Sunday, March 31, 2024

Caliban Shrieks (Jack Hilton)

Jack Hilton
Caliban Shrieks











An interesting read written in the 30s then apparently a lost work before being rediscovered recently. Another biography. The first 2/3 are about his life going to WWI then back home as a working man getting into socialism and having a time in prison. It's written in a free flowing modern style with a lot of literary references which to be honest I couldn't be bothered to look up but I don't think they are really needed to be known. The last part is part social political commentary including about the labour movement but descends somewhat into long rants which go on too long to my mind. He slags off just about everyone which sort of answers the question posed by the introduction by the contemporary "discoverers" as to why Hilton didn't continue with a literary career and went back to plastering. Well worth reading but a bit of a slog by the ending.

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