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The Pillow Fight
1st Pan M188 1967 edition paperback vg++ In stock shipped from our UK warehouse
- GenresFiction
Audio Cassette
First published January 1, 1965
About the author
Nicholas Monsarrat
93 books91 followersBorn on Rodney Street in Liverpool, Monsarrat was educated at Winchester and Trinity College, Cambridge. He intended to practise law. The law failed to inspire him, however, and he turned instead to writing, moving to London and supporting himself as a freelance writer for newspapers while writing four novels and a play in the space of five years (1934–1939). He later commented in his autobiography that the 1931 Invergordon Naval Mutiny influenced his interest in politics and social and economic issues after college.
Though a pacifist, Monsarrat served in World War II, first as a member of an ambulance brigade and then as a member of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR). His lifelong love of sailing made him a capable naval officer, and he served with distinction in a series of small warships assigned to escort convoys and protect them from enemy attack. Monsarrat ended the war as commander of a frigate, and drew on his wartime experience in his postwar sea stories. During his wartime service, Monsarrat claimed to have seen the ghost ship Flying Dutchman while sailing the Pacific, near the location where the young King George V had seen her in 1881.
Resigning his wartime commission in 1946, Monsarrat entered the diplomatic service. He was posted at first to Johannesburg, South Africa and then, in 1953, to Ottawa, Canada. He turned to writing full-time in 1959, settling first on Guernsey, in the Channel Islands, and later on the Mediterranean island of Gozo (Malta).
Monsarrat's first three novels, published in 1934–1937 and now out of print, were realistic treatments of modern social problems informed by his leftist politics. His fourth novel and first major work, This Is The Schoolroom, took a different approach. The story of a young, idealistic, aspiring writer coming to grips with the "real world" for the first time, it is at least partly autobiographical.
The Cruel Sea (1951), Monsarrat's first postwar novel, is widely regarded as his finest work, and is the only one of his novels that is still widely read. Based on his own wartime service, it followed the young naval officer Keith Lockhart through a series of postings in corvettes and frigates. It was one of the first novels to depict life aboard the vital, but unglamorous, "small ships" of World War II—ships for which the sea was as much a threat as the Germans. Monsarrat's short-story collections H.M.S. Marlborough Will Enter Harbour (1949), and The Ship That Died of Shame (1959) mined the same literary vein, and gained popularity by association with The Cruel Sea.
The similar Three Corvettes (1945 and 1953) comprising H.M. Corvette (set aboard a Flower class corvette in the North Atlantic), East Coast Corvette (as First Lieutenant of HMS Guillemot) and Corvette Command (as Commanding Officer of HMS Shearwater) is actually an anthology of three true-experience stories he published during the war years and shows appropriate care for what the Censor might say. Thus Guillemot appears under the pseudonym Dipper and Shearwater under the pseudonym Winger in the book. H.M. Frigate is similar but deals with his time in command of two frigates. His use of the name Dipper could allude to his formative years when summer holidays were spent with his family at Trearddur Bay. They were members of the famous sailing club based there, and he recounted much of this part of his life in a book My brother Denys. Denys Monserrat was killed in Egypt during the middle part of the war whilst his brother was serving with the Royal Navy. Another tale recounts his bringing his ship into Trearddur Bay during the war for old times' sake.
Monsarrat's more famous novels, notably The Tribe That Lost Its Head (1956) and its sequel Richer Than All His Tribe (1968), drew on his experience in the diplomatic service and make important reference to the colonial experience of Britain in Africa.
Though a pacifist, Monsarrat served in World War II, first as a member of an ambulance brigade and then as a member of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR). His lifelong love of sailing made him a capable naval officer, and he served with distinction in a series of small warships assigned to escort convoys and protect them from enemy attack. Monsarrat ended the war as commander of a frigate, and drew on his wartime experience in his postwar sea stories. During his wartime service, Monsarrat claimed to have seen the ghost ship Flying Dutchman while sailing the Pacific, near the location where the young King George V had seen her in 1881.
