Only in the nineteenth century was biography fully
grown andhugely prolific.
That is why I have always been soproud to be called
highbrow. Will you not, sir, read apronouncement of an authoritative nature from
Broadcasting House? Forster does, but he gives it us by choosing a very few facts
andthose of a highly relevant kind.
Moores novels are the making of his memoirs. The
omnibus, the villa, thesuburban residence, are an essential part of his
design.
Forster to provide a refuge from this misery, an
escape from thismeanness.
The house is still the house of the Britishmiddle
classes.
These middlebrows pat balls about;they poke their
bats and muff their catches at cricket. As it is, the strength of his blow is
dissipated.
These middlebrows pat balls about;they poke their
bats and muff their catches at cricket. These arethe villains and heroes of much of
his writing.
It is a relief, for atime, to be beyond the
influence of Cambridge.
The divorce law and the poorlaw come in for little
of his attention.
That is why, if I could be more of ahighbrow I
would. One slim volume indeed contains all that he has allowed himself of
purefantasy. We must learn to build the rainbow bridge that shouldconnect the prose
in us with the passion.
We highbrows may be smart,or we may be shabby; but
we never have the right thing to wear. All these are things I do not knowfor myself.
But hisvision is of a peculiar kind and his message of an elusive
nature.
We feel that he is anuneasy truant in
fairyland.
These arethe villains and heroes of much of his
writing.
And that, to tell the truth, is no easy question to
answer. Thenagain, I continue, how can you let the middlebrows teach you how
towrite?
The divorce law and the poorlaw come in for little
of his attention. It deepens, it becomes moreinsistent as time passes.
Again the comedy is exquisite and theobservation
faultless.
And it is not well written; nor is itbadly
written.
Omnibuses driveto Heaven; Pan is heard in the
brushwood; girls turn into trees. And it is not well written; nor is itbadly
written. Interest in our selves and in other peoples selves is a latedevelopment of
the human mind.
Something of the same problem lies before
Mr.
They are not highbrows, whosebrows are high; nor
lowbrows, whose brows are low.
The social historian will find his booksfull of
illuminating information.
FORSTERIThere are many reasons which should prevent
one from criticizing the workof contemporaries. We are neither roused nor puzzled;
we donot have to ask ourselves, What does this mean?
These middlebrows pat balls about;they poke their
bats and muff their catches at cricket.