![]() In the opinion of his admirable, and generally admiring, biographer Andro Linklater, he expressed his genius in the creation of the character Compton Mackenzie rather than in his books. He was born into the theatre, his father an actor-manager, his American mother a leading lady, and there was always something theatrical about him. Powell added that with more discipline and self-criticism Mackenzie might have been a great novelist. I would say half the book at least is very good. ![]() The first part of the judgment is too harsh. Characteristically severe, he declared that 90 per cent of it was rubbish, but there was evidence of something like genius in the other 10. Max Beerbohm said the Oxford chapters made it the best of all Oxford novels.Īnthony Powell read it in his old age. Edmund Wilson was another admirer, and remained one. Scott Fitzgerald thought it was wonderful Mackenzie became his idol. Cyril Connolly claimed to have been beaten at school after being found with a copy. Mackenzie had just published Sinister Street, a bestseller despite being banned by the circulating libraries on account of its treatment of sex: very explicit for the time. ![]() Now, if Mackenzie is remembered at all, it is as the author of the agreeable farce Whisky Galore!, made into a still enjoyable film directed by Alexander Mackendrick. In a TLS article in 1914 Henry James named Compton Mackenzie as the great hope of the English novel, placing him ahead of DH Lawrence among others. ![]()
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