Resigning his wartime commission in 1946, Monsarrat entered the diplomatic service. He was posted at first to Johannesburg, South Africa and then, in 1953, to Ottawa, Canada. He turned to writing full-time in 1959, settling first on Guernsey, in the Channel Islands, and later on the Mediterranean island of Gozo (Malta).
Monsarrat's first three novels, published in 1934–1937 and now out of print, were realistic treatments of modern social problems informed by his leftist politics. His fourth novel and first major work, This Is The Schoolroom, took a different approach. The story of a young, idealistic, aspiring writer coming to grips with the "real world" for the first time, it is at least partly autobiographical.
The Cruel Sea (1951), Monsarrat's first postwar novel, is widely regarded as his finest work, and is the only one of his novels that is still widely read. Based on his own wartime service, it followed the young naval officer Keith Lockhart through a series of postings in corvettes and frigates. It was one of the first novels to depict life aboard the vital, but unglamorous, "small ships" of World War II—ships for which the sea was as much a threat as the Germans. Monsarrat's short-story collections H.M.S. Marlborough Will Enter Harbour (1949), and The Ship That Died of Shame (1959) mined the same literary vein, and gained popularity by association with The Cruel Sea.
The similar Three Corvettes (1945 and 1953) comprising H.M. Corvette (set aboard a Flower class corvette in the North Atlantic), East Coast Corvette (as First Lieutenant of HMS Guillemot) and Corvette Command (as Commanding Officer of HMS Shearwater) is actually an anthology of three true-experience stories he published during the war years and shows appropriate care for what the Censor might say. Thus Guillemot appears under the pseudonym Dipper and Shearwater under the pseudonym Winger in the book. H.M. Frigate is similar but deals with his time in command of two frigates. His use of the name Dipper could allude to his formative years when summer holidays were spent with his family at Trearddur Bay. They were members of the famous sailing club based there, and he recounted much of this part of his life in a book My brother Denys. Denys Monserrat was killed in Egypt during the middle part of the war whilst his brother was serving with the Royal Navy. Another tale recounts his bringing his ship into Trearddur Bay during the war for old times' sake.
Monsarrat's more famous novels, notably The Tribe That Lost Its Head (1956) and its sequel Richer Than All His Tribe (1968), drew on his experience in the diplomatic service and make important reference to the colonial experience of Britain in Africa.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 4, 2011
Well, most writers definitely wrote better in those days than they do today! Not sure just how seriously these kinds of novels were taken at that time--even though Monsarrat was certainly highly regarded for his navy books--but if this is a 'yarn', it's a darn good one, and--unlike most such stories today--also completely involved with the politics, the social ticks, the manners and the morals of the time.
On the face of it, this is the story of a very late 50s passionate and at times too dramatic kind of relationship, one that ended in marriage too quickly, as they tended to in those days. It is also, as per the title, a very 50s battle-of-the-sexes novel, a kind of deeper, less saccharine Doris Day vehicle. Told alternatively from his & hers POV, the first surprise is just how authentic the girl's voice is--much more, I found, than many contemporary authors. Many of her rather feminist (for the era) comments/observations ring true today too and are quite refreshing from the mind of a middle-aged man. On the other hand, there's no getting away from the fact that the male voice is loaded with ego and that he is excused from being a liar, a hypocrite and a cheat simply by virtue of one good deed and the fact that the female protagonist loves him (ah, the love of a good woman!). There#s also, alas, the conspicuous heart-as-gold whore/artist 'gal' who loves thew cad/hero and accepts him even when she understands that he never fell out of love with his wife. Still, despite all that, the writing and the storyline are way above the standard fare of the times, both literary and not. Its tone, for e.g., is way less mysognist or woman-hating/fearing than, say, Philip Roth (who's younger) or John Updike--a guy who never got over being a nerd! :) Actually, I'd say the tone comes closer to Richard Yates in books other than Revolutionary Road.
