A Last Diary

by W.N.P. Barbellion, Arthur J. Cummings (Foreword)

A Last Diary is a book written by W. N. P. Barbellion and published in 1921. It is a collection of diary entries written by the author during the last few months of his life. Barbellion was a pseudonym for Bruce Frederick Cummings, a British naturalist and writer who died at the age of 30 from multiple sclerosis. In the book, Barbellion reflects on his life, his illness, and his impending death. He writes candidly about his physical and emotional struggles, his relationships with his family and friends, and his thoughts on religion, philosophy, and literature. The diary entries are both poignant and humorous, and provide a unique glimpse into the mind of a young man facing his own mortality. A Last Diary is considered a classic of modern literature and has been praised for its honesty, insight, and literary style.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

200 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1920

About the author

Wilhelm Nero Pilate Barbellion was the nom-de-plume of Bruce Frederick Cummings, an English diarist who was responsible for The Journal of a Disappointed Man. Ronald Blythe called it "among the most moving diaries ever created"

Cummings was born in Barnstaple in 1889. He was a naturalist at heart and ended up working at the British Museum's department of Natural History in London. Having begun his journal at the age of thirteen, Cummings continued to record his observations there - gradually moving from dry scientific notes to a more personal, literary style. His literary ambitions changed course in 1914 upon reading the journal of the Russian painter Marie Bashkirtseff, in whom he recognised a kindred spirit (see the 14 October 1914 entry of his Journal); in his 15 January 1915 entry he indicated that he intended to prepare his Journal for publication: "Then all in God’s good time I intend getting a volume ready for publication."

Cummings' life changed forever when he was called to enlist in the British Army to fight in World War I in November 1915. He had consulted his doctor before taking the regulation medical prior to enlisting, and his doctor had given him a sealed, confidential letter to present to the medical officer at the recruitment centre. Cummings did not know what was contained in the letter, but in the event it was not needed; the medical officer rejected Cummings as unfit for active duty after the most cursory of medical examinations. Hurt, Cummings decided to open the letter on his way back home to see what had been inside, and was staggered to learn that his doctor had diagnosed him as suffering from the disease now known as multiple sclerosis, and that he almost certainly had less than five years to live.

The news changed Cummings profoundly, and his journal became much more intense and personal as a result. He had married shortly before discovering his illness, and had a daughter, Penelope, in October 1916, but was later moved to discover that his prospective wife, Eleanor, had been informed of his condition long before he himself knew his fate, and his efforts to spare the feelings of his family had been in vain since they had known his condition even before he had.

His diaries up to the winter of 1917, which he revised and corrected prior to publication, were eventually published in March 1919 under the title The Journal of a Disappointed Man. He chose the pseudonym "W.N.P. Barbellion" to protect the identities of his family and friends; he chose the forenames "Wilhelm", "Nero" and "Pilate" as his examples of the most wretched men ever to have lived. The first edition bore a preface by H.G. Wells, which led some reviewers to believe the journal was a work of fiction by Wells himself; Wells publicly denied this but the true identity of "Barbellion" was not known by the public until after Cummings' death.

The Journal of a Disappointed Man, filled with frank and keen observation, unique philosophy and personal resignation, was described by its author as "a study in the nude". The book received both adulatory and scathing reviews; having originally been optioned by Collins, they eventually rejected the book because they feared the "lack of morals" shown by Barbellion would damage their reputation. An editor's note at the very end of the book claims Barbellion died on 31 December 1917, but Cummings in fact lived for nearly two more years. He died in October 1919, having recently approved the proofs of a second short volume of memoirs, Enjoying Life and Other Literary Remains; a third brief volume of his very last entries, A Last Diary, appeared in 1920. His identity was made public through his obituaries in various newspapers, at which point his brother Henry R. Cummings gave a newspaper interview providing details of the life of "Barbellion".

Reviews

[Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

The last of Barbellion's writings, and a direct sequel to JOURNAL OF A DISAPPOINTED MAN. I loved that volume so unsurprisingly I found myself loving this one too. It's a moving study of the author in the final year of his life, trapped in a small cottage in a paralysed body and ruminating on his existence. A lot shorter than the first book, but even more profound at times, with the trademark whimsical humour, exploration of character, and pathos. The passages in which he's still alive to acknowledge the publishing and reception of his first book are a delight.

[Ruud Van · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ik kende het boek al heel lang, maar dan in de oorspronkelijke taal. Wel aardig dat er nu een Nederlandse vertaling is. De notities zijn slecht. Thomas Hardy heeft bv geen roman The three sisters geschreven. Wel een kort verhaal The three strangers. Rare fout en zo is er meer.