The Patrick Hamilton Appreciation Society discussion

We already have a discussion thread about Twenty Thousand Streets Under The Sky (the Trilogy - *click here to read it* - however for those who prefer to work their way through the trilogy one at a time, here is the third book The Plains of Cement, which follows The Siege of Pleasure (1932) and The Midnight Bell (1929), our October 2013 and November 2013 discussion books.

I have set this up as a group read for December 2103.

It would be great to see some of us getting involved in a discussion about this book. Of course you can add to the thread at any time, so if December 2103 is not convenient, or you have already read it and want to comment, please dive in.

The Plains of Cement focuses on Ella, and is set during the events in The Midnight Bell, although from a different perspective. Ella, still nursing an untold affection for Bob, has to deal with the increasingly unwelcome advances of Ernest Eccles, an elderly customer of the pub. The narrative concludes one day after the final scene of The Midnight Bell.

I only just discovered that the 1963 film Bitter Harvest was based on the trilogy. Anyone seen it?

I'm about 20% of the way through and already loving every page...

Some marvellous descriptions of the area around Euston Road and Warren Street in London, and the Midnight Bell pub.

And whilst nowhere near as monstrous as Mr Thwaites, from The Slaves of Solitude, Mr Eccles is another wonderful, and subtly disturbing, Hamiltonian creation. Great use of the Komic Kapitals by Patrick Hamilton, when describing how Mr Eccles has Something Put By, and, as he mentions this to Ella, He's Letting Her Now, which probably means Advances.

I finished this last night. Here's my review...

The Plains of Cement (1934) is the third and final book of Patrick Hamilton’s Twenty Thousand Streets Under The Sky trilogy - the other two are the first one, The Midnight Bell (1929), and the second one, The Siege of Pleasure (1932).

Each book focuses on one of three different characters. The Midnight Bell (1929) is Bob the Barman's book, The Siege of Pleasure (1932) is Jenny the Prostitute's book, and The Plains of Cement (1934) is all about Ella the barmaid.

As with the other two books, it works as a stand alone story, however the reading experience is even richer, for those that choose to read the trilogy in sequence.

When writing this book, Patrick Hamilton saw himself as a Marxist, and, in common with the previous books, part of the book deals with the limited options for someone with no capital. Ella, in addition to herself, has to support her Mother, and Step Father, from her meagre earnings at The Midnight Bell. She also acknowledges that she is a plain looking woman.

Unexpectedly, she is courted by one her customers, Mr Eccles, an older man. Mr Eccles is at pains to point out he has Something Put By, and for Ella's benefit He's Letting Her Know (Patrick Hamilton again employing his customary "Komic Kapitals" to emphasise key phrases, and/or cliches, homilies etc).

Mr Eccles is another of Patrick Hamilton’s monstrous males (which start with Mr Spicer in Craven House (1926), continue with Mr Eccles, and which reach its apogee with Mr Thwaites in The Slaves of Solitude (1947) (although perhaps Ralph Gorse tops them all in The West Pier (1952); and Mr Stimpson and Mr Gorse (1953)).

I digress, Mr Thwaites at first appears absurd, but quickly becomes more sinister, using his creepy and evasive conversational style, along with this financial independence to trap and coerce poor old Ella. He is lecherous and exploitative. However, Ella is not the naive fool he assumes, and is able to see through him. Some of the book's most appalling scenes are a result of Ella's internal thoughts on Mr Eccles' absurd conversation, conduct and attitudes.

Anyone looking for a happy conclusion, in this the final part of the trilogy, should look elsewhere. The final story continues the tragic arc of the previous books, and perhaps more distressingly - and unlike Bob and Jenny - Ella is not the architect of her own situation, she's a victim of circumstance.

Ella is one of the most sympathetic characters ever created by Patrick Hamilton and this makes her tale even more affecting. This story confronts the loneliness and sorrow of existence and concludes that all we have is our humour and humanity to confront and counteract this cold truth.

Is it a masterpiece? On its own, perhaps not. The answer is a resounding "Yes" however, when considered alongside the rest of the Twenty Thousand Streets Under The Sky trilogy.

So here is the story of Ella the barmaid – plain but nice, and a suitable companion for Bob, if only he wasn’t bedazzled by his dreams. But of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world...Mr Ernest Eccles has to walk into The Midnight Bell. And with a spiffy new hat, aimed straight at Ella.

The Plains of Cement is a novel of disappointments. Patrick Hamilton really doesn’t give Ella much of a break. Bob isn’t interested and poor Ella doesn’t push it. Mr Eccles, who is interested, becomes steadily more odious at every meeting – though interestingly, never as downright nasty as Andy in The Siege of Pleasure (we just see less of Andy and all too much of Mr Eccles). India is Off and Mr Prosser refuses to die. Even the rain on Christmas Day instils in her “the hidden but ever present realities of her lonely and meaningless struggle in the world of London – of the endless procession of solitary nights after senseless working days.” Not a very upbeat novel.

