The Quest for Julian by Peter Apap Bologna

by Peter Apap Bologna

Julian Maclaren-Ross shares with Evelyn Waugh the distinction of having written the best stories of British army life in the Second World War. He did not just write well, he wrote stylishly and became one of the best-read writers and critics of his time.Julian was one on the first to write about ordinary people and may be considered the precursor of Amis, Sillitoe, Braine, Storey, and the other 'proletarian' writers, and 'Angry Young Men' of the 1950s and after.Unlike Waugh, Julian did not produce a body of major novels to ensure his position in the literary firmament but, without doubt, his contribution to English literature was substantial.There were several distinct phases to Julian's life, and he wrote of each in suitably distinctive styles. His childhood in seaside towns in England and in the south of France; his early adulthood; his time in the Army; a promising period in London s Soho and Fitzrovia, working with Dylan Thomas; and a short interlude in Oxford.Why is Julian Maclaren-Ross important? Possibly because his impressions of his own life and times are depicted by him with honesty, accuracy, and an ironic detachment.Peter Apap Bologna's interest in Julian Maclaren-Ross started in the late 1980s, when he was putting together a collection of first editions of 1940s fiction.Enthralled by Memories of the Forties, Julian's last and posthumously published work, Peter soon became totally involved in his life and writings, and over the years put together a mostly complete collection of Julian's work inc. Horizon, TLS reviews, contributions to Punch, and The London Magazine.Peter was born in Malta in 1941, and educated at St Aloysius' College. He lives in Sliema, Malta with his wife Alaine and his spaniel Missie.

Hardcover

Reviews

[Nigeyb · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read 'Fear and Loathing in Fitzrovia' by Paul Willetts instead

I wonder how often a writer is quietly beavering away on a biography, all is well, a publisher is interested, when - out of the blue - word arrives of another biography about the same person. That's what happened to Peter Apap Bologna, who was writing this biography about the English writer and dandy Julian Maclaren-Ross (1912-64). Penguin Books were interested and looked likely to publish, or at least according to this book's introductory note. All was going well until an authorised biography was announced.

That other biography was 'Fear and Loathing in Fitzrovia' by Paul Willetts. I read and thoroughly enjoyed 'Fear and Loathing in Fitzrovia' (2003), and after finishing it I was inspired to buy Julian Maclaren-Ross's 'Memoirs of the Forties'; 'Selected Stories'; and 'Of Love and Hunger', all of which are splendid, and well worth reading. I'm a fan.

Consequently when I heard about 'The Quest for Julian: The Life and Times of Julian Maclaren-Ross' (2016) I was intrigued, but also perplexed. Was there any point in a second biography? I have read all Paul Willetts' work and, like his other books, 'Fear and Loathing in Fitzrovia' is superb. Peter Apap Bologna had been beaten to the punch by Willetts' comprehensive, enjoyable and thorough trawl through the life of Julian Maclaren-Ross. Peter Apap Bologna addresses this issue head on in this book's introductory note, stating that he decided to publish so that his research and efforts should be available, and also because his biography is more focussed on Julian Maclaren-Ross's own largely autobiographical writings and so this book tells Julian's story in his own words.

In the Introduction Peter Apap Bologna reveals how Christopher Sinclair-Stevenson, on reading an early draft, advised Peter to lose a lot of the background information to "keep Julian in the picture". Peter resolved to do just this. Confusingly there are still lengthy sections, sometimes around 20 pages, during which Julian does disappear completely. Some of these I quite enjoyed, others I could have done without, either way it seems odd to explicitly make reference to this intention in the introduction and then not follow through. There are a few details that felt completely superfluous (e.g. what Peter Apap Bologna had eaten at a lunch meeting to discuss the project).

Something else I found distracting is the book's structure. Each chapter is split into numerous short subsections each with their own heading, written using that faux handwritten, right slanting typeface that crops up on posh menus (search for the "Splendid ES font" if you don't know the typeface). Whilst this affectation might make it easier to identify specific sections (there's no index), I found it annoying, it constantly interrupts the flow of the book and the font is a little tricky to read.

It has been a few years since I read 'Fear and Loathing in Fitzrovia' however I could not identify anything new in this account of Julian's life. The writing is competent but pedestrian and, despite sharing Peter Apap Bologna's enthusiasm for Julian Maclaren-Ross, I was not engaged. In short, if you want to read a biography of Julian Maclaren-Ross then read 'Fear and Loathing in Fitzrovia'. 'The Quest for Julian: The Life and Times of Julian Maclaren-Ross' does contain some colour photos of the covers of first editions, which look great, however overall I'm sad to say, especially as it cost me £20, this book doesn't add anything new to Julian's life and times.

2/5