Michael Arlen's "These Charming People"

These Charming People by Michael Arlen


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
There are certain books that I get off because of the sentence structure or the pacing of the words on the page, and Michael Arlen is a writer I think i may have a huge admiration for in the coming years. Surely more of his stories and novels will come back in print. A writer of the 1920's, who was focused on the Mayfair Set in London. A collection of short stories that can be read as a novel, because the characters come back in later narratives.

The closest writer I can think of is PG Wodehouse, in that both writers share a fascination with the dynamics of the upper crest with the low. Also he is sort of a hybrid of Gertrude Stein and Wodehouse. Arlen was born in Armenia, so its interesting how he uses the "British English" to such a great affect. Mannered to almost a surreal level, but pure music to my ears.

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