I still liked it, though I thought it sagged a little in the middle. The device of reporting inarticulate conversations (“Really.” “What?”) and then giving an exegesis of their real import, worthy of Henry James, is fine for a while...but I felt Ella had a few too many meetings with Mr Eccles, since I found myself looking at how many pages I had left to read, which is usually a Bad Sign.

At least she saw off Toodlums, so maybe there’s hope. But a sad little ending...

That's a wonderful review Peter.

Peter wrote: "Patrick Hamilton really doesn’t give Ella much of a break."

No, it's tragic - confronting the loneliness and sorrow of existence.

Peter wrote: "I felt Ella had a few too many meetings with Mr Eccles"

Yes, I think you're probably right.

Peter wrote: "I thought it sagged a little in the middle

It could have been a bit tighter and perhaps lost about twenty pages.

Peter wrote: "At least she saw off Toodlums

Ella really did have to suffer some terrible provocations, and she generally took them all with good grace. She's almost a saint.

I agree that Ella had too many meetings with Mr Eccles, but I think Patrick Hamilton had to have that many in the context of the trilogy. We can see that this relationship is not going anywhere good, Ella can see that too. We are willing her to end it and not fall into the same downward spiral as Bob and Jenny. Once she does end it, there is no happy ending, she is just stuck in the same position she was at the start of the story, but with less dreams. It is not an upbeat story if the best you can hope for is that things don't get any worse, but Ella's story is the least downbeat of the three.
Mr Eccles is not a bad man, but he is stupid, unattractive and ridiculous. He sees himself as a 'good prospect' for Ella and the fact that she agrees to go out with him in the first place and then continues to do so, gives him more hope than he ought reasonably to expect if he could see himself through Ella's eyes (or ours). He would probably see himself as persuasive rather than manipulative and not realise how clumsy and cringe-worthy his attempts to woo Ella actually are. You can almost feel sorry for him.

Thanks Val. Sagely words, as ever.

Val wrote: "Mr Eccles is not a bad man, but he is stupid, unattractive and ridiculous."

The tooth, the tooth!

I agree he is probably not a bad man, however he is not a good man either. He is definitely stupid and ridiculous...

His little rages at things like traffic. His inability to speak plainly. His slightly creepy terminology "my puss" etc. Telling his friend, who then comes to check Ella out and humiliates her in the process. His obvious increasing concern about how his sister will react to Ella. His inability to understand anything about Ella. His lack of empathy.

Aside from his money he really does have nothing to recommend him. So, not a bad man, but - and as you say - Ella's clearly much better without him.

Nigeyb wrote: "His little rages at things like traffic. His inability to speak plainly. His slightly creepy terminology "my puss" etc. Telling his friend, who then comes to check Ella out and humiliates her in the process. His obvious increasing concern about how his sister will react to Ella. His inability to understand anything about Ella. His lack of empathy."

Yes Nigey. I could have added insensitive to that list of faults. Most modern barmaids would have simply told him to get lost. Ella never makes her feelings clear to him (or to Bob).

Val wrote: " Ella never makes her feelings clear to him (or to Bob)."

That was the saddest aspect although I don't suppose either would have made any difference in the long run.

There were two glimmers of hope for Ella. Her stepfather would eventually die and then perhaps she will come into the money he has saved up, and secondly her kind aunt may yet come through with a job offer that results in something tangible. And, of course, perhaps the next suitor might be a bit more appropriate.

I was just mulling on how Patrick Hamilton first introduces us to Ernest Eccles in The Plains of Cement...

You could see at a glance that for the time being the man lived in and through his hat. You could see that it cost him sharp torture even to put it on his head, where he could not see it, and it had to take its chance. You could see him searching incessantly for furtive little glimpses of his hat in mirrors, you could see him pathetically reading the fate of his hat in the eyes of strangers, you could see him adjusting his tie as a sort of salute to his hat, as an attempt to live up to his hat. You could see him striving to do none of these things.

...how wonderful. By focussing on the hat, Patrick tell us so much about the character and foibles of Mr Eccles.

Nigeyb wrote: "I was just mulling on how Patrick Hamilton first introduces us to Ernest Eccles in The Plains of Cement...

...how wonderful. By focussing on the hat, Patrick tell us so much about the character and foibles of Mr Eccles. "

It is very well done. In one paragraph we can see that Ernest Eccles takes himself far too seriously and that we shouldn't.

Val wrote: "In one paragraph we can see that Ernest Eccles takes himself far too seriously and that we shouldn't."

That's a delightful way of putting it Val - and a beautifully constructed sentence.