yes, not everything was perfect in his life; not having obtained American citizenship destroyed his dreams and aspirations as a writer, causing him to return to his native country and spend the other half of his life in anonymity with his wife, all accompanied by a simple but hard narrative.

Personally, I prefer to see the latter as a life lesson. Alfred was a great writer with a bright future who couldn't advance out of fear. He feared his novels, his writings, everything he represented and that, my dear reader, is something that no one deserves to feel.

If you have an aspiration or a very deep dream, follow it and fulfill it, no matter what you are told around you.What do you want to be?