"Adrift in Soho" by Colin Wilson

[Nigeyb]

As this book has been mentioned a few times I have set up a separate thread for anyone that wants to discus it...



I will definitely be reading Adrift in Soho very soon, and have just ordered a copy. I love the title. Some editions are subtitled: "Beats, Bums & Bohemians". A good title just got even better.

[Nigeyb]

I am about halfway through and thoroughly enjoying it. Set in late 1950s London, it's beautifully written, very easy to read, and contains a wonderful array of charming characters most of whom want to retain a sense of personal freedom by avoiding the tyranny and grind of daily work. Early bohemians, the lot of them, and writing the rule book years before Swinging London popularised a similar lifestyle. Part of the magic of Colin Wilson, is how he weaves philosophy into the fabric of the narrative, in a way that remains both provocative and accessible.

My first introduction to Colin Wilson was his autobiography Dreaming To Some Purpose which I also heartily recommend. A wonderful journey from his early literary fame, achieved with limited formal education, and as one of the so called "angry young men" through to a prolific writing career that embraced UFOs, serial killers, literature, sex, psychology, the occult and a host of other wide and varied topics.

[Nigeyb]

Almost finished...



Adrift in Soho by Colin Wilson

It works on the level of a simple story of a young person's arrival into London; and more broadly, as a search for meaning aligned to an attempt to transcend the day-to-day tedium of the wage-slave. Loads of late 1950s London period detail, and very well written. Recommended for those that enjoy reading about London; slices of practical philosophy in amongst a narrative; bohemians; Soho; and alternative ways of living. A really enjoyable read.

[Nigeyb]

I have now finished...



Adrift in Soho by Colin Wilson

My first introduction to Colin Wilson was through reading his autobiography Dreaming To Some Purpose which I recommend. A wonderful journey from his early literary fame, achieved with limited formal education, and as one of England's so called "angry young men", through to a prolific writing career that embraced all manner of disparate subjects including UFOs, serial killers, literature, sex, psychology, the occult and so on.

Adrift in Soho is set in late 1950s London, and is beautifully written, very easy to read, and contains a wonderful array of charming characters most of whom want to retain a sense of personal freedom by avoiding the tyranny and grind of daily work. Early bohemians, the lot of them, and writing the guide to alternative living years before Swinging London popularised a similar lifestyle.

It works both as a simple story of a young person's arrival from Nottingham to an unfamiliar London; and more broadly, as a search for meaning aligned to an attempt to transcend the day-to-day tedium of the wage-slave. There is loads of late 1950s London period detail, and it is very well written. Part of the magic of Colin Wilson's style is that he weaves philosophy into the fabric of the narrative, in a way that remains both provocative and accessible. I recommend this to anyone interested in youth culture; London, and specifically Soho; bohemians; philosophy; and post-war English literature.

[Nigeyb]

I'm off to see Gary Lachman give a talk about Colin Wilson in May 2017...

Colin Wilson burst on the literary scene in 1956 with his first book The Outsider, a study of creativity, alienation, and extreme mental states. From then until his death in 2013, Wilson produced an enormous body of work, exploring existentialism, crime, sex, literature, philosophy, psychology, the occult, mysticism and more in his quest for the ‘peak experience,’ a moment of supreme affirmation and insight.

Gary Lachman’s talk will focus on the essence of this extraordinary writer’s existential search and is based on his new biography, Beyond the Robot: The Life and Work of Colin Wilson.

Gary Lachman is the author of many books on consciousness, culture, and the western esoteric tradition, including The Secret Teachers of the Western World and Turn Off Your Mind: The Mystic Sixties and the Dark Side of the Age of Aquarius. A founding member of the rock group Blondie, in 2006 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He lectures frequently in the UK, US, and Europe and his books have been translated into many languages.

[Nigeyb]

Mark wrote: "'Adrift' struck me as a fantastic pulp paperback that lost something in the transformation to shiny new re-publication..."

Yes. Know what you mean. Something like...



Nigeyb wrote: "Tosh wrote: "Colin Wilson is a real trip. He wrote so MANY books"

Yes, I would struggle to think of anyone who has written more books - though I am sure there are some authors who have. "

Well over a hundred.

[Nigeyb]

CQM wrote: "http://www.anthonyreynolds.net/pages/...


Thought this might be of interest to those in this neighbourhood. I've not heard it myself, indeed I lost track of Anthony Reynolds after the first Jack album but that was a good one so..."


I love that concluding paragraph....

One more thing I'd like to add is that I think Colin Wilson was/is important because he appealed to Non Academic types.....or auto didactic types like myself...Also, there was an aura of 'cool' around him, a rock and roll vibe almost. He looked great too, at his peak. Not unimportant. For me he embodied the belief that you could access magic and/or your potential from a sitting room in a terraced house in Salford on a rainy wet Wednesday....whatever the perceived failings of some of his books...CW stood/stands for something ultimately hopeful, joyous, positive - he allowed us access to heaven without needing to be on God's guest list..

http://www.anthonyreynolds.net/pages/...