The Ordeal of Gilbert Pinfold: A Conversation Piece

As someone who has suffered from psychotic delusions periodically over a good deal of my adult life, it can be said with certainty that I have never read a more realistic account of this type of mental illness than Evelyn Waugh's classic 1957 novel "The Ordeal of Gilbert Pinfold." In the Note preceeding the text it is explained that author Waugh suffered "a brief bout of hallucination closely resembling what is here described" three years prior to writing the book. It is my view that only someone who has suffered from auditory hallucinations could have possibly led the reader on this excruciatingly painful yet revealing journey through the darker parts of the mind. Waugh knows of what he writes. Highly recommended

This novel was apparently written at the suggestion of a psychiatrist who had treated Waugh for hallucinations he had experienced, as a way to "face his demons" and to move beyond them. It, therefore, is the most autobiographical novel he ever wrote. Gilbert Pinfold (Waugh) is a writer who lives a somewhat isolated existence. When he becomes ill ("allergies" his doctor tells him), he books passage aboard a ship (The Caliban) for Ceylon. After the ship sails he begins hearing voices, and the voices often have associations with past Waugh novels (he hears a revival sermon, for example, that seems to mirror a similar scene in VILE BODIES). At one point he hears what appears to be the captain of the ship committing a murder; at another he imagines he's being seduced by a character named Margaret. The voices continue all the way to Ceylon, but rather than recoiling from them or going mad, Pinfold learns to live with them. In that seems to lie his victory, for by the time he gets back to England, the voices have stopped. Although the writing of the book was a sort of exercise in bettering his mental health, Waugh still hoped "this record may amuse" his readers. Not as satirical as many of his novels were, nor as farcical as some others, the book is amusing in its own way.

Waugh, Evelyn, The Ordeal of Gilbert Pinfold. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, 1957. A middle-aged novelist, somewhat corpulent and partial to his toddy, almost a mirror of Waugh at the time, books steamer passage to Ceylon for a solo vacation to settle his nerves. What he gets instead is incessant noise, voices, music and criticism directed at himself through the walls and floors of his cabin. How he deals with these disturbances makes for a troubling but sometimes hilarious and often moving novella. Are these noises hallucinations or cleverly designed tricks played over the BBC? Who is directing them? How would the reader react to them in Gilbert's place? His solution is cunning and the novella is a fine piece of writing indeed. Five stars.

Mr. Pinfold has become ill from his use of drugs, food and alcohol, and is in general dried up as far as writing goes. In order to "take the sea air" and follow his doctor's orders he embarks upon a cruise. He does not, however, stop the sleeping medications, and is probably seriously clinically depressed as well. the combination becomes the conduit for a series of hallucinations which become a nightmare and a reality for Gilbert Pinfold. Although humerous, the book is crafted in such a way that we see the suffering that losing touch with reality causes, and when Gilbert finally arrives at port and at peace, we are glad we read the book, and glad the author recovered his muse.

If there are any aspiring writers of comic novels out there then I earnestly entreat you to have a quick read of this book. Writing humour is never easy but here is the great Evelyn Waugh showing how to do it. Not a word out of place, the mot juste on every occasion, prose stripped down to the bare minimum.I read this book about twice a year. It is very short and can be read in a day. And, heavens!, how hilarious it is!It is based on a true life cruise that Waugh went on in which he really did start to hear voices.It is not one of his most well-known so it can be hard to obtain; it's well worth it though!