Pied Piper of Lovers
Encyclopedia
Pied Piper of Lovers, published in 1935, is Lawrence Durrell
's first novel. It is followed by Panic Spring
, which partly continues the actions of its characters. The novel is in large part autobiographical and focuses on the protagonist's childhood in India
and maturation in London
.
in particular. He develops a sense of superiority over several Indian characters, typically echoing other European characters, but these feelings are regularly thwarted, often in tandem with challenges to traditional European notions of masculinity. This is compounded by Walsh's increasing awareness of his mortality, symbolized by the human ankle bone he sees in a pyre and his Grandmamma's morbid fixation on death.
Walsh is then sent 'home' to England for his education by his father, where he is again caught in a conflict between being English or Indian. The former is often associated with paternal and masculine identity while the latter is frequently tied to maternal and feminine identity. This portion of the novel is largely concerned with his schoolboy experiences, his developing sexuality, and the eventual death of his father, who has remained in India. The protagonist has homosexual experiences, significant dream sequences, and comments on his wide readings.
The final portion of the novel consists of a bohemian stage in Walsh's life, set in Soho and outside of London. He earns his living on his inheritance and by writing jazz music. Walsh ultimately rejects this lifestyle and concludes the novel with his first love, Ruth, who is terminally ill. She is diagnosed by the same doctor who delivered him and witnessed his mother's death.
, London
, and non-specific rural locales in coastal England
. The most significant set-pieces describe rural India, coastal England, and London at night.
Durrell Links
Lawrence Durrell
Lawrence George Durrell was an expatriate British novelist, poet, dramatist, and travel writer, though he resisted affiliation with Britain and preferred to be considered cosmopolitan...
's first novel. It is followed by Panic Spring
Panic Spring
Panic Spring is a novel by Lawrence Durrell, published in 1937 by Covici-Friede under the pseudonym Charles Norden. It is set on a fictional Greek Island, Mavrodaphne, in the Ionian Sea somewhere between Patras, Kephalonia, and Ithaca...
, which partly continues the actions of its characters. The novel is in large part autobiographical and focuses on the protagonist's childhood in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and maturation in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Plot summary
Walsh Clifton is an Anglo-Indian born of an inter-racial couple. His mother dies during childbirth in the opening scenes of the novel. He is raised in India by his father, John Clifton, and his aunt Brenda. Walsh is torn between his strong ties to India and his position as a colonial. He appears most comfortable around Indian characters, though they are not thoroughly developed in the novel, and he is regularly discomforted by representatives of European culture and ChristianityChristianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
in particular. He develops a sense of superiority over several Indian characters, typically echoing other European characters, but these feelings are regularly thwarted, often in tandem with challenges to traditional European notions of masculinity. This is compounded by Walsh's increasing awareness of his mortality, symbolized by the human ankle bone he sees in a pyre and his Grandmamma's morbid fixation on death.
Walsh is then sent 'home' to England for his education by his father, where he is again caught in a conflict between being English or Indian. The former is often associated with paternal and masculine identity while the latter is frequently tied to maternal and feminine identity. This portion of the novel is largely concerned with his schoolboy experiences, his developing sexuality, and the eventual death of his father, who has remained in India. The protagonist has homosexual experiences, significant dream sequences, and comments on his wide readings.
The final portion of the novel consists of a bohemian stage in Walsh's life, set in Soho and outside of London. He earns his living on his inheritance and by writing jazz music. Walsh ultimately rejects this lifestyle and concludes the novel with his first love, Ruth, who is terminally ill. She is diagnosed by the same doctor who delivered him and witnessed his mother's death.
The Scene
The novel is set in Burma, IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and non-specific rural locales in coastal England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The most significant set-pieces describe rural India, coastal England, and London at night.
Further reading
- Mair, John. "Review: Pied Piper of Lovers." Janus 1.1 (1936): 29.
- Brigham, James A. "An Unacknowledged Trilogy." Deus Loci: The Lawrence Durrell Newsletter 2.3 (1979): 3-12.
- Raper, Julius Rowan. "Constructing the Feminine: Elemental Figures in Durrell's Pied Piper of Lovers." Lawrence Durrell Revisited : Lawrence Durrell Revisité. Ed. Corinne Alexandre-Garner. Nanterre, France: Université Paris X, 2002. 53-61.
- Alexandre-Garner, Corinne. "Exiled from Exile." Deus Loci: The Lawrence Durrell Journal ns 8 (2001): 44.57.
- Gifford, James. "Forgetting A Homeless Colonial: Gender, Religion and Transnational Childhood in Lawrence Durrell's Pied Piper Of Lovers." Jouvert: A Journal of Postcolonial Studies 6.1-2 (2001): n.pag.
- Morrison, Ray. A Smile in His Mind's Eye: A Study of the Early Works of Lawrence Durrell. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2005.
External links
Pied Piper LinksDurrell Links
- The International Lawrence Durrell Society Official website of ILDS
- Durrell 2012: The Lawrence Durrell Centenary Centenary event website and Durrell Journal
- The Durrell School of Corfu School dedicated to the works and lives Lawrence and Gerald Durrell