Finally, a really fascinating aspect of this novel is it#s bird-eye view and breathtaking insight into 40s, 50s & 60s South Africa and the horrors of Apartheid--especially as seen from the god-awful whites who insisted on their right to live oppressing everyone else. Fascinating.
On the face of it, this is the story of a very late 50s passionate and at times too dramatic kind of relationship, one that ended in marriage too quickly, as they tended to in those days. It is also, as per the title, a very 50s battle-of-the-sexes novel, a kind of deeper, less saccharine Doris Day vehicle. Told alternatively from his & hers POV, the first surprise is just how authentic the girl's voice is--much more, I found, than many contemporary authors. Many of her rather feminist (for the era) comments/observations ring true today too and are quite refreshing from the mind of a middle-aged man. On the other hand, there's no getting away from the fact that the male voice is loaded with ego and that he is excused from being a liar, a hypocrite and a cheat simply by virtue of one good deed and the fact that the female protagonist loves him (ah, the love of a good woman!). There#s also, alas, the conspicuous heart-as-gold whore/artist 'gal' who loves thew cad/hero and accepts him even when she understands that he never fell out of love with his wife. Still, despite all that, the writing and the storyline are way above the standard fare of the times, both literary and not. Its tone, for e.g., is way less mysognist or woman-hating/fearing than, say, Philip Roth (who's younger) or John Updike--a guy who never got over being a nerd! :) Actually, I'd say the tone comes closer to Richard Yates in books other than Revolutionary Road.
Finally, a really fascinating aspect of this novel is it#s bird-eye view and breathtaking insight into 40s, 50s & 60s South Africa and the horrors of Apartheid--especially as seen from the god-awful whites who insisted on their right to live oppressing everyone else. Fascinating.
October 30, 2020
Great Hidden gem. I picked it up in a lake district charity shop after being drawn in by its glorious pulpy cover (a hallmark of Pan publishing). It's a classic novel, one that has an abundance of 20th century glamour, vibrant characters and escapist romance (almost harlequin romance esque) in its double helix. Monsarrat's writing is very witty and pacey. It's sharp, full of verve and hilariously flippant at times (but flippant in a way that doesn't feel grating, cowardly and/or self congratulatory). I loved the alternating perspectives in the book and felt that this decision gave the book additional depth and dimension, in addition to making the plot's sequencing more interesting. Furthermore, For a book written in the 50's by an author who's primarily known for writing naval yarns your grandad probably loves, the book is actually surprisingly woke and prescient in regards to how it depicts and discusses class, feminism and racism (South Africa one is of the novel's main settings). As I have since found out Monsarrat was a socialist in his early life and that shows. Reading this novel made me mourn the mid twentieth century mid-market, where intelligent (yet still accessible) and exciting books like this were commercially viable bestsellers, read widely, with their authors holding significant levels of literary celebrity. It might be a stretch to fit this book into Mark Fisher's notion of Popular modernism but I'd say there's a case. Sadly these books are now anachronistic which gives them additional charm and kitsch value, but sadly makes them feel less vital than they should.
August 20, 2011
c1965: The Cruel Sea was my first exposure to Mr Monsarrat (1910 –1979) and I fell in love with his writings and tried to read everything that he had written. He wrote on a range of subjects and this one involved Johannesburg and living with a writer.
September 14, 2022
"Todo formaba parte de la lección fundamental de la vida. Sí uno perdía la vista, no se acostaba y lloraba. Uno aprendía a ser ciego y, así, aprendía a ver."
Todo iba bien pero empezó la parte del protagonista y todo se derrumbo, realmente odie a este sujeto, tanto que no sabía si continuar con el libro o dejarlo de lo mal que lo estaba pasando al leer.
Todo iba bien pero empezó la parte del protagonista y todo se derrumbo, realmente odie a este sujeto, tanto que no sabía si continuar con el libro o dejarlo de lo mal que lo estaba pasando al leer.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews