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Vestal Fire
For a short time before the First World War, Compton Mackenzie lived on Capri, "island of pleasure" as it has been called. The stay was fruitful, resulting in two "romans à clef," Vestal Fire and Extraordinary Women, published in 1927 and 1928 respectively. These see Compton Mackenzie at his satirical best.
The island of Capri, in the early twentieth-century, was a remarkably tolerant place providing a haven in particular for those with the sort of sexual appetites that were banned elsewhere. Homosexuals, both male and female, retreated to Capri and many were to find themselves appearing in fictional guise in Compton Mackenzie's two novels. Narrative drive is not what you will find here, instead there is delicious and wicked social comedy that exuberantly charts the endless feuds and machinations.
The island of Capri, in the early twentieth-century, was a remarkably tolerant place providing a haven in particular for those with the sort of sexual appetites that were banned elsewhere. Homosexuals, both male and female, retreated to Capri and many were to find themselves appearing in fictional guise in Compton Mackenzie's two novels. Narrative drive is not what you will find here, instead there is delicious and wicked social comedy that exuberantly charts the endless feuds and machinations.
432 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1927
2 people are currently reading
136 people want to read
About the author
Compton Mackenzie
211 books84 followersCompton Mackenzie was born into a theatrical family. His father, Edward Compton, was an actor and theatre company manager; his sister, Fay Compton, starred in many of James M. Barrie's plays, including Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up. He was educated at St Paul's School and Magdalen College, Oxford where he obtained a degree in Modern History.
Mackenzie was married three times and aside from his writing also worked as an actor, political activist, and broadcaster. He served with British Intelligence in the Eastern Mediterranean during World War I, later publishing four books on his experiences. Compton Mackenzie was from 1920–1923 Tenant of Herm and Jethou and he shares many similarities to the central character in D.H. Lawrence's short story The Man Who Loved Islands, despite Lawrence saying "the man is no more he than I am." Mackenzie at first asked Secker, who published both authors, not to print the story and it was left out of one collection.
Mackenzie was married three times and aside from his writing also worked as an actor, political activist, and broadcaster. He served with British Intelligence in the Eastern Mediterranean during World War I, later publishing four books on his experiences. Compton Mackenzie was from 1920–1923 Tenant of Herm and Jethou and he shares many similarities to the central character in D.H. Lawrence's short story The Man Who Loved Islands, despite Lawrence saying "the man is no more he than I am." Mackenzie at first asked Secker, who published both authors, not to print the story and it was left out of one collection.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 14, 2020
a must read if you are into Capri and its history. A very well written and amusing chronicle of Capri's characters from the first half of 1900, such as Fersen, Cerio, Palmes and co. You could almost visit the Island on the footsteps of this novel if you can get ahold of a copy by La Conchiglia with all the names and streets/villa names noted down by Palmes in his personal copy. Highly recommended.
May 29, 2021
Synopsis:
Vestal Fire was written by Compton Mackenzie and was published in 1927. This novel is set on the island of Sirene, which is a barely disguised fictional version of Capri. Mackenzie spent some time there before the first World War and this is his fictional account of this place and all the quirky people he knew there. Capri was a place where artists and intellectuals gathered and lived. It also attracted the lesbian and gay community at the time.
Storyline:
Vestal Fire doesn’t have much of a plot. We pretty much get to know all the various, eclectic inhabitants of Sirene. However, the biggest plot point is when a French Count arrives on the island who has a dubious background. He is invited there by two old ladies Miss Virginia and Maimie Pepworth-Norton and a feud develops between the island inhabitants and them over the Count. At first I was delighted with this novel. The island and all the fabulous quirky characters came to life. I did start to lose enjoyment though after awhile. It was still a fun read all the way through, this novel just wasn’t pulled together quite right for me. Also, what started to make me uncomfortable was how the Count was portrayed. He is openly gay and everyone turns against him ( except the Pepworth-Nortons) when they find out he was imprisoned for making advances towards underage boys. There becomes more reasons for them to dislike him as the novel goes on including drug use. When I found out the Count was based on a real person this put it in perspective for me. Mackenzie was retelling a true story of a man that was not accepted by Capri society. Partly because of some dubious undertakings, partly because of their homophobia. Although I will say I don’t think Mackenzie was as sympathetic to his cause as he could have been. His standpoint seemed very neutral. The Pepworth-Nortons are pretty obviously a lesbian couple and he does treat them quite nicely as characters however. I suppose while I was reading the novel I didn’t realize the Count was based on a real person, so it just made me a bit uncomfortable and confused about what to think.
Setting:
Vestal Fire is set on Sirene ( a fictional version of the island of Capri). I did really enjoy how this island came to life. There weren’t as many nature descriptions as I would have liked, but that’s ok. My favorite Villa that was described was the Villa Amabile where the Pepworth-Nortons live. It sounded so lovely and I loved that they had built a mini Temple of Vesta. In terms of time period this starts in the Edwardian Era, goes through World War I and ends in the early 20’s.
Characters:
The characters were quite fun to read about, although some of them did not stay in the story as much as I would have liked. My favorite characters were Miss Virginia and Miss Maimie Pepworth-Norton. They were such a delight and so sweet together. I loved how feisty they were about protecting the Count.
Did I Like It?:
I did enjoy this novel, but I didn’t love it. It was an interesting read though. I might want to check out some of Compton Mackenzie’s more popular works.
Do I Recommend It?:
Not super highly to be honest, but if you’re curious give it a go! It is interesting and enjoyable to some capacity. It reminded me a little of The Enchanted April in terms of setting and time period, so fans of that might find something to like about this book.
Vestal Fire was written by Compton Mackenzie and was published in 1927. This novel is set on the island of Sirene, which is a barely disguised fictional version of Capri. Mackenzie spent some time there before the first World War and this is his fictional account of this place and all the quirky people he knew there. Capri was a place where artists and intellectuals gathered and lived. It also attracted the lesbian and gay community at the time.
Storyline:
Vestal Fire doesn’t have much of a plot. We pretty much get to know all the various, eclectic inhabitants of Sirene. However, the biggest plot point is when a French Count arrives on the island who has a dubious background. He is invited there by two old ladies Miss Virginia and Maimie Pepworth-Norton and a feud develops between the island inhabitants and them over the Count. At first I was delighted with this novel. The island and all the fabulous quirky characters came to life. I did start to lose enjoyment though after awhile. It was still a fun read all the way through, this novel just wasn’t pulled together quite right for me. Also, what started to make me uncomfortable was how the Count was portrayed. He is openly gay and everyone turns against him ( except the Pepworth-Nortons) when they find out he was imprisoned for making advances towards underage boys. There becomes more reasons for them to dislike him as the novel goes on including drug use. When I found out the Count was based on a real person this put it in perspective for me. Mackenzie was retelling a true story of a man that was not accepted by Capri society. Partly because of some dubious undertakings, partly because of their homophobia. Although I will say I don’t think Mackenzie was as sympathetic to his cause as he could have been. His standpoint seemed very neutral. The Pepworth-Nortons are pretty obviously a lesbian couple and he does treat them quite nicely as characters however. I suppose while I was reading the novel I didn’t realize the Count was based on a real person, so it just made me a bit uncomfortable and confused about what to think.
Setting:
Vestal Fire is set on Sirene ( a fictional version of the island of Capri). I did really enjoy how this island came to life. There weren’t as many nature descriptions as I would have liked, but that’s ok. My favorite Villa that was described was the Villa Amabile where the Pepworth-Nortons live. It sounded so lovely and I loved that they had built a mini Temple of Vesta. In terms of time period this starts in the Edwardian Era, goes through World War I and ends in the early 20’s.
