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Triple fugue
Studies in the intricacies and queernesses of human character.
- GenresShort StoriesFiction
311 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1924
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 2, 2022
Six short stories by Osbert Sitwell, brother of Edith. They are variable and there are a couple of very good ones and one rather odd attempt at science fiction/predicting what will happen in the future. They were published in 1924.
Sitwell wrote several novels, some poetry and criticism; and in later life a five volume autobiography. These short stories are early efforts and reflect Sitwell’s privileged upbringing and interests. Sitwell was an interesting character with a wide circle of friends and a variety of literary interests. Sitwell was gay (not that you would know that from his wiki entry) and had what amounted to a marriage with the author and socialite David Horner. His sister Edith was always supportive (unlike his brother Sacheverel). Sitwell and his sister were acquainted with D H Lawrence. It is well known that the setting for Lady Chatterley’s lover was the Sitwell family seat Renishaw Hall. What is less well known is that it is very likely that the character of Clifford Chatterley was based on Osbert (Lawrence was notoriously homophobic and by portraying Osbert as the impotent Clifford he was having a dig at Osbert).
The short stories;
Low Tide; The tale of two spinster sisters from late middle age onwards. They move to a northern seaside town with a modest income. They are rather eccentric and alienate the pillars of society in the town (without knowing or realising it). The fact that they make themselves up and like to try to look young is particularly scandalous. The town is based on Scarborough where Sitwell spent many summers in his childhood. The description is accurate and some of the local landmarks are recognizable. The story charts the decline of the sisters into old age and penury and is rather poignant and quite good.
Friendship’s Due; This is a rather brief and quite effective story about a poet who over time and circumstance loses his fire and reputation and becomes a literary critic. It involves a sort of poetic Faustian pact between three poets that goes slightly wrong. The ending is rather weak.
The Greeting; This is a slightly sinister and rather good story about a lonely nurse looking after the sick, rather difficult wife of a kindly eccentric man. It is a murder mystery with a rather good, though not unexpected, twist at the end.
His Ship Comes Home; A story about a well-known society middle-aged figure known for moving from party to party; a sort of parasite feeding off women who find him charming. He is also not averse to a little blackmail and tale-telling. His long-suffering wife dies and he manages to ensnare a rather rich widow, hoping to enjoy her wealth. Oops; big mistake. Rather a satisfying denouement.
The Machine Breaks Down; Similar type of story to the above about another society man whose real asset is his wonderfully mellifluous voice. That is the machine that breaks down. Completely forgettable.
Triple Fugue; A real oddity. Written in 1923/4 and set in 1948, Sitwell tries to predict the future with some success. He assumes there are further world wars and predicts the growth of the importance of flight. Most interestingly, there is no more democracy and society is run by the press barons, who know what the people want and give it to them. Rather prescient I think. Sitwell also predicts significant medical advances with a lengthening of lifespan to about 180 years, via some form of rather odd transplanting, it’s all very odd and the story itself is very weak and just gets in the way. Nevertheless the speculation is interesting.
A group of interesting and variable stories; 3.5 stars.
Sitwell wrote several novels, some poetry and criticism; and in later life a five volume autobiography. These short stories are early efforts and reflect Sitwell’s privileged upbringing and interests. Sitwell was an interesting character with a wide circle of friends and a variety of literary interests. Sitwell was gay (not that you would know that from his wiki entry) and had what amounted to a marriage with the author and socialite David Horner. His sister Edith was always supportive (unlike his brother Sacheverel). Sitwell and his sister were acquainted with D H Lawrence. It is well known that the setting for Lady Chatterley’s lover was the Sitwell family seat Renishaw Hall. What is less well known is that it is very likely that the character of Clifford Chatterley was based on Osbert (Lawrence was notoriously homophobic and by portraying Osbert as the impotent Clifford he was having a dig at Osbert).
The short stories;
Low Tide; The tale of two spinster sisters from late middle age onwards. They move to a northern seaside town with a modest income. They are rather eccentric and alienate the pillars of society in the town (without knowing or realising it). The fact that they make themselves up and like to try to look young is particularly scandalous. The town is based on Scarborough where Sitwell spent many summers in his childhood. The description is accurate and some of the local landmarks are recognizable. The story charts the decline of the sisters into old age and penury and is rather poignant and quite good.
Friendship’s Due; This is a rather brief and quite effective story about a poet who over time and circumstance loses his fire and reputation and becomes a literary critic. It involves a sort of poetic Faustian pact between three poets that goes slightly wrong. The ending is rather weak.
The Greeting; This is a slightly sinister and rather good story about a lonely nurse looking after the sick, rather difficult wife of a kindly eccentric man. It is a murder mystery with a rather good, though not unexpected, twist at the end.
His Ship Comes Home; A story about a well-known society middle-aged figure known for moving from party to party; a sort of parasite feeding off women who find him charming. He is also not averse to a little blackmail and tale-telling. His long-suffering wife dies and he manages to ensnare a rather rich widow, hoping to enjoy her wealth. Oops; big mistake. Rather a satisfying denouement.
The Machine Breaks Down; Similar type of story to the above about another society man whose real asset is his wonderfully mellifluous voice. That is the machine that breaks down. Completely forgettable.
Triple Fugue; A real oddity. Written in 1923/4 and set in 1948, Sitwell tries to predict the future with some success. He assumes there are further world wars and predicts the growth of the importance of flight. Most interestingly, there is no more democracy and society is run by the press barons, who know what the people want and give it to them. Rather prescient I think. Sitwell also predicts significant medical advances with a lengthening of lifespan to about 180 years, via some form of rather odd transplanting, it’s all very odd and the story itself is very weak and just gets in the way. Nevertheless the speculation is interesting.
A group of interesting and variable stories; 3.5 stars.
February 5, 2020
If you took out all the adjectives this would be a very slim book indeed.
February 21, 2025
This is a collection of short stories, of which ‘Triple Fugue’ itself is the last third of the book.
The stories in the first two thirds are first class: well crafted, poignant and adjective heavy (Sitwell is the anti-Hemingway). ‘Low Tide’ is painfully relatable.
I gave up, however, with ‘Triple Fugue’ itself. It seems to be a satire of the literary world in Sitwell’s own era. One can see the author’s skill but otherwise it’s like hearing wordplay in a language one doesn’t speak.
The stories in the first two thirds are first class: well crafted, poignant and adjective heavy (Sitwell is the anti-Hemingway). ‘Low Tide’ is painfully relatable.
I gave up, however, with ‘Triple Fugue’ itself. It seems to be a satire of the literary world in Sitwell’s own era. One can see the author’s skill but otherwise it’s like hearing wordplay in a language one doesn’t speak.
January 26, 2024
I dunno man the stories were sometimes enjoyable and sometimes so boring and forgettable I wanted to put the book down... I enjoyed “low tide”, “the greeting”, and “his ship comes home” but the other three stories were mostly (if not entirely) dull and felt almost overdone and cliche. Triple fugue (funnily enough as it’s the name of the collection) was by far the worst being long winded and with a conclusion that could’ve been slightly enjoyable without having read the prologue beforehand that literally spoiled the supposed surprise :/
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December 16, 2016I liked best the first story, "Low Tide," and the last, the title story, "Triple Fugue" which is a masterpiece of dry British humour.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews