TO CLEAN A POTATO

New Zealand Listener, Volume 36, Issue 926, 10 May 1957, Page 13

TO CLEAN A POTATO

MR NORRIS AND 1. by Gerald Hamilton; Allan Wingate, price 15/-. HIS. strange autobiography was written to astound and to amazeit succeeds in doing both-possibly also to exculpate. We are frankly left gasping by the "faintly ducal" Hamilton (a relative of the Duke of Abercorn) who numberéd among his friends Lord Alfred Douglas, Frank Harris, Aleisteir Crowley, Casement and a long list of persons of title of all nationalities, including crowned heads, now mostly ex. His international relations no doubt encouraged Hamilton in his desire not to take any crudely emotional view of the enemy in either world war, in both of whch he was for a time interned. One wonders whether Hamilton was thinking of his connections with Casement or some other episode when he commented on his own later appointment as sales representative in Germany of The Times: "This seems to show with what ease anybody can today obtain a responsible position, no matter what his past life might have been."

Some have identified Gerald Hamilton as the Mr Norris in Christopher Isherwood’s novel, "Herr Isshyvoo" himself contributes an introduction in which the question is answered both yes and no. Maurice Richardson. repeats a biography of Hamilton he once sketched for Lilliput, with some additions. Hamilton gives himself credit for a consid-

erable fund of idealism, | and for good taste, in _ food and wine. He occasionally tells a good story, and sometimes tells us more of his life even than he intended in his moments of greatest candour. It might. be fun to meet him-in someone else’s house,

David

Hall