Characters:
The characters were quite fun to read about, although some of them did not stay in the story as much as I would have liked. My favorite characters were Miss Virginia and Miss Maimie Pepworth-Norton. They were such a delight and so sweet together. I loved how feisty they were about protecting the Count.
Did I Like It?:
I did enjoy this novel, but I didn’t love it. It was an interesting read though. I might want to check out some of Compton Mackenzie’s more popular works.
Do I Recommend It?:
Not super highly to be honest, but if you’re curious give it a go! It is interesting and enjoyable to some capacity. It reminded me a little of The Enchanted April in terms of setting and time period, so fans of that might find something to like about this book.
March 17, 2014
Totally fascinated by Compton Mackenzie's barely disguised account of the foreign colony on Capri during the early years of the twentieth century and its uneasy relation with Jacques d'Adelswärd-Fersen. See how the "charmed circle" of good sex (as Gayle Rubin puts it) gets drawn, and how the closet worked as an open secret. Can't wait for the delivery of Extraordinary Women, Mackenzie's follow-up novel about Capri's lesbian community.
March 28, 2016
A great literary read, so sadly neglected. Instead of a review here, since this book is one of three or four books by different authors covering the pleasure island of Capri, please refer to my review at Norman Douglas's South Wind.
June 22, 2021
I have hesitated for years to buy Vestal Fire, and since buying it I've had it on my shelves for a longish time and approached it with some suspicion, for I had read -- or so I seem to recall -- somewhere, a long time ago, that Mackenzie ridiculed homosexuality in the novel (something all the more puzzling given his own inclinations).* This seems a serious oversimplification to me now, assuming somebody ever actually claimed it.** It is true that the author does not spare Marsac his satyrical jabs, but then neither does he fail to humorously show up the foibles of everyone else in the novel, regardless of nationality, gender or sexuality. Beside, precisely because the book depicts Marsac as so essentially self-centred and flawed, it conveys the Baron's genuine devotion to Carlo without sentimentality, and all the more touchingly.
In terms of technique, I found the seamless register change in the last few pages -- where satire gives way to a gentle nostalgia -- particularly remarkable.
The novel is eminently quotation-worthy too: '"I guess I've lived too long," the old lady sighed, "and maybe I've always been foolish and sentimental; but I think that a man with queer ideas ought to look kinda bold and bad and picturesque."'
This book is a must if, like me, you too have fallen under the spell of the (poorly maintained, the last time I visited) Villa Lysis, so symbolic of the Capri that, you confidently and probably mistakenly tell yourself, neither the jet-setting crowd nor mass-tourism could possibly have a clue about.
* I wonder if this point might even be made somewhere in Peyrefitte's The Exile of Capri. I read that nearly twenty years ago and I think I might just go off and read it again while Vestal Fire is still fresh in my mind.
** It is just possible I read someone's remark about Mackenzie's unflattering fictional treatment of Marsac, and then proceeded to turn this, as young queer intransigent minds are apt to do, into evidence of Mackenzie's internalised homophobia.
In terms of technique, I found the seamless register change in the last few pages -- where satire gives way to a gentle nostalgia -- particularly remarkable.
The novel is eminently quotation-worthy too: '"I guess I've lived too long," the old lady sighed, "and maybe I've always been foolish and sentimental; but I think that a man with queer ideas ought to look kinda bold and bad and picturesque."'
This book is a must if, like me, you too have fallen under the spell of the (poorly maintained, the last time I visited) Villa Lysis, so symbolic of the Capri that, you confidently and probably mistakenly tell yourself, neither the jet-setting crowd nor mass-tourism could possibly have a clue about.
* I wonder if this point might even be made somewhere in Peyrefitte's The Exile of Capri. I read that nearly twenty years ago and I think I might just go off and read it again while Vestal Fire is still fresh in my mind.
** It is just possible I read someone's remark about Mackenzie's unflattering fictional treatment of Marsac, and then proceeded to turn this, as young queer intransigent minds are apt to do, into evidence of Mackenzie's internalised homophobia.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews