Fear and Loathing in Fitzrovia: The Bizarre Life of Julian Maclaren-Ross [Paperback]

This book is an outstanding debut in the genre of biography always a tricky art and made more so by the mysterious and bizzare life led by its subject, Julian Maclaren-Ross. This book is a must read for anyone even remotley interested in the literary history of the 40's. Of which Maclaren-Ross was perhaps its most striking exemplar. Tracing his origins and early life in Nice and later to the South Coast, Bognor Regis where his still in print novel "Of love and Hunger " is set, the story gathers pace at the start of war when Maclaren-Ross came to prominence as a new star in the London Litereary firmament with his short stories, many chronicling his life and expereicnes in the British army. Once discharged form there he headed to London his first proper book deal contracted, he took a flat in Maida Vale and with the publishers advance got himself a stylish dandy's new wardrobe. His daily routine then would consist of propping up the saloon Bar of the Wheatsheaf on Rathbone Place from opening time til 3pm, when pubs shut for 3 hours, back again for the evening stint and later home by last tube or more frequently a taxi to write through the night fuelled on black coffee and benzedrine and later his "green bombs" - much stronger methamphetamine, he procured from a doctor who also drank in the Wheatsheaf. He turned his prodigious talents to writing a whole range of things from novels, short stories radio and film scrpits book reviews and "middles" for the Times Literary Supplement.Using his charm and sartorially elegant appearance to help him live in hotel rooms and bedsits alike. Always in need of cash he often flitted from his hotel room amassing huge bills along the way. Considering he was a conspicuous figure in any setting, Camel hait coat, aviator shades, white corudroy suit, carnation in buttonholem, cigarette holder in mouth with an expensive brand smoking, his silver-topped cane in hand he would talk and drink for hours. He became in later life the model, not always flattering or truthful of other fiction writers characters, most notably as X. Trapnel in "Books do furnish a room" by Anthony Powell a loyal freind and supporter for many years. Once when asked how much he needed as a writer to live on he revealed tha he needed £20 per week, not including rent. He never really made the money by his own admission that he required to live the lifestyle he felt was his by right. He certainly lived the life however staying in The Imperial Hotel as a guest when in cash and sleeping all night in the Turkish Baths beneath when he was on his uppers. A friend and contemporay of Dylan Thomas as well as many of the other leading lights of literary Bohemian London of the forties and fifties, Maclaren-Ross as shown in this marvelously entertaining and funny book, was a man of numerous talents across a wide range of genres, a legendary drinker raconteur and dandy, sometime husband and father, pursued by creditors landladies especially; he often had his mail sent to the George Pub, to avoid those to whom he owed large sums.He was despite being a striking dandy rarely photgraphed so that his creditrs would be unable to identify him.This is a genuine shame as one can not see many pictures of him in this otherwise superlative biography.Writing scripts and reviews would keep him in drink pills and cigatettes and much as was the shared fate of Dylan Thomas his own work took second place to more rapidly remunerated reviews. No story of the life of letters in London of the forties would be complete without the tall figure of Maclaren-Ross drinking and smoking playing Spoof (of which he was a master)this remarkable book gives us a striking portarait of a talented writer and intriguing personality. I would reccommend it wholeheartedly and in the strongest and staunchest terms as a must read book.

Considering he was the inspiration for characters in the books of among others Anthony Powell and Graham Greene I felt embarrassed having not come across Julian Maclaren-Ross until a Guardian readers' favourite books feature at Christmas. Thanks to that reader I've just finished the most enjoyable literary biography I've read in years - quite possibly ever. Maclaren-Ross's life story is so gripping - sad, funny, inspiring and often almost unbelievable - it doesn't matter if you've never heard of him, or are particularly into books about authors or forties bohemian London, it's just a brilliantly moving story and as good as any fictitious character - cult film fans will perhaps notice that there's an element of Withnail about him, only this one is hundred times magnified and the genuine article. Every time you pick up Mr Willetts's book it's like you actually become an observer sitting at the bar of the Wheatsheaf, The Mandrake, The George or are in a film following at a few paces behind the hero - and Maclaren-Ross is undoubtedly a hero - on his endless trudges between rented flats and hotel rooms and publishers. I absolutely loved it and as I'm now almost through 'Of Love and Hunger' my only regret is that for such an obviously talented and original writer it's a shame that there isn't lots more of his work to enjoy. I'm off to buy a teddy-bear coat.

Anyone who has enjoyed Knut Hamsun's 'Hunger' or Henry Miller's 'Tropic' series should read this book.
Anyone familiar with Jeffrey Bernard or even the film 'Withnail and I' will be privy to it's classic theme: Starving Artist, fantastic, ultimately unfulfilled promise, a diet of air and amphetamine, 62 hour writing jags, booze as fuel and stylistic prop..

As a biography, the Author's first, it's perhaps a little lacking in depth in places. The latter half especially sometimes seems to read as a list of accounts and figures, with little emotional resonance; On one Page Julian has a £108 advance from a publisher and moves into opulent hotel, able at last to focus on the 'Great novel'. By the next page he is skint again, sleeping rough. A £5 cheque from the TLS arrives, he moves into a bedsit. Money runs out, eviction is threatened.
A royalty payment from the BBC arrives just in time..he moves to another hotel..etc etc
Characters are also seemingly wheeled on, named, either insulted by and /or charmed by Julian and wheeled off again with little consequence; again, seemingly more so in the latter half of the book which seems at times to be rushing inexorably toward our hero's conclusion..
(As with any biography, as the remaining pages begin to thin, the reader senses Death hovering in the wings).
This could be partly down to a lack of material available.
Julian was it seems a shadowy figure, especially in the baliff haunted days of his later life. There are also very few photographs of him in existence. It's an odd contradiction that such an 'egotist' was so seemingly camera shy.
Unlike Hunter S Thompson, (Whose 'original' phrase is used within the book's title), an author who as a complete unknown, carbon copied his very earliest letters in anticipation of his eventual fame and their subsequent publication, Julian seems touchingly unaware of his potential place in literary history.
Another thing Julian and Hunter share(Other than the constant wearing of Aviator shades-Julian is surely the pioneer in this department-beating even Elvis as a nightime wearer of sunglasses by two decades)..is copious use of booze and Speed; particulary as an aid to writing.
Julian's Amphetamine habit is never explored enough; scale and length of use and it's apparent impact; on health and character remains largely undefined.

But, the book is written with enthusiasim, an obvious love for the subject and at a cracking pace.

Having never ead any of Julian Mac-Laren's books, the bulk of which are apparently long out of print..(This Biog does not include a biblography of it's subject's works), I am now on the look-out...
I am now damned to Scanning charity shops, E-bay and book fairs for the works of one more of literature's lost Souls; a burgeoning obsession fueled exclusively by this book; the first and most very probably last account of the life of Julian Mclaren-Ross.
A Writer and a Dandy who was among one the first of the Twentieth centruary's Bohemians.
A writer whose way of living was perhaps the his greatest work of art.